GSTC2017 – Towards More Sustainable Destinations: Management, Marketing, and Awareness

Destinations bring tourists to visit a different location from where they live. It is an imperative that these destinations are managed for long-term viability. Following the GSTC Criteria, management, marketing and awareness of sustainable destinations will be key theme for this year’s GSTC Global Sustainable Tourism Conference, GSTC2017.

Destinations are comprised by many different enterprises, organizations and individuals. GSTC2017 will include international and domestic tourism stakeholders involved in the development and promotion of sustainable tourism; including public sector, hotels, tour operators, academia, development agencies, NGOs, consultants, and more.

Simultaneous translation will be provided in English and Spanish.

PROGRAM

A mixture of plenary sessions and breakouts with international and national experts in sustainable tourism as speakers, panelists, and panel moderators.

Topics:

  • Certifications of sustainability in travel and tourism
  • Marketing sustainable tourism
  • Sustainable visitor management practices
  • Municipalities managing for sustainable tourism
  • Destination management for climate change adaptation
  • Sustainable tourism awareness and education
  • Sustainable hotel management
  • Sustainable food in the tourism industry
  • Ecotourism and community-based tourism
  • Indigenous tourism

Wednesday September 6th: Welcoming dinner
Thursday September 7th: Conference
Friday September 8th: Conference
Saturday September 9th: Post-conference tour to Cerro Castillo National ReserveSelf-paid post-conference tours
Sunday September 10th: Self-paid post-conference tours

Simultaneous translation will be provided in English and Spanish.

SPEAKERS

Saul Blanco
Sustainable Tourism Specialist – Quality Assurance, Rainforest Alliance

Carolina Morgado
Director, Tompkins Conservation Chile

Jim Sano
Vice President for Travel, Tourism and Conservation, WWF

Jonathan Tourtellot
Founder and former Director, National Geographic Center for Sustainable Destinations; CEO, Destination Stewardship Center

Rosa Harris

Rosa Harris
Director of Tourism, Cayman Islands

Dr. Jonathon Day
Associate Professor, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Purdue University; Communications Working Group Chair, GSTC

Luigi Cabrini
Chairman, GSTC; Advisor on Sustainability to Secretary-General, UNWTO

 

Beatriz Barreal Danel

Beatriz Barreal Danel
Founder & General Manager, Sustainable Riviera Maya; Board of Directors and Mexico Country Representative, GSTC

Blake Rogers
Executive Director, Tourism Industry Association of the Yukon (TIA Yukon); Canada Country Representative, GSTC

Lonneke de Kort
Lonneke de Kort CEO, Bookdifferent

VENUE

Venue: Hotel Dreams De La Patagonia, Coyhaique, Aysén Región, Chile

Coyhaique: Coyhaique is a city in Aysén region, and the main city in the Northern Chilean Patagonia with a population of 55,000. Surrounded by dramatic mountains, Coyhaique is the jumping-off point for travelers through Chilean Patagonia’s most beautiful and unspoiled landscapes.


TRAVEL INFORMATION

Weather: Expected in September

Visa: Do you need a visa to enter Chile? Find out here.

Travel Arrangements: Daily flights from Santiago (SCL) to Balmaceda (BBA) are operated by LATAM Airlines and Sky Airline, for US$100-200.

Transfers from Balmaceda Airport (BBA) to Coyhaique City will be offered to conference delegates arriving on September 6th. For those coming on a different date, there are convenient 12-14 passengers shuttle vans, CLP $5.000 p/p (~USD8).

Hotel reservations are the responsibility of the attendee. The conference will be held at Hotel Dreams De La Patagonia. Coyhaique has a variety of accommodation options.

The following accommodations offer a 10% discount for GSTC2017 participants:

NAMEWEBSITEE-MAILADDRESS
Cabañas Bordelunawww.bordeluna.clcontacto@bordeluna.clRené Shneider 1404
Cabañas Patagonia Paraisowww.patagoniaparaiso.clcontacto@patagoniaparaiso.clVenezuela 134
Hostal Doña Eloisawww.hostaldonaeloisa.comhostaldonaeloisa@gmail.com Baquedano 792
Rumbo Sur Apart Hotelwww.rumbosuraparthotel.cominfo@rumbosuraparthotel.com21 de mayo 60
Cabañas Rincón Sureñorinconsur7@gmail.com Ignacio Serrano 510
Cabañas Tío Ninowww.ninopescador.comninopescador@gmail.comSimón Bolivar 630
Hotel Los Ñireswww.hotellosnires.clventas@hotellosnires.clBaquedano 315
Hotel Pampa del Corralwww.pampadelcorral.cominfo@pampadelcorral.comCamino campo alegre S/N, lote AB1
Hotel Patagonia Housewww.patagonia-house.comventas@salvajecorazon.comQuinta 18 de Julio, campo Alegre
Hostal Patagonia Livewww.hostalpatagonialive.clcontacto@hostalpatagonialive.clEusebio Lillo 826

19% VAT tax, IVA (Impuesto al Valor Agregado)

Foreign tourists are exempt from paying the 19% VAT (called IVA in Chile) on hotel bills. When checking in, you will be asked for your passport and for a photocopy of the passport and the tourist card that you will receive from immigration authorities at the Santiago airport on arrival. When you checkout, you will be billed via a “factura de exportación” which does not include the 19% IVA. However, you might find this is not the case with low-budget hotels and hostels.

Do a little math when offered a price in dollars as the peso rate might be cheaper due to a proprietor’s improper or inflated exchange rate.

Extending your stay to explore the area?

TripAdvisor: Things to do in Coyhaique

Chile Travel: Coyhaique and Puerto Aysén

InterPatagonia: Activities and Tours nearby Coyhaique

GoChile: Northern Patagonia & Carretera Austral

Tour operators that have received the Chilean National System for Distinction of Sustainable Tourism Achieves (GSTC-Recognized Standard):

Andes Nativa (English/Español)

BirdsChile (English/Español)

La Bicicleta Verde (English/Español)

Travolution (English/Español)

Andina del Sud (Español)

Gold Star Travel (Español)

Novojet Chile (Español)

Smartrip (Español)

Turavion (Español)

ORGANIZERS 

MEDIA PARTNERS

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 SUSTAINABLE FOOD AND GASTRONOMY PANEL SPONSOR

 ECOTOURISM & COMMUNITY-BASED TOURISM PANEL SPONSOR

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