Sustainable Tourism Destination
A destination striving for sustainability
A sustainable tourist destination is an area that strives for strong environmental, social, and economic performance, particularly in aspects that are vital to and support tourism activities. Creating such a destination involves services like accommodation, restaurants, tour operators, and others that promote and practise sustainability.
Management Model for Sustainability
A sustainable tourist destination exemplifies sustainable management through a collaborative approach involving various stakeholders. These agents in tourism services in the area select synergistic measures (either individual or collective) to foster a dynamic movement towards sustainability (momentum), adopting higher standards of sustainability. This applies to both the service providers (supply) and the tourists (demand), encouraging both to adopt a practical view on sustainable production and consumption. Development of this concept began in 2014.
Development and Implementation in Setúbal
The proof-of-concept project involved implementing a collaborative management model to develop a sustainable tourist destination in Setúbal. This included a protocol between the Instituto Superior Técnico and the creation of a prototype network of tourism agents to establish a sustainable destination using the LiderA system. The project of this simplified version was conducted between 2014 and 2016 and was referenced as an example in Tourism 2020.
Network Management for Sustainable Tourist Destinations
This management model offers a programme aimed at creating, developing, managing, and certifying sustainable tourist destinations, optimising good environmental practices in tourism activities within these areas according to LiderA standards. In this context, the programme provides support systems for the development and management of sustainability for various entities in the sector, including regions, municipalities, sector associations, tour operators, accommodation providers, restaurants, transportation, and other services.