The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) conducted from May to August 2023, a comprehensive Destination Assessment of Petra, Jordan. Expert assessors from GSTC evaluated the destination’s management practices against the GSTC Destination Criteria (GSTC-D), the global standard for sustainable tourism.

Sustainability Pillars of the Assessment

The GSTC-D framework focuses on four key aspects of destination sustainability:

1. Destination Policy and Planning
2. Community Involvement and Benefits
3. Management of Cultural Assets
4. Management of Environmental and Natural Resources

Assessment Process

Led by GSTC Assessor Dr. Mihee Kang, the evaluation involved an in-depth review of Petra’s current tourism activities and management approaches. With support from Nastadeem/EcoHotels and the Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), Dr. Kang conducted a six-day onsite visit, during which they interviewed key authorities and stakeholders to validate compliance with the GSTC-D criteria. The process began with an opening workshop on May 21, 2023, introducing the project and its objectives.

To ensure a balanced and thorough evaluation, the assessment underwent a peer review by Dr. Kelly Bricker, Vice Chair of GSTC and Director of the Hainan-Arizona State International Tourism College (HAITC). Feedback from Petra’s stakeholders was analyzed before the final sustainable tourism assessment report was submitted.

Leadership Remarks

Dr. Fares Braizat, Chief Commissioner of the PDTRA, emphasized the destination’s commitment:
“This is the first step toward transforming Petra into a world-class sustainable tourism destination.”

Eng. Hamzeh Al-Alayani, Commissioner for Investments and Infrastructure at the PDTRA, highlighted future plans:
“We will continue our journey with the GSTC to implement the assessment’s recommendations and train the tourism sector on the GSTC Criteria.”

Key Highlights and Future Steps

• The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, along with PDTRA, has partnered with organizations such as UNESCO and USAID to develop sustainable tourism strategies for Petra.
• The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been instrumental in advancing these efforts through the Petra Tourism Development Master Plan. The first volume, titled Diagnosis, was published in February 2022.
• The Petra Destination Assessment, supported by JICA, aligns with this master plan, representing a significant step toward enhancing sustainable tourism and development in the region.

For more information about the GSTC Destination Assessment, visit this link.