Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance (GSTA) Documents

The Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance (GSTA) is a partnership of leading organizations in the sustainable tourism field working together with USAID Missions to apply a holistic and market-driven approach to sustainable tourism development. This alliance enabled its members (including leading tourism development institutions, conservation organizations, the private sector, and USAID) to combine resources, expertise and reach in exciting and innovative ways.
Title Description Subject
Art Gallery Brings Hope and Motivation to Local Artisans Art Gallery Brings Hope and Motivation to Local Artisans Two years ago, Vida Para Todos, through the Movimento Unidad Valores Arte (MWVA) artisan group, established their Art Gallery and Artisan Commercial Center in Jarabacoa with the intention of creating an open community space and art center where local artists and artisans could sell their work and actively engage in the community and local cultural movement. ('Biodiversity', 'Art', 'Success Story', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Republic', 'DSTA')
Building Today to Protect Tomorrow Building Today to Protect Tomorrow With support from the Ecuadorian Sustainable Tourism Alliance (AETS) funded by USAID, the Secoya people are developing the Secoya Lodge, a joint venture between the community, a conservation organization, and tourism operators to generate jobs and income. ('Biodiversity', 'Success Story', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'Conservation', 'GSTA', 'Ecuadorian Sustainable Tourism Alliance', 'Ecuador')
Caiman Conservation Caiman Conservation During a Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance/Pays Dogon (GSTA/PD) field visit to the remote village of Borko in northern Dogon country, Mali, threatening invasive plant species were identified in gardens, ponds, and waterways inhabited by sacred Caimans, a crocodilian reptile idolized in traditional beliefs. ('Biodiversity', 'Success Story', 'GSTA', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'Conservation', 'Mali')
Chocolate Tour Unites Community and Improves Local Economic Opportunities Chocolate Tour Unites Community and Improves Local Economic Opportunities For decades, Vincentillo and its surrounding area suffered from deforestation and soil degradation, affecting the local dependency on agriculture and the production and sale of cacao. For the past twenty years, the Bloque de Asociaciones Productoras de Cacao de la Región Este (Bloque #3 de Cacao) has drawn from its wealth of natural resources to further develop the community’s cacao industry. ('Biodiversity', 'Success Story', 'Chocolate', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Republic', 'Tourism', 'DSTA')
Communities Partake in Agro-Tour Initiative Communities Partake in Agro-Tour Initiative Local community group Fundación ProConuco, in collaboration with four neighboring communities, values new alternatives for agricultural production and opportunity for economic growth. ('Coffee', 'Biodiversity', 'Success Story', 'Chocolate', 'Agro-Tour', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Republic', 'DSTA')
Communities Taking Charge!!! Communities Taking Charge!!! To better integrate local communities into the tourism sector, the USAID funded Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance (DSTA) started a small grants program for local communities and entrepreneurs. ('Biodiversity', 'Success Story', 'Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance', 'Community', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Republic', 'DSTA')
Community Ecotourism Initiative Becomes an Enterprise, Presenting Promising Opportunities for Sustainable Development Community Ecotourism Initiative Becomes an Enterprise, Presenting Promising Opportunities for Sustainable Development Since its inauguration in 1999, community organization The Damajagua River Guides Association (AGRD) has relied on management of the 27 Waterfalls eco-tourism attraction as a principal source of local income and community development of Imbert. ('Biodiversity', 'Eco-Tourism', 'Sustainable Development', 'Success Story', 'Community', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Republic', 'DSTA')
Community Finds Hope in Agro-Tourism Project Community Finds Hope in Agro-Tourism Project With the development of agro-tourism project Complejo Turistico Rio Blanco run by the active community NGO Federacion de Campesinos hacia el Progreso (FCHP), locals have been able to support their families with a sustainable source of income, as well as obtaining an education. ('Biodiversity', 'Success Story', 'Community', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'Agro-Tourism', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Republic', 'DSTA')
Community Leaders Mean Business Community Leaders Mean Business Angostura now turns to ecotourism to guarantee alternate sources of revenue and employment for the community while creating conditions for the diversification of activities and encouraging exposure to new business initiatives. ('Biodiversity', 'Eco-Tourism', 'Success Story', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Republic', 'DSTA')
Community-Run Hotel Duty Greene. Draws Tourism to Pedernales Community-Run Hotel Duty Greene. Draws Tourism to Pedernales Over fifteen years ago, the Fundación para el Desarrollo de la Comunidad Integral de Pedernales (FUNDACIPE) identified ecotourism as an ideal alternative to encourage its society to actively participate in the local economy while closing the inequality gap. ('Biodiversity', 'GSTA', 'Eco-Tourism', 'DSTA', 'Success Story')
Conserving Biodiversity and Empowering Fishing Communities Conserving Biodiversity and Empowering Fishing Communities The Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance (DSTA) supported project, through Counterpart International, is working with fishing communities and other stakeholders to conserve biodiversity within Montecristi National Park and stimulate sustainable economic development in rural communities. ('Biodiversity', 'Fishing Communities', 'Success Story', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Republic', 'DSTA', 'Biodiversity Conservation')
Creative Thoughts Creative Thoughts With local livelihoods in mind, the Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance (DSTA) worked with local communities to develop a market for their products as well as a strategy for selling their art. ('Biodiversity', 'Art', 'Success Story', 'Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Republic', 'DSTA')
Dune Fixation in Mali Dune Fixation in Mali Sand blown onto the Kanikombole-Bankass road, is is a problem that impedes sustainable tourism development and economic growth. With funding provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance (GSTA) has conducted targeted outreach to engage communities in dune fixation. ('Mali', 'Biodiversity', 'Success Story', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'GSTA')
Ecotourism Attraction Combats Brain Drain Ecotourism Attraction Combats Brain Drain Fundación PROGRESSIO envisions success of local family and community-owned micro-enterprises and the organizational and institutional strengthening of the Sustainable Development Association (SDA), which is comprised of 26 active members who manage the community ecotourism attraction. ('Biodiversity', 'Eco-Tourism', 'Success Story', 'Community', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Republic', 'Education', 'DSTA')
Ethiopian Communities Mobilize to Support Conservation and Economic Development Ethiopian Communities Mobilize to Support Conservation and Economic Development The Ethiopia Sustainable Tourism Project (ESTA) is mobilizing local communities to enhance conservation and promote economic development throughout the Central and Southern Rift Valley, the Bale Mountains and Awash National Park. ('Biodiversity', 'Success Story', 'Community', 'Ethiopia', 'Ethiopian Sustainable Tourism Alliance', 'GSTA', 'Economy')
Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance / Ecuador Alianza Ecuatoriana para el Turismo Sostenible (AETS) Associate Award: Final Report March 22, 2007 – November 14, 2009 Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance / Ecuador Alianza Ecuatoriana para el Turismo Sostenible (AETS) Associate Award: Final Report March 22, 2007 – November 14, 2009 AETS aimed to ensure better management of Ecuador’s biodiversity and natural resource base; promote benefits from conserving biodiversity to rural Ecuadorians by generating employment opportunities; attract and stimulate investment in the sector; and, showcase the country’s national patrimony to international and national visitors. ('Biodiversity', 'GSTA', 'USAID', 'Academy for Educational Development (AED)', 'Alianza Ecuatoriana para el Turismo Sostenible (AETS)', 'Ecuador')
Greening the Desert Tree by Tree Greening the Desert Tree by Tree A tree planting campaign to reinforce and promote the production, distribution, and planting of trees in select Dogon country nurseries of Mali. Targeted assistance is provided to select nurseries in the region in an effort to curb threats to endangered plant and tree species and simultaneously rebuild species stocks. ('Biodiversity', 'Success Story', 'Mali', 'Tree Planting', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'GSTA')
Growing Out of Trouble Growing Out of Trouble Local community associations in Mali launched an initiative to build the capacity of local nurseries and promote the regeneration of endangered plant and tree species. ('Biodiversity', 'Endangered Species', 'Success Story', 'Mali', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'Nursery', 'GSTA')
Guide to Assessing and Designing Tourism Workforce Development Programs Guide to Assessing and Designing Tourism Workforce Development Programs Guide to assessing and designing tourism workforce development programs with a special focus on job and career opportunities for youth. ('Biodiversity', 'USAID Document', 'Training Documents', 'GSTA', 'USAID Tourism Workforce Development Programs', 'DSTA')
In Ethiopia’s Central Rift Valley, Community Conservation Areas Learn About Sustainable Forest Management In Ethiopia’s Central Rift Valley, Community Conservation Areas Learn About Sustainable Forest Management The most recent GSTA Success Story is about Community Conservation Area (CCA) committee members in Ethiopia's Central Rift Valley learning about sustainable forest management. ('Biodiversity', 'Sustainability', 'Success Story', 'Community-based Forest Management (CBFM)', 'Ethiopia', 'Ethiopian Sustainable Tourism Alliance', 'Community Forestry', 'Conservation', 'GSTA')
Jewelry Workshop Provides Better Livelihoods for Women Jewelry Workshop Provides Better Livelihoods for Women On November 19, 1999 Villas Padre Nuestro celebrated the inauguration of Arte Cuseco, a community organization of women artisans that would bring hope and prospect to local women who have suffered financially and socially due to low-education levels, family troubles, and the region’s deficit of opportunity for women. By creating and operating a jewelry design and artisan workshop, Arte Cuseco strives to decrease high levels of unemployment among women and create a self-generating source of income for the community that is distinct from the hotel industry. ('Biodiversity', 'Eco-Tourism', 'Success Story', 'Community', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Republic', 'Employment', 'DSTA')
Journalists Journey Journalists Journey Tourism journalists recently traveled to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to promote the city as the American Capital of Culture for 2010. ('Biodiversity', 'Success Story', 'Journalism', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Republic', 'DSTA')
La Esperanza de Los Calabazos La Esperanza de Los Calabazos The idea came to Doña Esperanza and the women of the Calabazos community to provide various services to tourist groups that would enable the women to earn a living.The Jarabacoa Ecotourism Cluster, in support of the Sonido del Yaque project, requested of the USAID/DSTA program a technical evaluation of the site and from there, to define a plan of cooperation to improve the product and marketing to directly benefit the community. ('Biodiversity', 'Success Story', 'Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance', 'Community', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'Women in Development', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Republic', 'DSTA')
Linking Biodiversity and Benefits in Ecuador Linking Biodiversity and Benefits in Ecuador The Sculpture Plaza shows the value of biodiversity through artistic creations as unique representations of Oyacachi’s culture. This was originally designed by the community’s Artisan’s Organization in close collaboration with local NGO Samiri-Progea, received financial and technical support by the Ecuadorian Sustainable Tourism Alliance (AETS) a USAID funded program. ('Biodiversity', 'Art', 'Success Story', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'GSTA', 'Ecuadorian Sustainable Tourism Alliance', 'Ecuador')
Micro-enterprises Awaken Economic Opportunities in Los Bueyes Micro-enterprises Awaken Economic Opportunities in Los Bueyes Currently in the second phase of creating Los Bueyes’s first ecotourism enterprise known as “Mountain Serene” which offers rustic accommodations for domestic and international visitors, Los Bueyes turns to the area’s natural attractions as an opportunity for new sources of revenue, diversity of economic activities, and environmental conservation. ('Biodiversity', 'Eco-Tourism', 'Success Story', 'Community', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'Environmental Conservation', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Republic', 'Employment', 'DSTA')
Mountain Gorillas Join Facebook Mountain Gorillas Join Facebook Hollywood celebrities and Uganda Wildlife Authority launch Friend-a-Gorilla campaign in support of conservation in Uganda. ('Biodiversity', 'Success Story', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'Conservation', 'Uganda', 'GSTA')
News You Can Use!!! News You Can Use!!! Local NGOs and authorities in Bandiagara, Mali participated in a meeting introducing the idea of a newsletter. During the meeting volunteers offered their time and efforts to work and develop the concept. ('Biodiversity', 'Success Story', 'GSTA', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'New Reports/Research', 'Mali')
Promoting Sustainable Rice Production in the Dominican Republic Promoting Sustainable Rice Production in the Dominican Republic The Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance (DSTA) supported project, through Counterpart International, is bringing together a coalition of rice farmers, water user groups, agri-businesses, agricultural finance institutions, and government agencies. Working together, the partnership is mapping-out and implementing an overarching strategy to reduce the negative environmental impacts of rice cultivation and improve the economic competitiveness of rice farming in the region. ('Biodiversity', 'Success Story', 'GSTA', 'Dominican Sustainable Tourism Alliance', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'Rice Production', 'Dominican Republic', 'DSTA')
ST1. Global Tourism - Achieving Sustainable Goals ST1. Global Tourism - Achieving Sustainable Goals This manual is from a set of nine courses on Sustainable Tourism that have been developed by George Washington University as a result of compiling the lessons and best practices from the USAID Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance (GSTA) program, and other tourism development experiences. The courses train students, practitioners, donor agency representatives, and others working in related fields to understand and develop tourism and its role in international development. All the course materials are public access and also can be found inside the USAID NRM&D Learning Management Center. Your registration in these courses will allow you to actively participate in discussions of the material, and to take quizzes to check yourself for understanding at the end of each course. Each of the nine courses are offered free on a non-academic credit basis and offer a Certificate of Completion from USAID. Participants may take these courses to build your own knowledge of the field of tourism and development. The target audience for this manual, Global Tourism - Achieving Sustainable Goals, includes professionals working on tourism-related projects in developing countries, including staff from donor and government agencies, non-governmental organizations, consulting firms, universities, businesses, and other entities. ('Biodiversity', 'Tool', 'Resource Series', 'Toolkit', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'USAID', 'GSTA', 'USAIDOLMS')
ST2. Project Development For Sustainable Tourism - A Step By Step Approach ST2. Project Development For Sustainable Tourism - A Step By Step Approach This course introduces the participant to developing a sustainable tourism project that contributes to international development goals. This manual is from a set of nine courses on Sustainable Tourism that have been developed by George Washington University as a result of compiling the lessons and best practices from the USAID Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance (GSTA) program, and other tourism development experiences. The courses train students, practitioners, donor agency representatives, and others working in related fields to understand and develop tourism and its role in international development. All the course materials are public access and also can be found inside the USAID NRM&D Learning Management Center. Your registration in these courses will allow you to actively participate in discussions of the material, and to take quizzes to check yourself for understanding at the end of each course. Each of the nine courses are offered free on a non-academic credit basis and offer a Certificate of Completion from USAID. Participants may take these courses to build your own knowledge of the field of tourism and development. The target audience consists of professionals engaged in development assistance in developing countries and working on sustainable tourism projects, including staff from donors (such as USAID), government agencies, NGOs, consulting firms, universities, businesses, and related entities. The target audience for this manual, Project Development For Sustainable Tourism - A Step By Step Approach, includes professionals working on tourism-related projects in developing countries, including staff from donor and government agencies, non-governmental organizations, consulting firms, universities, businesses, and other entities. ('Biodiversity', 'Tool', 'Resource Series', 'Toolkit', 'Sustainable Tourism', 'USAID', 'DSTA', 'GSTA', 'USAIDOLMS')
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