Şişli Municipality has joined as a Member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)
Şişli Municipality is one of the 39 districts of Istanbul, Türkiye. Located on the European side of the city, it is bordered by Beşiktaş to the east, Sarıyer to the north, Eyüp and Kağıthane to the west, and Beyoğlu to the south. Şişli is a historical residential area, located in a central location and welcomes nearly 3 million citizens and tourists during the day.
It is its rich history that characterizes Şişli’s present portrait: different colors, tastes, unique fabric, and the culture of living together have emanated from the lives of people who were the inhabitants of this district.
Sustainability in Şişli Municipality
Its institutional mission is to ensure the sustainability and increase the accessibility of its services designed with a rights-based approach and participatory methods, as well as to be an innovative, transparent, accessible, and accountable municipality that observes social equality, and increases life quality of its citizens.
The Mayor of Şişli, Mr. Muammer Keskin, conveys his opinion about the tourism potential of Şişli and the work of the municipality: “Şişli has a unique experience diversity infrastructure with its historical and cultural heritage, more than 400 accommodation facilities, congress centers, shopping centers, famous restaurants, museums, art centers, health facilities, holy places belonging to different faith groups. As Şişli Municipality, we want to increase the contribution of tourism to the city to a more sustainable level while contributing to the development of the tourism sector. Şişli Municipality, we aim to create a more sustainable tourism district while contributing to the development of the tourism sector.”
For this purpose, Şişli is establishing the “Şişli Tourism Coordination Unit.” In addition, it will be integrated into the Sustainable Tourism Development Framework ‘ set up by the United Nations. In the next stage, they aim to develop partnerships by identifying the projects that will cooperate with the participation of all actors in Şişli. This program will be followed by Şişli Municipality and its affiliate KENTHAŞ.
«We welcome Şişli Municipality a member of GSTC and congratulate their drive to create a more sustainable tourism district and encourage them to keep up the good work towards a more sustainable future,» says Randy Durband, GSTC CEO.
GSTC encourages destinations pursuing sustainability practices in tourism development and management to join as GSTC members and apply the GSTC Destination Criteria, which eventually can help achieve certification by a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body.
About Şişli Municipality
Today, Şişli is a bustling, crowded, and lively district with all shades of thought. It is both a business and financial center, but also a major shopping district with alternatives that appeal to everyone and, of course, it is the cultural center of Istanbul, where conventions, fairs, concerts, and shows are held non-stop throughout the year.
As a matter of fact, Şişli is situated somewhere between the longing for this rich history and the zest for the new. It is this dual equilibrium that gives Şişli its character: a combination of the old and the new, a vision that spans the local and the international landscape, ongoing transformation, and a living memory that resists fading into oblivion. Şişli Municipality is preserving the historical, cultural and sociological fabric, and character of their district, whose doors are open to all colors, sounds and stories, based on the motto «Community-centered local government». They provide services and carry out projects that will integrate the legacy of the past with their rich experience today and in the future.
In order to experience this rich experience more efficiently and to get to know Şişli better, explore the “Travel Guide” prepared by Şişli Municipality here: https://www.sisligezirehberi.com/sisli-360/
About the GSTC
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) establishes and manages global sustainable standards, known as the GSTC Criteria. There are two sets: Destination Criteria for public policy-makers and destination managers, and Industry Criteria for hotels and tour operators. These are the guiding principles and minimum requirements that any tourism business or destination should aspire to reach in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for conservation and poverty alleviation.
The GSTC Criteria form the foundation for GSTC’s assurance role for Certification Bodies that certify hotels/accommodations, tour operators, and destinations as having sustainable policies and practices in place. GSTC does not directly certify any products or services, but provides accreditation to those that do. The GSTC is an independent and neutral USA-registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that represents a diverse and global membership, including national and provincial governments, leading travel companies, hotels, tour operators, NGOs, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism.
Information for media and the press: www.gstcouncil.org/about/for-the-press/
