PCCVB becomes member of Global Sustainable Tourism Council

Park City Photo: TownLift // Rayne Moynahan

PARK CITY, Utah — The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) announced the addition of the Park City Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitor Bureau (PCCVB) as a member on Thursday.

The new membership builds on the Sustainable Tourism Plan, in which the GSTC Destination Assessment, completed in 2021, was used to evaluate the region as a destination through a standardized set of objectives.  The PCCVB has now positioned Park City to become a global leader in the sustainable tourism future with the joining of the GSTC.

The GSTC is a non-profit, politically neutral organization that both establishes and manages a set of global standards for sustainable travel and tourism. They have established a set of four pillars developed as a common language for sustainable tourism: Sustainable management, Socioeconomic impact, Cultural Impacts, and Environment Impacts.

“Our scenic beauty and recreational amenities, as well as our proximity to Salt Lake City and its expanded international airport, mean tourism-related pressures, such as traffic and crowded venues, have put pressure on our lifestyle and environment,” said Jennifer Wesselhoff, President and CEO of the Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau.

“After inviting GSTC to perform an assessment last year, we launched a community-wide project to develop a Sustainable Tourism Plan. Today, we are thrilled to join GSTC as we move forward with adoption and implementation, a logical and powerful next step in which we are confident will benefit Park City and Summit County.”

From being the first mountain town to operate a fleet of zero-emission busses to having a goal of becoming net-zero carbon and using 100% renewable electricity for city operations, the community has placed high importance on being eco-friendly.

“We appreciate the steps Park City is taking toward more sustainable forms of their visitor economy such as clean-energy buses, and are pleased to work with them to support continued improvement,” said Randy Durband, GSTC CEO.

By joining the GSTC, the PCCVB has now positioned Park City to become a representable model in the global move toward a sustainable tourism future.