Şişli Municipality receives Green Destinations Silver Award in Stockholm 🏆
Green Destinations
Non-profit foundation for sustainable destination development, recognition, and globally accredited certification.
In a significant acknowledgement of its commitment to advancing sustainable tourism and environmental practices, the Şişli Municipality of Istanbul City proudly received the Green Destinations Silver Award at the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Conference held in Stockholm.
The prestigious award, intended for Mayor Resul Emrah Şahan , was accepted on his behalf by Ms. Ebru Ozdemir, Deputy Mayor of Şişli, from Albert Salman , the President of Green Destinations . In this process, Şişli Municipality awarded this certificate in collaboration with the Şişli Destination Management Organization, Turkey's first destination management organisation, under the umbrella of KENTHAŞ A.Ş., a subsidiary of Şişli Municipality chaired by Mr. Özcan Biçer.
This recognition serves as the first milestone for Şişli Municipality in its journey towards achieving full Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) certification. Achieving the Silver Award denotes remarkable progress of at least 70 percent towards this goal. It also positions Şişli as a leader in advancing sustainability, being the first destination in Turkey to earn this award.
Deputy Mayor Ozdemir expressed her gratitude and highlighted the significance of this achievement:
This award is not just a recognition of our current efforts but also a powerful motivator for our future initiatives. We are dedicated to continuing our work to fully meet the GSTC criteria, which reflect our deep commitment to sustainability and responsible governance.
The GSTC criteria include stringent measures for environmental protection, cultural heritage preservation, social welfare, and economic viability, all of which are essential for sustainable development. Şişli’s strategies have included enhancing green spaces, promoting eco-friendly tourism, and implementing community-centred projects that contribute to the overall well-being of both residents and visitors.
This recognition from Green Destinations underscores Şişli's role as a pioneer in sustainable urban development and its potential to inspire other cities both within Turkey and globally.
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Tourism Consultancy: Tourism Master Plans, Tourism Action Plans, Tourism Strategy Plans, Sustainable Destinations
11moAs a historic city district in the heart of İstanbul, Şişli Municipality has the 3rd most popular hotel area in Istanbul. They host many local and foreign visitors in Şişli hotels, with numbers much more than local residents population. In addition to excellent municipal services, unique sustainability projects carried out by Şişli Municipality for visitors, local residents, and the tourism sector have earned Şişli the Green Destinations Silver Certificate. This pioneering success in Turkey has paved the way for Şişli to become a GSTC Destination very soon.
CEO & Co-founder Verigrene / Sustainable tourism consultant & trainer / Destinations sustainability assessor / GSTC Trainer / PhD student / Regular blood donor
11moI really love Istanbul. I went there 7 times in the last 10 years as a tourist. I am glad to hear this and hopefully other part of Istanbul will follow Şișli.
So happy to see another Green Destination in the region! We welcome Turkiye's first engaged destination with open arms and look forward to several more in the future. Keep the good work up Şişli Municipality! Tebrikler!