Sustainable tourism in Siena

With an old town that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995, Siena is a city rich in history that aims not only to preserve its artistic and cultural heritage with great commitment, but also to promote sustainable choices, projects and initiatives.

Since the end of 2021, the City of Siena has been on the path to receiving the international sustainable tourism certification, a goal achieved in February 2023. To date, it’s the first Italian and world city of art to be certified as a sustainable destination according to the criteria of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC-D).

The official certificate awarding event was held on 7 March 2023 in the presence of city authorities and stakeholders involved in the certification process.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council

It’s an international body created by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to promote sustainability and social responsibility in the tourism sector.

The standard is recognized globally and, once obtained, the certificate will allow Siena to join an international network of prime tourism destinations.

In recent months, the first meetings have been held, coordinated by the tourism and environment directorates of the City of Siena. Meanwhile, the work team called ‘Team for the Certification of Tourism Sustainability of the City of Siena Destination’ formed by representatives of the administration, the University of Siena, Asp City of Siena, the Health Society and the Chamber of Commerce has been officially formed and is taking several steps with agencies and institutions in the area to improve tourism from the perspective of sustainability.

In this section of the website, we outline our commitment to a sustainable future, which has already borne fruit.

Useful numbers

Useful numbers