Sustainable tourism in Siena

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

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

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

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council

It is 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 system.

The first meetings were coordinated by the tourism and environment directorates of the City of Siena, and the Working Group called “Team for the Certification of Tourism Sustainability of the City of Siena Destination” was officially formed, consisting of representatives from the same administration, University of Siena, Asp City of Siena, Health Society and Chamber of Commerce. Siena is taking many steps, shared with operators and institutions in the area, to improve its tourism destination with a view to sustainability.

In this section of the website we collect our commitment to sustainable futures, which has already borne fruit.