Chile’s Lake Llanquihue region has successfully completed the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Early Adopters pilot program, which tested the new Criteria and Indicators for Destinations. Lake Llanquihue joins the Cusco–Sacred Valley–Machu Picchu corridor in Peru as one of the first destinations in South America to participate in and complete the GSTC Early Adopters program.
The Early Adopters initiative is coordinated by the GSTC Destination Working Group and implemented in partnership with the NGO Sustainable Travel International. These Destination Criteria are designed to complement the GSTC’s existing Criteria for Hotels and Tour Operators, forming a global standard for sustainable tourism practices across destinations and businesses.
Situated in Chile’s Los Lagos Region in the country’s south-central zone, Lake Llanquihue is Chile’s second-largest lake and is framed by the picturesque towns of Frutillar, Puerto Varas, Llanquihue and Puerto Octay. The area is renowned for dramatic views of the lake and nearby volcanoes, and it offers a wide range of outdoor activities, including skiing, hiking and soaking in natural hot springs.
Participation in the GSTC Early Adopters program highlights Lake Llanquihue’s commitment to sustainable tourism development, stakeholder collaboration and continuous improvement of environmental and social practices. By applying the Destination Criteria, local authorities, tourism operators and communities can better align planning, conservation and visitor management to protect natural and cultural assets while supporting responsible economic growth.
The GSTC Destination Criteria emphasize measurable indicators across areas such as governance, destination management, visitor experience, community well-being and environmental stewardship. For destinations like Lake Llanquihue, using these indicators helps track progress, demonstrate accountability and guide investments toward resilient, low-impact tourism that benefits residents and visitors alike.
Completing the pilot program also positions Lake Llanquihue to share lessons learned with other destinations and to serve as an example of implementing international sustainability standards at the destination level. The experience gained through the Early Adopters process can inform future policy, tourism product development and partnerships that strengthen climate resilience, biodiversity protection and cultural heritage preservation.
For travelers, GSTC-recognized approaches provide greater confidence that destination planning considers conservation and community outcomes in addition to visitor experiences. For local businesses and communities, alignment with GSTC Criteria can open opportunities for training, quality improvement and participation in sustainable value chains that attract conscientious travelers.
Lake Llanquihue’s completion of the GSTC Early Adopters pilot represents a concrete step toward more sustainable destination management in Chile and across the region. As more destinations adopt standardized criteria and measurable indicators, the tourism sector can better balance growth with long-term environmental and social health.
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