Cape Cod, Massachusetts, represents a premier coastal tourism destination facing escalating environmental, ecological, and socio-economic pressures. As the global tourism paradigm shifts toward sustainability, evaluating existing tourist infrastructures against international benchmarks is critical. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of Cape Cod beaches utilizing the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) recognized Green Destinations Standard. Through a mixed-methods approach integrating synthesized environmental monitoring data, stakeholder surveys (N=450), and infrastructural assessments across three distinct beach typologies—Coast Guard Beach, Herring Cove Beach, and Craigville Beach—the study measures compliance across five core themes: Destination Management, Nature & Scenery, Environment & Climate, Culture & Tradition, and Social Well-being. Results indicate that while federally managed beaches exhibit high environmental compliance (8.9/10), municipal beaches struggle with peak-season capacity, coastal erosion, and wastewater management (6.2/10). The study highlights critical gaps in integrated land-use planning and recommends structural and non-structural adaptations, including the adoption of the StormSmart Coasts framework, to achieve full Green Destination certification.
Keywords: Sustainable Coastal Tourism, Green Destinations Standard, Cape Cod, Environmental Impact Assessment, Coastal Erosion, Destination Management.