The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) invites you to provide input on revising the GSTC Hotel Criteria and GSTC Tour Operator Criteria drafts. The second public consultation is now currently active. A report on the revisions from the first public consultation and second public consultation will soon be published. The GSTC Criteria operate as [...]
The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) is a global association of accreditation bodies and other entities interested in conformity assessment across management systems, products, processes, services, personnel, validation, verification, and similar conformity assessment programs. IAF primary function is to develop a unified worldwide program of conformity assessment, aimed at reducing risk for businesses and their [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) is pleased to announce that the GSTC Attraction Criteria has been published. Developed with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) for attractions - such as theme parks, museums, national parks, etc. with the aim to guide businesses toward implementing sustainable practices in response to the growing [...]
GSTC has designed the Early Adopter Program for the Attraction Criteria to support the development of the applicable implementation of the GSTC Attraction Criteria. Along with the recent new set of criteria, applications are now open for the Early Adopter Program. This two-year program is a valuable opportunity for industry stakeholders to actively engage [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) launched the new GSTC Attraction Criteria in November 2024. GSTC designed the Early Adopter Program to facilitate the practical implementation of the GSTC Attraction Criteria, supporting their development and effective application in the industry. The GSTC Attraction Early Adopter’s Program will begin this January 2025. Applications are now [...]
[Photo credit: Singapore National Trades Union Congress] The partnership aims to equip Singapore’s tourism professionals with essential sustainability skills, aligning training with global sustainability standards for tourism. The partnership also supports key sustainability roadmaps for the Singapore tourism sector and aims to meet evolving demands, aligning with Singapore’s strategic sustainability goals. NTUC [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) is pleased to announce that the ‘Destination Wayfinder Framework & Standard’ has gained GSTC-Recognized Standard status, meaning that it has been fully recognized as equivalent to the GSTC Destination Criteria Version 2.0. The Wayfinder, powered by Miles Partnership, is a destination management tool enabling tourism organizations to measure, [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce its Zero Tolerance Policy to address critical issues impacting the tourism industry, including child labor, human exploitation, discrimination, wildlife abuse, and the unnecessary use of single-use plastics. Throughout its history, the GSTC has championed a common language for sustainable tourism, known as the GSTC [...]
Trip.com now highlights hotels and accommodations certified by a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body Trip.com, one of the world’s leading online travel service providers, has introduced a new feature that highlights sustainable hotels and accommodations certified by a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body. This initiative aims to make it easier for travelers to identify and book sustainable hotels/accommodations, [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) participated in the Sixteenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, from October 21st to November 1st, 2024. Jorge Moller, GSTC’s Program Director for Latin America and Tatiana Agudelo Monguí, GSTC’s Membership Coordinator, actively engaged with the international community to address [...]
The City of Sapporo has joined as a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). Sapporo City, with a population of 1.96 million, is the economic and cultural center of Hokkaido, combining urban development with natural surroundings. The city receives visitors from both Japan and abroad, offering scenic landscapes across all four seasons. [...]
The working document “Policy Pathways Towards a More Sustainable Cruise Tourism Sector,” led by the Blue Tourism Initiative has been released. Representing GSTC, Dr. Ioannis Pappas, GSTC Director for the Mediterranean Region, provided valuable insights and feedback on sustainable practices within the cruise industry by reviewing and contributing to the working document. On October [...]
Located in the Andean highlands and renowned for its historical significance as the former capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco served as the backdrop for the 10th Peruvian Tourism Congress CONPETUR 2024 held on the 24th and 25th of October 2024. Luigi Cabrini, Chair of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has revised the GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification of Hotel/Accommodation & Tour Operator. Version 4.0, now titled the GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification Bodies - Industry: Hotel/Accommodation & Tour Operator, was approved on November 1, 2024. The Manual is available on the following webpage: GSTC Accreditation Documents.Given the dynamic [...]
Rita Kuan, Market Development Manager at the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), took the stage at the FHA-HoReCa 2024 event, held in Singapore from October 22 to 25. In her presentation titled “Embark on a Journey of Sustainable Tourism with GSTC,” she shared her insights on the importance of the GSTC Criteria, the global [...]
HIC Summit 2024, held in the vibrant setting of Ibiza, Spain, brought together an array of professionals, destinations, scientists, and businesses to engage in meaningful dialogues focused on this year’s theme “Innovation, Tourism, and Regenerative Culture” to explore how these elements can shape the future of the industry. The HIC Forum is the main [...]
Rita Kuan, Market Development Manager at the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), took the stage at the MICE Show Asia and ITB Asia 2024 which was held on October 23 to 25, 2024, at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Her participation in the session “Driving Sustainability: Strategies for a Greener Future in the [...]
Japan Travel and Tourism Association, the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) held the Tourism EXPO Japan 2024 from the 26th to the 29th of September 2024, at Tokyo Big Sight. The event, one of the largest tourism fairs in Asia, gathered industry professionals, government representatives, and [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC) Hotel Sustainability Training for Industry Professionals, organized in partnership with Agoda and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), successfully concluded on the 10th to 11th of October 2024. This two-day training held in Bali aimed to equip hoteliers with the skills and knowledge necessary [...]
In April, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) hosted the #GSTC2024Sweden international conference in Stockholm from April 24th to 26th 2024, focusing on the theme of Purposeful Travel. This event brought together over 500 participants from nearly 60 countries, fostering a rich exchange of knowledge on how to advance sustainable tourism practices. Visit Sweden [...]
