GSTC Certification
Why GSTC and GSTC Certification?
Highest Level of Trust in Travel and Tourism Industry
As an internationally recognized organization, the GSTC plays a crucial role in the tourism industry by establishing and managing global standards for sustainable travel and tourism. Founded as a strategic coalition between the United Nations Foundation, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), among others; the GSTC works to promote responsible tourism practices worldwide.
GSTC Certification
GSTC Certification is a three-year valid certification that has been regarded as the most trusted benchmark for sustainability and excellence in the travel and tourism industry worldwide. With the GSTC certification, tourism businesses can demonstrate their commitment to sustainable tourism through a credible, impartial and rigorous assessment.
Why are we confident in saying that?
The certification is an independent third party certification conducted by GSTC Accredited Certification Bodies to certify tourism businesses against the GSTC Criteria. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) establishes and maintains the GSTC Criteria, the global framework for sustainable tourism. GSTC does not conduct certification; rather, it accredits Certification Bodies (CBs) that certify tourism businesses. Through a rigorous accreditation process, GSTC ensures that these Certification Bodies operate with transparency, impartiality, and competence. In short, GSTC certify the certifiers.
Note: The term “GSTC Certification” is a shorthand for “Certified by a Certification Body that is GSTC-Accredited.”
What do we mean by “GSTC Accredited Certification Bodies”?
Accreditation is a mark of quality that GSTC places on Certification Bodies that choose our independent and neutral process to verify that they certify businesses, such as hotels, tour operators, or destinations, in a competent and neutral manner. GSTC looks very hard at the CB’s certification process to ensure that they issue certifications based on merit and neutrality. GSTC does not certify directly, GSTC certifies the certifiers.
See here for more information about the difference between Certification, Accreditation, and Recognition.
What are the benefits of being GSTC-certified?
Increasingly travelers are seeking eco-friendly and socially responsible options. From Booking.com 2024 Travel Predictions shows that over half of the traveler’s (53%) are looking for accommodation that has wow-factor sustainability innovation. By obtaining the GSTC certification, your tourism and travel businesses would enjoy the following benefits:
- Gaining Credibility: GSTC certification is a third-party audited certification with the highest level of impartiality and credibility. In light of the publications of regulations such as EU Green Claims, it is important for businesses to verify their sustainable claims by a third party.
- Meeting national/regional requirements: GSTC works closely with NTOs/DMOs to implement GSTC Criteria into local regulations and encourage hotels within that region to become certified by GSTC ACBs. Examples such as:
- Market access opportunity: GSTC launches a Market Access Program(MAP) in the hospitality sector where we collaborate with OTAs and TMCs to promote sustainable accommodations, in other words, to promote certified properties to meet the increasing demand from customers. More details about the GSTC Market Access Program, please see here.
- Being included in the Corporate Travel Program (CTP): GSTC is the recommended certification in GBTA’s sustainable procurement standard for hotels, which is highly implemented as the RFP indicator by many of the corporate travel programs (CTP).
Who can be certified? Choose the right GSTC Certification
Any Destination, Hotel/Accommodation, or Tour Operator that has developed a management system in accordance with GSTC Criteria can be certified as sustainable by a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body (ACB) in conformity with the requirements of GSTC Criteria.
1. Determination of your businesses, applicable for:
- Hotels & Accommodations
- Tour Operators
- Destinations
- For other tourism businesses, please contact info@gstc.org for further clarification.
2. Choose and contact a Certification Body (CB) from the list here — these are organizations that have been accredited based on the quality of their certification management.
* When choosing a certification body, you may consider evaluating two or more certification bodies to find the one that suits your needs most regarding language abilities, experience, or location proximity.
3. After working with a CB towards achieving full GSTC requirements compliance (including both documentary review and on-site audit), your operation will receive its Certification by a GSTC-Accredited CB.