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 August 2nd, 2024. This two-day training, held in Colombo, Sri Lanka aimed to equip hoteliers with the skills and knowledge necessary to implement sustainable tourism practices in line with GSTC Criteria, the global standards for sustainability in travel and tourism.
The training, hosted at the Taj Samudra Colombo Hotel, attracted over 50 participants from the hospitality industry, including representatives from international chains such as Hilton Colombo and Radisson Hotel Group, domestic chains like Aitken Spence and Oak Ray Hotels and Resorts, as well as independent hotels as The Merchant Galle Fort and Galadari Hotel Colombo.
The event provided an interactive platform for hoteliers to enhance their understanding of sustainable development, guided by GSTC trainers Mr. CB Ramkumar, Vice-chair & Trainer, GSTC and Mr. Chinthana Duminduhewa.
Deputy Chief of Mission Mr. Douglas Sonnek from the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka and Deputy Director General Mr. Upali Ratnayake from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority joined the opening ceremony.
“The concept of sustainable tourism is gaining momentum as more travelers become aware of the environmental and social impacts of their journeys,” said DCM Sonnek. “Whether it’s seen as a trend or something more enduring, we all share a responsibility—both as travelers and as part of the tourism industry—to reduce any negative effects on the environment. The United States supports sustainable tourism because it not only protects our planet but also ensures that communities around the world can benefit from tourism in a way that is fair, responsible, and long-lasting.”
This marks the 7th training in collaboration between Agoda and GSTC and the third in partnership with USAID through the U.S. Support for Economic Growth in Asia (US-SEGA) project. It builds on the success of previous trainings held in Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, India and Nepal, which benefited over 360 hoteliers.
“Tourism has traditionally been an important sector for Sri Lanka, but more so now as it embarks on its journey towards full economic recovery. The sector and its professionals are doing their best to contribute towards this and we saw evidence of this during the training. The enthusiasm of the executives and active participation was commendable. Their passion, keenness to absorb new knowledge and wholehearted commitment to sustainable tourism was fully evident. It was an absolute pleasure to work with the group, and I wish them all the very best,” said Mr. CB Ramkumar, Vice Chair of GSTC.
“Sri Lanka is an important market for Agoda, and expanding our training program in partnership with GSTC and USAID has been a great way to support the sustainable development of the local tourism industry. It was also insightful to meet our partners and learn about their ongoing sustainable initiatives over the two days. We hope this training will accelerate their journey towards certification,” said Boratay Uysal, CSR & Sustainability Senior Manager of Agoda.
Participants learned from best practices and real-world hotel case studies and were able to dive in depth in the GSTC Hotel Criteria.
Upon successful course completion, participants receive a certificate of attendance and meet the training requirement for earning the GSTC Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism, which can be obtained through an online exam provided by the GSTC in the following four weeks of the training. US-SEGA, Sustainable Tourism Development Initiative partner, provides scholarships for participants to take the official GSTC Sustainable Tourism Exam.
If you would like to contribute to the industry’s sustainable transformation, consider checking out GSTC’s upcoming courses here.
