A successful GSTC Hotel Sustainability Training for Industry Professionals in India was held at the Radisson Hotel in Jaipur City Center on March 28th and 29th, 2024. This event marks the fifth collaborative training effort between Agoda and GSTC, and the first in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the US-Support for Economic Growth in Asia activity (US-SEGA), building upon the successes of previous trainings conducted in Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and India, collectively benefiting over 200 hoteliers.
The training was endorsed by the Rajasthan Government and was led by Mr. CB Ramkumar, GSTC Vice-Chair, and Ms. Aditi Chanchani, who served as the GSTC Co-Trainer; the two-day training was structured to educate and empower the 54 participants on sustainable tourism practices.
“It is often said that when like minded people with common good intent come together, true impact will happen. That is what has now happened with this partnership: Agoda, USAID and GSTC. With passionate and energetic participation from all the participants, this training was a great start to the partnership. We look forward to furthering the impact in the coming months”, said Mr. Ramkumar.
As is the culture in India, all events are given an auspicious start in a traditional manner. This training was inaugurated with the ritual lighting of the lamp at the beginning of the training. The lamp signifies the spreading of knowledge to the participants during the training.
Boratay Uysal, CSR & Sustainability Senior Manager of Agoda, shared, “At Agoda, we’re committed to advancing sustainable tourism through strategic partnerships. Our expanded collaboration with GSTC and USAID marks a pivotal step towards this shared vision. We are proud to inaugurate our partnership with this successful in-person training session in Jaipur, India, leveraging the momentum of the Ministry of Tourism’s Travel for LiFE movement, and aim to extend our insights to future sessions.“
The GSTC Hotel Sustainability Training provided participants with the essential knowledge and skills to champion sustainable tourism practices. This training offered a prime chance to explore the GSTC Criteria, which are recognized worldwide as the global standards for sustainability in tourism and travel.
Upon successful course completion, participants receive a certificate of completion. If you are interested in contributing to the industry’s sustainable transformation, consider checking out GSTC’s upcoming courses here.
