The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has revised the GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification Bodies – Destination (hereafter, the Destination Accreditation Manual) and was approved on March 26, 2025. The manual is available on the GSTC Accreditation Documents webpage.
Given the dynamic nature of the tourism industry, periodic updates and revisions to the certification requirements are essential to maintain relevance and address emerging trends and challenges. The draft was initially prepared by the GSTC Accreditation Secretariat and subsequently reviewed by the Assurance Panel (the current Accreditation Decision-Making Committee, ADMC). Following this process, the GSTC conducted a 100-day public consultation period from May 20, 2024 to August 28th 2024, inviting stakeholders, including Certification Bodies (CB), Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs), experts from the travel and tourism industry, and individual consultants, to contribute their comments and suggestions for the revision during the consultation. This was followed by a six-day period from January 14th to 20th 2025, during which GSTC invited destination members to provide feedback on the revision of the GSTC Destination Accreditation Manual.
The manual has been restructured to improve clarity and usability, with more precise language, clearer definitions, and a thorough refinement of requirements for CBs. Key updates include:
- Eligibility of CBs pursuing initial accreditation: Minimal requirements have been established for CBs to apply for initial GSTC accreditation, including demonstrating experience through internal audits, management reviews, and conformity assessments.
- Risk assessment enhancements: This includes performing comprehensive risk assessments before audits and identifying risk levels according to international guidelines and regulations.
- Surveillance audits: A three-year certification cycle has been established, with periodic on-site surveillance audits conducted throughout the cycle.
- Improved certification process: A step-by-step pathway approach has been introduced for destination certification, providing a structured process that supports better preparation and alignment with the updated requirements.
- Destination sustainable tourism management plan: Certification Bodies are required to assess how the destination’s management plan incorporates specific sustainability measures, including defined proportions for certified tourism businesses, the use of renewable energy, and the implementation of green transport solutions.
A report with detailed information is available on the following page: GSTC Accreditation Documents. It includes a summary of the public consultations, key modifications to version 2.0 from previous version 1.2 of the manual, and every individual comment received during the process of revision. This report ensures transparency in the revision process, demonstrates the thoroughness of the updates made, and underscores GSTC’s commitment to maintaining high standards of quality in the accreditation for certification bodies on certifying destinations.
The revised Destination Accreditation Manual will come into effect on April 1, 2025 with a one-year transition period. During this time, the revised manual will be gradually integrated into the planned assessment process. For more detailed information on the transition requirements, please refer to the ‘Transition Requirements on the GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification Bodies – Destination Version 2.0’.
GSTC would like to thank everyone for their contribution and involvement during the review process.
Learn more about Accreditation for Certification Bodies to Certify to the GSTC Criteria or to a GSTC-Recognized Standard here.
