GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training: May 30 - June 2, 2022 The GSTC delivered a 3-day in-person training on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. Led by GSTC Trainer Angela Nagy, the training class also featured expert contributors, including Rebecca Mackenzie (Culinary Tourism Alliance), John Winter (Harbour Air) and Dave Bodaly (Petroglyph Development Group). The audience was [...]
GSTC Sustainable Tourism Refresher Class (May 26-27) and Training (May 30 - June 2, 2022) for DASTA The GSTC delivered a 2-day refresher class and 3-day in-person training for Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Bangkok, Thailand. The training was led by Dr. Mihee Kang, [...]
Amex GBT's 2021 report documents achievements and commitments in environmental sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion, and governance standards. American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) maintains a joint compliance program with their Travel Partner Network of approximately 100 independent travel agencies that function as licensees and form a critical component of their supply chain. This [...]
Sustainability in Global Business Travel Business travel brings people together and fosters economic growth within and across national boundaries. For this to continue, however, the industry must ensure people can effectively connect in-person and conduct business globally while doing what is right for society and the planet. The need to address sustainability has grown [...]
Tablet Hotels is shining a brighter spotlight on hotels that benefit their surroundings. As a trusted link between travelers and destinations, and the hotel experts at the Michelin Guide, Tablet has a responsibility to prioritize socially conscious tourism. Hotels in the Tablet selection have always been required to meet high standards of style, service, [...]
Rebuilding tourism in Asia-Pacific: A more conscious traveller? This report by Economist Impact, and sponsored by Airbnb, explores the recovery of tourism in the Asia-Pacific region. It looks at ways in which travel could change with the rise of the conscious traveller. The report is based on extensive desk research and a survey of [...]
Royal Caribbean Group's 2021 Sustainability Report Highlights Revamped ESG Framework Royal Caribbean Group's annual Seastainability® report provides a comprehensive update on the company's progress and commitment with respect to environmental, social, and governance (ESG). New for 2021, Royal Caribbean Group revamped its ESG framework to better reflect the company's contributions to a more sustainable [...]
Destination Stewardship Report Spring 2022 April-June (Volume 2, Issue 4) The Destination Stewardship Report is an e-quarterly collaboration between the Destination Stewardship Center, Center for Responsible Travel, and Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Our goal is to provide practical information and insights useful to anyone whose work or interests involve improving destination stewardship in a post-pandemic [...]
On April 28th, 2022, the GSTC hosted a public webinar 'Business Travel is Wounded, but Certainly not Dead'. What does the future of business travel look like? In a panel discussion, a group of experts shared their knowledge on how we can introduce operational standards, the importance of data and communications, as well as [...]
WTTC launches major hotel sustainability initiative at its Global Summit in Manila The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched its ‘Hotel Sustainability Basics’, a coordinated set of basic actions that hotels should implement as a minimum at the beginning of their sustainability journey. The initiative was launched at WTTC's Global Summit in Manila in [...]
April 2022 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) conducted a Destination Assessment of Heraklion, Greece, from March to December 2021. The Destination Assessment was led by Dr. Ioannis Pappas, GSTC Program Director for the Mediterranean Region, working closely with Heraklion’s authorities. Heraklion Tourism Overview Heraklion is the largest region of Crete and a [...]
Vorarlberg State Tourist Board has joined as a Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) member. Vorarlberg State Tourist Board (Vorarlberg Tourismus GmbH) is a tourism organization for the State of Vorarlberg and the Vorarlberg Chamber of Commerce. Their purpose is to implement measures directly or indirectly suitable for promoting sustainable tourism in Vorarlberg. The company [...]
Booking.com Reveals the Trends Shaping Sustainable Travel in 2022 • 81% of global travelers confirm that sustainable travel is important to them, with 50% saying that recent news about climate change has influenced them to make more sustainable travel choices • 57% of travelers would feel better staying in a particular accommodation if they [...]
The GSTC is pleased to announce that ‘Sakura Quality An ESG Practice Standard’ for hotels and ryokans in Japan has achieved ‘GSTC-Recognized Standard’ status. In Japan, particular qualities are associated with different flowers, and the quality associated with Sakura, the cherry blossom, is “spiritual beauty.” Sakura Quality began research in April 2011 and is [...]
The Ministry of Tourism and Google partner to support Greece' sustainable growth A new training program to help tourism businesses accelerate their sustainability transformation and communicate their environmental-friendly actions, in collaboration with Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) As part of its European Social Innovation Fund, Google.org is committing $1 million in funding to support [...]
Singapore Hotel Sustainability Roadmap On March 21st, 2022, the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) and GSTC Destination Member, Singapore Tourism Board (STB), announced the launch of the Hotel Sustainability Roadmap at the inaugural Hotel Sustainability Conference and Marketplace, held at Sands Expo and Convention Centre. In line with the Singapore Green Plan 2030, the roadmap [...]
JTB Signs MOU with GSTC and Announces Sustainable Tourism Strategy on its 110th Anniversary In collaboration with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), JTB announces sustainable tourism strategy on its 110th anniversary. March 11, 2022 - On the occasion of its 110th anniversary, JTB Corp., one of the travel and tourism industry leaders, signed [...]
Swedish Lapland Visitors Board has joined as a Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) member. Swedish Lapland Visitors Board is the destination management organization for Norrbotten county and the municipalities Skellefteå and Sorsele. The destination brand Swedish Lapland is also a business-oriented collaboration platform for marketing and support to the industry's ambitions to provide for [...]
Destination Stewardship Report Winter 2022 January-March (Volume 2, Issue 3) The Destination Stewardship Report is an e-quarterly collaboration between the Destination Stewardship Center, Center for Responsible Travel, and Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Our goal is to provide practical information and insights useful to anyone whose work or interests involve improving destination stewardship in a [...]
February 2022 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) conducted a Destination Assessment of Summit County, Utah, from July to December 2021. The Destination Assessment was led by Dr. Kelly Bricker, GSTC Vice-Chair, working closely with the Park City Chamber of Commerce | Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCCVB) and stakeholders throughout the County. Summit [...]
