The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) is pleased to announce that the Stay for the Planet Regulations and Technical Notes v.2.0, has gained GSTC-Recognized Standard status, meaning it has been fully recognized as equivalent to the GSTC Industry Criteria. The recognized standard is used in the Stay for the Planet, which is a hotel [...]
On July 12, 2023, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) announced the publication of its revised GSTC Accreditation Manual version 3.0. GSTC held an informative zoom meeting on November 14, 2023 to explain the revised GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification of Hotel/Accommodation & Tour Operator version 3.0. As tour operators have become an essential [...]
GSTC’s first round of public consultation for the GSTC MICE Criteria, which took place from 15th June to 15th August 2023, has been completed. The key findings report is available here. The GSTC MICE Criteria (covering Venues, Event Organizers, and Events/Exhibitions) aims to serve as the global sustainability standards for the MICE industry. The [...]
The Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA) Annual Convention & Trade Show: "Aurora Night Live" took place from the 24th to the 26th of October in Fairbanks, Alaska. Randy Durband, GSTC CEO, presented “Destination Stewardship: Maximize the Benefits and Minimize the Negative Impacts.” Where he spoke about the importance of sustainable tourism practices in destinations. [...]
The JTB-sponsored Japanese GSTC Training for its employees concluded successfully at the JTB headquarters in Tokyo from September 26-28, 2023. The course was led by Dr. Mihee Kang, GSTC Assurance Director along with the co-trainers Dr. Mami Futagami, Emeritus Professor at Meijo University, and Koji Miwa, Policy Researcher at Institute for Global Environmental Strategies [...]
The Ministry of Tourism and Youth of the Republic of Serbia has joined as a Member the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). With the support of the United Nations Development Programme, the Republic of Serbia officially became a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Serbia has many opportunities and potentials for the development [...]
GSTC Chair, Luigi Cabrini participated in participate the Economist Impact workshop last year, tied to Economist Impact's "Destination Always" research programme, supported by Booking.com. Travel and tourism generates US$2.5trn in direct revenues globally, helping to provide economic opportunities to people and destinations, build intercultural understanding and foster appreciation of the natural world. But there [...]
The 6th Bali International Tourism Conference with the theme “Future Tourism: Beyond Sustainability” was held online, via Zoom, on the 16th and 17th of November, 2023. Organized by the Centre of Excellence in Tourism, Udayana University (Bali-Indonesia) and supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy - Republic of Indonesia, the Cultural Research [...]
On the 31st of October, 2023, the Georgian Tourism Association (GTA) hosted the 6th International Conference on Standards in Tourism at the Biltmore Hotel in Tbilisi. The event brought together industry experts and thought leaders to discuss the latest in tourism standards and regulations from different perspectives. Among the esteemed speakers was GSTC CEO, [...]
Destination stewardship is a process by which local communities, governmental agencies, NGOs, and the tourism industry take a multi-stakeholder approach to maintaining the cultural, environmental, economic, and esthetic integrity of their country, region, or town. In other words, to ensure that the destination retains and enhances the distinctive attributes that appeal to both residents [...]
Royal Caribbean Group is a prominent entity in the cruise industry. It encompasses three major global cruise vacation brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. Additionally, the company holds a 50% ownership in a joint venture overseeing TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. With its headquarters in Miami, Florida, and a global network [...]
GBTA + VDR Europe Conference is being held in Hamburg, a major port city in northern Germany, from the 14th to the 16th of November, 2023. Aimed for business travel and meetings management professionals in Europe, GSTC’s Business Travel Working Group (BTWG) will have a booth at the exhibit Hall: H – Booth number: [...]
1 week Accessible & Inclusive Travel Online Course by the GSTC Dates: July 1 – July 7, 2024 Time: Live sessions at a time comfortable for those in American and Asian time zone Where: Online Language: English Live sessions scheduled for the following days, from 15:00 CEST. Session 1: Tuesday, July 2nd (15:00 - 17:00 CEST) [...]
4-week Applied DEI in Travel Online Course by the GSTC Applied DEI: Inclusion in Travel and Tourism for Visitors and Staff Dates: June 3 – June 30, 2024 Time: Live sessions at a time comfortable for those in Asia and Europe time zone Where: Online Language: English Weekly live sessions scheduled for the following [...]
easyJet Holiday Limited's 2022 Annual Report and Accounts articulates the company's commitment to "Making low-cost travel easy" while placing a significant emphasis on fostering positive impacts on the planet, communities, and individuals. In September 2021, easyJet Holiday introduced its sustainability strategy and joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). easyJet Holiday encourages all hotel [...]
The III edition of the Turespaña Convention took place from October 23rd to 25th, 2023, at the Kursaal Center in Donostia, San Sebastián, Spain. The event focused on the theme "Sustainable Tourism Transformation." With the purpose of strengthening mechanisms of public-private collaboration, cooperation, and coordination, the Turespaña Convention brought together various key stakeholders in [...]
[Photo 1: Mr. CB Ramkumar, GSTC Vice-Chair & South Asia Program Director leading the training.] The first GSTC Training held after the MOU agreement between Ascott and GSTC, has concluded successfully, held from the 11th to the 13th of October, at ACE in Singapore, with a total of 29 participants, the course was [...]
The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), the largest collection of independent luxury hotels with more than 400 properties in over 80 countries, unveiled their Sustainability Leaders Collection in September. From modern metropolitan towers to tented jungle sanctuaries, the collection was created to recognize Leading Hotels that are committed to preserving the environment and [...]
The National Training and Productivity Centre (NTPC) of Fiji National University hosted a workshop in collaboration with the Asian Productivity Organization (APO) from October 3rd to October 6th, 2023. This three-day event was held at the Tanoa International Hotel in Nadi, and it focused on "The Green Tourism Certification Framework," exploring sustainable tourism practices, [...]
JTB Corp, is the largest travel agency in Japan and one of the largest travel agencies in the world. Its commitment remains steadfast in viewing their mission holistically, not only from the perspective of the customers, but also from the standpoint of the residents, businesses, and stakeholders in every community they serve. The company [...]
