Latest GSTC News and Updates

19 04, 2018

Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report: majority of global travelers stating that they want to travel sustainably

rariel2020-05-31T18:01:24+08:00April 19th, 2018|

Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report: majority of global travelers stating that they want to travel sustainably Green travel trend continues to gain momentum, according to the global Sustainable Travel Report by Booking.com, with a large majority of global travelers (87%) stating that they want to travel sustainably, and nearly four in 10 (39%) confirming that they often [...]

17 04, 2018

GSTC in Thailand: Sustainable Tourism Development towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destination (GSTC-D)

rariel2018-04-26T22:04:47+08:00April 17th, 2018|

GSTC in Thailand: Sustainable Tourism Development towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destination (GSTC-D) A seminar on the theme 'Sustainable Tourism Development towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destination (GSTC-D)' was delivered to the Thai Ministry of Tourism on 10 April 2018 in Bangkok. The [...]

15 04, 2018

Fair Travel Becomes a New GSTC Training Partner for the Nordic Region

Ayako Ezaki2021-03-19T10:50:11+08:00April 15th, 2018|

The GSTC is pleased to announce that Fair Travel, led by Jeppe Klockareson (GSTC Country Representative for Sweden), as a new Training Partner for the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program (STTP). The GSTC works with Training Partners in various regions and destinations that support the GSTC’s mission to increase sustainable tourism knowledge and practice [...]

10 04, 2018

GSTC Training Report: Sustainable Tourism Training in Bangkok, Thailand, March 2018

Ayako Ezaki2020-09-01T13:49:09+08:00April 10th, 2018|

The GSTC, in partnership with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), offered a 3-day intensive and interactive training program from 26-28 March 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. The training was attended by 30 industry professionals from Thailand and Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia) and beyond. Based on the GSTC Criteria, the global baseline [...]

4 04, 2018

GSTC Training Report: Sustainable Tourism Training by the Botswana Tourism Organization

Ayako Ezaki2020-09-01T13:47:07+08:00April 4th, 2018|

From 19-23 March 2018, GSTC Training Partner Botswana Tourism Organization (BTO) conducted a training class of the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program (STTP), engaging 17 participants representing various units of BTO, including Ecotoursim Officers (Quality Services Department), Environment & Safety Officer (Environment & Eco-certification Division) and Grading Officers (Grading Division). The training class was [...]

30 03, 2018

Research recommends the European Commission (EC) to promote GSTC recognition of standards and accreditation of certification schemes

rariel2020-05-31T19:26:10+08:00March 30th, 2018|

Research recommends the European Commission (EC) to promote GSTC recognition of standards and accreditation of certification schemes The "Research for TRAN Committee - European Tourism Labelling by European Parliament Think Tank" focuses on the current situation in the European Union regarding quality and sustainability labelling in tourism. There is concern that the existing volume and variety [...]

26 03, 2018

GSTC Philippines National Forum on Sustainable Tourism Standards & Development Held in Boracay Island, Philippines

rariel2018-03-28T14:21:41+08:00March 26th, 2018|

GSTC Philippines National Forum on Sustainable Tourism Standards & Development Held in Boracay Island, Philippines The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) together with the Society for Sustainable Tourism & Development Inc. (SSTDI) and LEADimpact Asia, presented the GSTC - The Philippines National Forum last March 15-16, 2018, in the highly controversial Boracay Island, Philippines. The Forum [...]

20 03, 2018

The Difference Between Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism

Amos Bien2022-09-03T10:05:30+08:00March 20th, 2018|

The Difference Between Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Many confuse between the terms “Ecotourism”, “Sustainable Tourism”, and “Responsible Travel”, so here's a simple explanation on the differences. Ecotourism is a niche segment of tourism in natural areas. Sustainable Tourism does not refer to a specific type of tourism, it is an aspiration for the impacts [...]

20 03, 2018

What is Sustainable Tourism?

rariel2024-07-20T16:54:10+08:00March 20th, 2018|

What is Sustainable Tourism? There are many terms that float around that may sound similar but actually refer to something distinct. Definition of Sustainable Tourism Sustainable Tourism refers to sustainable practices in and by the tourism industry. It is an aspiration to acknowledge all impacts of tourism, both positive and negative. It aims to [...]

17 03, 2018

Ohrid (North Macedonia) Destination Assessment Report

Valentina Gambino2020-09-17T15:34:49+08:00March 17th, 2018|

GSTC Destination Assessment Opening and closing workshops in Ohrid The objective of any assessment is to see the destinations’ present status and to create a strategic plan for improvement in order for the destination to become more sustainable. The assessment is based on the GSTC Destination Criteria, focusing on these four pillars: [...]

16 03, 2018

Introducing GSTC to Tourism Students of Ming Chuan University, Taiwan

rariel2021-01-11T15:49:25+08:00March 16th, 2018|

Introducing GSTC to Tourism Students of Ming Chuan University, Taiwan On 15 March 2018, GSTC General Manager, Mr. Roi Ariel, introduced the GSTC to international tourism students at Ming Chuan University in Taiwan. After learning of the GSTC and the importance of global sustainability standards, the students practiced identifying businesses (accommodations and tour operators) that [...]

9 03, 2018

ECOTRANS celebrates 25 years of sustainable development collaboration at ITB 2018

rariel2018-03-28T16:11:28+08:00March 9th, 2018|

ECOTRANS celebrates 25 years of sustainable development collaboration at ITB2018 Over 100 experts attended the 25th year of the Ecotrans European Network for Sustainable Tourism Development event "The SDGs2030: Fairytale or fairy tale ending?" at ITB on 8th March 2018. The presentation addressed the issue of how to ensure that the SDGs are not a fairy tale [...]

9 03, 2018

Travelife Certified Awards Handed Out to Tour Operators from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe at ITB 2018

rariel2018-03-29T16:34:17+08:00March 9th, 2018|

Travelife Certified Awards Handed Out to Tour Operators from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe at ITB 2018 March 8, 2018, Berlin. At ITB 2018, Randy Durband, GSTC CEO, joined Naut Kusters, Travelife Manager for Tour Operators, in presenting the Travelife Certified awards to 4 tour operator from Suriname, Madagascar, and Nepal. These companies comply [...]

8 03, 2018

Top 100 Destination Awards by Green Destinations ITB 2018

rariel2018-03-29T12:19:43+08:00March 8th, 2018|

ITB Berlin and Green Destinations unveiled their "World’s Top 10 Sustainable Destinations" at the end of ITB's Opening day, March 7. From 100 top-sustainable destinations, 32 finalists had first been selected by a Jury representing 12 international organizations. Dawson Ramsden, Ecotourism Marketing Executive – Botswana Tourism Organisation; interviewed by Valere Tjolle - TravelMole Vision on [...]

7 03, 2018

GSTC Destiniation Criteria – Now Available in Italian

rariel2018-03-08T09:07:27+08:00March 7th, 2018|

The GSTC Destination Criteria has been translated into Italian and is available to download in the Criteria Translations section. I Criteri di destinazione GSTC sono stati tradotti in italiano e sono disponibili per il download nella sezione traduzione dei Criteri

6 03, 2018

Actively Green Achieves GSTC-Recognized Standard Status

rariel2020-01-29T11:44:25+08:00March 6th, 2018|

March 6, 2018 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce that the Actively Green standard has achieved the ‘GSTC-Recognized Standard’ status. The Actively Green standard is the core component used in the Actively Green Sustainable Business Training and Certification Program. It was launched as an innovative legacy initiative of the 2015 [...]

6 03, 2018

GSTC Contributes to the Portfolio of One Planet – Sustainable Tourism (10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production – 10YFP)

rariel2020-09-01T13:50:57+08:00March 6th, 2018|

GSTC Contributes to the Portfolio of One Planet - Sustainable Tourism (10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production - 10YFP) The Portfolio of Work is a tool to include new and ongoing initiatives and activities under the umbrella of the network, given their potential to advance sustainable consumption and production (SCP) in the tourism [...]

5 03, 2018

Felipe Beltran Appointed as GSTC Country Representative in the Dominican Republic

rariel2018-03-06T12:57:43+08:00March 5th, 2018|

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) announces the appointment of Mr. Felipe Beltran as its Country Representative in the Dominican Republic. GSTC Country Representatives play a valuable role, serving as the “eyes and ears” and in many ways the voices of GSTC in their respective countries or regions. “Felipe Beltran first joined the GSTC as a [...]

4 03, 2018

Expanding GSTC in Japan: Sustainable Tourism Tokyo Seminar

rariel2018-03-07T12:06:28+08:00March 4th, 2018|

On 28th February 2018, the Sustainable Tourism Seminar was held in Tokyo: "A Look Back 2017 at the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development and A Look Forward to expanding the GSTC in Japan." The seminar was hosted by Ecotourism Japan (part of Asian Ecotourism Network: AEN) and sponsored by Japan Travel and Tourism [...]

28 02, 2018

The Guardian Recommends GSTC to Travelers

rariel2019-04-10T15:16:54+08:00February 28th, 2018|

"Think carefully about where to stay. Look for leading eco certification badges, such as the non-profit Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Denmark’s Green Key program now operates in 56 countries (France has the most awarded sites), while Los Angeles-based Green Globe measures businesses in 90 countries against 44 criteria. Beware TripAdvisor’s GreenLeaders program, though; it’s a self-reporting system that gives hotels [...]