January 2018 - The Guatemalan Tourism Board, INGUAT, has joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) as a national member. INGUAT (Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo) is the national superior authority in the tourism sector that develops the promotion, advertising, and sustainability practices of tourism industry through the specific legal guidelines from Guatemala’s Government. Its mission [...]
January 2018 - Region Västerbotten, Northern Sweden, has joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) as a destination member. Region Västerbotten is responsible for regional development and growth in Västerbotten County, Northern Sweden. Västerbotten County and the county’s 15 municipalities own Region Västerbotten, a politically headed organization. With sustainability at the core of Västerbotten’s [...]
Ms. Natalia Naranjo, GSTC Trainer and Destination Assessor In a special agreement between GSTC and Sernatur Aysen, Chile, which hosted the GSTC2017 Aysen in September, the Chelenko Destination began a new process to start their path to the sustainability. For 2 weeks during November 2017, the Chelenko Destination went through a destination assessment and [...]
September 2017 - GSTC conducted a Destination Assessment of Lago Llanquihue, Chile - comprising the four municipalities of Puerto Varas, Fruitillar, Llanquihue, and Puerto Octay, on the banks of Lake Llanquihue in Northern Patagonia. This assessment served as a follow-up to the earlier GSTC assessment of Lago Llanquihue as part of GSTC's Early Adopter [...]
Sustainable Destinations was the leading themes at the Global Sustainable Tourism Conference 2017 in Aysen, Chile The Global Sustainable Tourism Conference 2017 in Aysén, Chile (GSTC2017Aysen), brought together 250 delegates from 29 countries, as well as thousands of viewers joining the the live broadcast of the conference. The Conference focused on “Sustainable Destinations”, and [...]
Sukhothai Historical Park The Destination Assessment team interviewing the members of the Community Club Sukhothai Historical Park is located in north-central Thailand, near modern-day Sukhothai. This UNESCO World Heritage Site represents what is left of the Sukhothai Kingdom. The Kingdom ruled Thailand between the 13th and 14th centuries. The Sukhothai Kingdom is [...]
March 2017 - GSTC Member and GSTC Criteria Early Adopter, Riverwind Foundation's Jackson Hole & Yellowstone Sustainable Destination Program, is one of three finalists for the Destination Leadership category of the 2017 National Geographic World Legacy Awards. The awards were presented at ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade show, on March 8, 2017. [...]
Overview of the Destination Sedona, Arizona Views overlooking Sedona Sedona is located in Arizona’s high desert under the southwestern rim of the Colorado Plateau. It’s strategically situated at the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon. Characterized by massive red-rocks, Sedona is comparable to some national parks. The City of Sedona was incorporated in [...]
Overview of Hwaseong Fortress, Suwon City Panoramic views from Hwaseong Fortress Suwon City is known for its Hwaseong Fortress. It was constructed at the end of the 18th Century and was the largest urban planning project after Hanseong (Seoul). It boasts a 5.7 kilometer-long castle wall with elaborate urban infrastructure and annexes. [...]
October 2016, Suwon, Republic of Korea – The Global Sustainable Tourism Conference 2016 in Suwon, Republic of Korea, took place on 5-8 October 2016, with 400 participants coming from more than 20 countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa, and North America. This includes many GSTC members and the GSTC Board members. The conference brought direct [...]
The Cayman Islands, the GSTC's latest destination member, recently underwent a GSTC comprehensive assessment of its sustainability as part of the GSTC's Destinations Program. The procurement and organization of the assessment for the Cayman Islands were spearheaded by the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT) and Cayman Department of Environment. The GSTC's Destinations Program [...]
October 19, 2015 – Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism has signed an agreement with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) to collaborate for the development of sustainable tourism in Indonesia. Minister of Tourism Arief Yahya gave a keynote address commemorating World Tourism Day to an audience of [...]
5 May 2015 – Quito, Ecuador. The Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) have partnered to create standards for sustainability in the travel and tourism sector throughout Ecuador. The GSTC has conferred it’s mark of “Recognition” that Ecuador’s sustainability standards adhere to the universal standards that the GSTC has developed [...]
April 8, 2015- The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce the recent launch of the GSTC Destinations Program. For all destinations, even those with no previous experience with sustainability, the GSTC Destinations Program offers valuable engagement with a GSTC destination expert providing custom guidance on the world’s leading destination sustainability standard: the [...]
The GSTC Criteria serve as basic guidelines for businesses, organizations and destinations that wish to address sustainability issues in the travel and tourism industry. It is composed of a set of standards and provides assurance that the main principles of responsible tourism are being covered. In reality, the GSTC criteria represents a commitment to the [...]
The tourism industry has the potential to be a good and powerful force on our planet. When responsibly managed, it enriches lives, and preserves natural resources and cultural heritage. More frequently these days, travelers take this into account and seek authentic holiday experiences, to choose a responsible tour operator, book a hotel with a sustainability [...]
St. Kitts and Nevis, located in the northern Leeward Islands in the West Indies, was one of the first destinations in the world to be selected as a GSTC Early Adopter, and the first in the Caribbean. St. Kitts still retains “hidden gem” status, not being a mass-market Caribbean destination. [...]
Flyer for Sierra Gorda’s Carbon Offset Program The GSTC Early Adopter destination Sierra Gorda is a biosphere reserve covering one-third of the state of Querétaro, in north-central México. The Sierra Gorda Reserve is of the most biodiversity-rich protected areas in México, and is a member of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere program. Sierra Gorda [...]
Sierra Gorda, Mexico The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) conducted its Early Adopter program from 2012 through early 2014. During the program, a diverse group of fourteen forward-thinking destinations worldwide pilot tested the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destinations. Each Early Adopter underwent a baseline destination sustainability assessment [...]
Tourism has been a crucial economic driver on St. Croix for many years and the island has been careful to avoid over- development that might detract from its varied natural and cultural assets. As part of the island’s strategic plan to increase visitation, St Croix has been exploring ways to [...]
