TÜV AUSTRIA TURK, part of the TÜV AUSTRIA Group, provides certification, inspection, testing, and training services. Operating in Turkey since 2005 and institutionalized in 2009, it supports industry standards through innovation, safety, and sustainability, managing operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa.
Achieving the GSTC-Accredited status means that a Certification Body has been verified to be conducting proper certification of businesses, such as hotels or tour operators, in a competent and neutral manner, following processes and procedures detailed in the GSTC Accreditation Manual. Some of the requirements in the GSTC Accreditation Manual include: Legislation; Transparent and impartial certification procedure; Competent personnel capable of conformity assessment in the sustainable tourism field; Compliance with the ‘ISO/IEC 17065:2012 Conformity Assessment Requirements for Bodies Certifying Products, Processes, and Services’; and more.
Businesses certified by a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body, meeting all the GSTC Criteria (or a GSTC-Recognized Standard), have the highest level of assurance* and credibility available. With an accredited certification, customers and buyers are assured that the business was certified in a credibly verified procedure in a transparent, impartial, and competent manner.
Certification by an Accredited Certification Body can be referred to as “accredited certification”.
Attesting to that, those businesses certified by a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body can display a unique GSTC logo with a traceable code. The purpose of the GSTC Accreditation is to provide a higher level of assurance and reward genuine practitioners of sustainable tourism, which builds confidence and credibility with consumers.
“We applaud TÜV Austria Turk for gaining Accreditation status. We believe that accreditation should hold a higher standing in the hospitality and tourism industry,” says GSTC CEO Randy Durband. “Many eco, green, or sustainable certifications for tourism businesses lack external verification, leaving their credibility and impartiality uncertain. The GSTC Accreditation Manual and process is the most credible external review of sustainability labels in the industry.”
“As TÜV AUSTRIA TURK, we take great pride in maintaining our commitment to eco-friendly and ethical business principles by obtaining GSTC-Accredited status. This significant achievement underscores our aim to promote positive transformation in the tourism sector while demonstrating our promise to serve our partners with transparency and modern approaches,” says Yankı Ünal, TÜV AUSTRIA TURK General Manager.
The GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification of Hotel/Accommodation & Tour Operator provides detailed technical requirements for certification of Hotel/Accommodation and Tour Operator. Certification Bodies are required to comply with ISO 17065 Conformity Assessment (Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services) and GSTC specific requirements. Among these requirements are impartial and competent certification procedures, auditor experience and qualifications, certification decision making, rigorous surveillance of certified businesses, and proper promotion of their services.
Hotels that follow sustainability standards that wish to stand out with reputable certification as a sustainable hotel, should seek sustainable hotel certification by a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body.
Tour Operators that want to demonstrate through their adherence to sustainability standards are encouraged to seek sustainable tour operator certification by a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body.
Destinations that are managed in accordance with sustainability standards can aim for destination certification by one of the GSTC-Accredited Certification Body.
About TÜV AUSTRIA TURK
The TÜV AUSTRIA Group, with a history dating back to 1872 and renowned for its international activities across various sectors, has been operating in Turkey since 2005 through its representative office. In 2009, it established TÜV AUSTRIA Turk, aiming to provide the best services to its clients, enhance the quality of their products and services, while prioritizing occupational health and safety as well as environmental protection.
TÜV AUSTRIA, which is highly recognized worldwide for its accreditations and authorizations, effectively conducts surveillance, inspection, certification, training, testing, and control activities in Turkey through TÜV AUSTRIA Turk.
Adhering to the group’s core principles of impartiality, independence, and reliability, TÜV AUSTRIA Turk continues to pursue its goals of becoming an implementation center for the region and surrounding countries, growing through new companies and partnerships, with the help of its trained and qualified personnel. Moreover, TÜV AUSTRIA Turk has adopted the fundamental principle of not engaging in any commercial activities related to supervision, inspection, certification, testing, and control that could conflict with its own independence and transparency.
For more information visit: https://tr.tuv.at/tr/home and https://www.tuv.at/
About the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) establishes and manages global sustainable standards, known as the GSTC Criteria. There are four sets: Destination Criteria for public policy-makers and destination managers, Industry Criteria for Hotels and Tour Operators, MICE Criteria for Venues, Event Organizers, and Events & Exhibitions, and Attraction Criteria for tourist attractions such as theme parks, museums, and national parks. These are the guiding principles and minimum requirements that any tourism business or destination should aspire to reach in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for conservation and poverty alleviation.
The GSTC Criteria form the foundation for GSTC’s assurance role for Certification Bodies that certify hotels/accommodations, tour operators, and destinations as having sustainable policies and practices in place. GSTC does not directly certify any products or services, but provides accreditation to those that do.
GSTC is an independent and neutral USA-registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that represents a diverse and global membership, including national and provincial governments, leading travel companies, hotels, tour operators, NGOs, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism. The GSTC is an ISEAL Community Member, a global membership organization for ambitious, collaborative, and transparent sustainability systems.
Information for media and the press: www.gstcouncil.org/about/for-the-press/
*Note of General assurance levels:
3rd-party certification by an Accredited Certification Body (impartiality is certain)
3rd-party verification (impartiality is not certain)
2nd-party verification (not impartial)
1st-party self-assessment
No verification at all
