“The Global Sustainable Tourism Council has compiled tips and resources for travellers hoping to make a positive impact on the places they visit”
Professor Hon. Bob Carr
Former Foreign Affairs Minister for Australia and former Premier of New South Wales
“Participating in the GSTC program provided us with an objective sustainability evaluation of our destination, and served as a catalyst for the creation of Yellowstone Sustainable Destination Program”
Tim O’Donoghue –
Riverwind Foundation Executive Director
“The St. Kitts Sustainable Destination Council was founded based on the principles of the GSTC Criteria for Destinations following St. Kitts and Nevis’s GSTC destination sustainability assessment”
Diannille Taylor‑Williams
St. Kitts Ministry of Tourism
“Hotels are making significant efforts to protect the environment and provide a more responsible product. Their level of commitment is conferment by hotel certifications that meet the GSTC requirements”
Annick Guérard –
Transat COO
“We want to increase consumer awareness of GSTC as the leading tourism sustainability standard. In the future, we hope that all certified suppliers will be able to use the GSTC logo”
Jim Sano
Vice President for Travel, Tourism and Conservation, WWF
“There can be hundreds of different sustainable tourism standards to choose from. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council has a reliable guide, and maintains recent sustainability criteria for hotels, destinations and tour operators.”
Taleb Rifai
Previous Director-General, World Tourism Organisation
“Our commitment by incorporating GSTC’s criteria into our Tourism Standards Program is part of our continuous improvement effort to provide support and encourage the concept of Sustainable Tourism”
Donald Pelam
Acting Director, Department of Tourism, Vanuatu
“We have been using the GSTC Criteria to prepare service providers and DMOs for possible future certifications”
Annika Sandström
Tourism Manager, Region Västerbotten (Sweden)
“Our Data analysis shows that sustainability certifications for hotels help to drive sustainability performance and continuous environmental and socio-economic improvements. We encourage hotels to aim for certification that is recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)”
Jane Ashton
Director of Sustainability, TUI Group
“Entering a partnership with the GSTC will help us a great deal. Sri Lanka National Sustainable Tourism Certification Scheme is launched to certify tourism establishments in Sri Lanka”
Hon. John Amaratunga
Minister of Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Affairs, Sri Lanka
“There can be hundreds of different sustainable tourism standards to choose from. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council has a reliable guide, and maintains recent sustainability criteria for hotels, destinations and tour operators.”
Patricia Espinosa
Executive Secretary UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
“One of the operational policies of the Ministry is that tourism must be ‘clean, safe, unique and sustainable’ using the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria”
H.E. Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat –
Minister of Tourism and Sports, Kingdom of Thailand
“Being part of GSTC’s global network, our institution is playing a critical role in advancing the mission of promoting sustainable tourism practices around the world”
Jorge Mario Chajón
Director, INGUAT (Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo)
“Taking WWF’s recommendation of GSTC also simplified processes for RCL and promises to do the same for consumers”
Stephanie DeMars
Corporate Responsibility Specialist, Royal Caribbean Cruises
“There can be hundreds of different sustainable tourism standards to choose from. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council has a reliable guide, and maintains recent sustainability criteria for hotels, destinations and tour operators.”
Erik Solheim
Previous Executive Director, UN Environment
“Accredited Certification Bodies certify hotels, tour operators, and destinations to the GSTC Criteria. GSTC supports destinations in implementing the Criteria through trainings and assessments”
World Travel & Tourism Council
“The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is a comprehensive resource for learning about tourism businesses and destinations that strive to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources.”
The Globe and Mail
“There are lots of different certification bodies offering eco-certifications around the world. We’d recommend selecting one that is officially recognised or accredited by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)”
Booking.com
“No other organization than GSTC stands for such a diverse and global group of sustainable tourism players. The regular exchange with GSTC has significantly helped us to strengthen our approach and to learn from the best practices of the international network GSTC unites.”
Switzerland Tourism
“TUI delivered 10.3 million ‘greener and fairer’ holidays through 1,688 hotels that were certified to a standard recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council in 2019.”
TUI Group
“We have aligned our LightStay management system with the criteria of the UN-founded Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), the most respected seal of approval for sustainable travel and tourism practices.”
Hilton
“By the end of 2021, we aim for all tour operators used by MSC Cruises at our frequent destinations to be certified to a GSTC certification programme, or to be engaged in the process.”
MSC Cruises
“The GSTC Criteria are the most credible global standards for sustainable tourism based on a highly inclusive development process. They provide a holistic definition of sustainability in tourism”
One Planet Network
“Think carefully about where to stay. Look for leading eco certification badges, such as the non-profit Global Sustainable Tourism Council”
The Guardian
“Accredited Certification Bodies certify hotels, tour operators, and destinations to the GSTC Criteria. GSTC supports destinations in implementing the Criteria through trainings and assessments”
McKinsey & Company
“We’re working with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and other sustainability experts to share what properties like yours can do to make positive change in the industry.”
Agoda
“For the past two years, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has been busy accrediting certification bodies to certify highly sustainable operators”
Lonely Planet
“We continue to identify opportunities to achieve GSTC certification for our hotels to ensure the sustainability of our operations.”
Hilton
“TUI encourages all hotels offered to its 27 million customers to obtain certification that meets the GSTC Criteria. Sustainability expectations for accommodation suppliers are set in contracts.”
TUI Group
“For a list of global vendors, destinations, and hotels that abide by certain sustainability standards, explore the database at the Global Sustainable Tourism Council”
Condé Nast Traveler
“RCL has endorsed the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), regarded by WWF as the leading standard for global sustainable tourism”
Royal Caribbean Cruises
“Planning a getaway? Consider destinations, hotels, and tour operators that meet Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) standards. By doing so, you can minimize your environmental impact and send a powerful message to the travel industry about sustainable travel choices.”
World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
“To find a destination that’s officially certified as taking sustainability issues seriously, visit the GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) website”
Skyscanner
“To evaluate a certification program, check to see if it has been reviewed by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council – GSTC, an independent nonprofit that has established standards for sustainability in travel”
The New York Times
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