Plan to write about GSTC? Here are the basics
The GSTC in 2 sentences
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC®) manages the GSTC Criteria, the global standards for sustainable travel and tourism; as well as acts as an international body providing assurance for sustainable tourism certification in three key subsectors of tourism: hotels/accommodations, tour operators/agencies, and destinations.
The GSTC in 4 paragraphs
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC) establishes and manages global sustainable standards, known as the GSTC Criteria. There are three sets: Destination Criteria for public policy-makers and destination managers, Industry Criteria for hotels and tour operators, and GSTC MICE Criteria for Venues, Event Organizers and Events & Exhibitions. They are the result of a worldwide effort to develop a common language about sustainability in tourism.
The Criteria are arranged in four pillars: (A) Sustainable management; (B) Socioeconomic impacts; (C) Cultural impacts; and (D) Environmental impacts (including consumption of resources, reducing pollution, and conserving biodiversity and landscapes). Since tourism destinations each have their own culture, environment, customs, and laws, the Criteria are designed to be adapted to local conditions and supplemented by additional criteria for the specific location and activity.
The GSTC Criteria form the foundation for GSTC’s role in providing assurance for impartiality and competence of Certification Programs 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 it provides assurance for those that do.
The GSTC® is an independent and neutral organization, legally registered in the USA as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that represents a diverse and global membership, including national and provincial governments, leading travel companies, hotels, tour operators, NGO’s, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism. GSTC is an ISEAL Community Member.
Understand Certification and Accreditation
GSTC does NOT certify businesses and destinations, but is deeply involved certification of sustainable tourism by promoting certification and providing an assurance that select Certification Bodies operate with impartiality and competence.
Certification is defined as a voluntary, third-party assessment, through an audit, of a tourism enterprise or destination for conformity to a standard. GSTC does NOT conduct certification. That is the job of the many Certification Bodies throughout the world; our job is to accredit those that certify. [e.g. Certification Body, Certification Scheme, Certified Hotel]
Accreditation is a mark of quality that GSTC places on Certification Bodies that choose our independent and neutral process to verify that they certify businesses, such as hotels or tour operators, or destinations, in a competent and neutral manner. We at GSTC look very hard at their process of certification to ensure you that they issue certifications based on merit and neutrality. [e.g. GSTC Accredited Certification Body]
NOTE: These are not merely GSTC’s definitions. The globally recognized ISO system of international standards provide clear definitions of certification and accreditation. GSTC adheres to ISO’s definitions and terminology. The media is highly encouraged to reduce the massive confusion currently seen in society and the media by using these terms correctly.
Recent GSTC press releases
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GSTC in the Media
TTGAsia article: Sustainability is calling – Interview with Randy Durband, GSTC CEO
Views of sustainability are evolving for the better in the travel and tourism industry, but Randy Durband, CEO of Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) [...]
The Best Destinations for Sustainable Travel by Vogue.com
When it comes to sustainability, travel can feel like a double-edged sword. On one hand, exploring the world helps to cultivate empathy towards new [...]
All TUI Hotels & Resorts in Türkiye are GSTC-Certified
Raising the sustainability performance of their hotels is an important part of the TUI Sustainability Agenda. One way of measuring progress is through globally [...]
Recent GSTC news
Virgin Voyages joins GSTC
Virgin Voyages has joined as a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). Virgin Voyages is a premium, exclusively adult cruise line focused [...]
Trento, Rovereto and Vallagarina, and Alpe Cimbra achieve GSTC Certification in Trentino, Italy
Ata City Lakes and Plateau has recently achieved its first GSTC Certification. Together with APT Valsugana, already certified since 2019, it is the first [...]
The GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training sponsored by Nippon Travel Agency concluded successfully
The Nippon Travel Agency (NTA) sponsored the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training for its team and local stakeholders in Tokyo, Japan. The three-day GSTC Training [...]
Cook Islands joins GSTC
Cook Islands has joined as a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). Located in the heart of the Pacific, halfway between Hawaii [...]
The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts of Sarawak sponsored GSTC Online Trainings
Three GSTC Online trainings were sponsored by The Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts of Sarawak (MTCP) in collaboration with Business Events [...]
Hotel Es Port Achieves the First GSTC Certification in Spain by a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body
The Hotel Es Port in Mallorca is the first hotel in Spain GSTC-Certified by Vireo, a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body. The GSTC Certification is based [...]
GSTC, BCD Travel China, and Colorful Earth launch the ‘Guidelines for Developing Corporate Sustainable Business Travel Strategies’ in Chinese language
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), BCD Travel China, and Colorful Earth have officially launched the “Guidelines for Developing Corporate Sustainable Business Travel Strategies.” [...]
Empowering Destinations Worldwide: Destination Stewardship Starter Kit Now Available in Multiple Languages
Recognizing the importance of destination stewardship, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) introduces the Destination Stewardship Starter Kit in four additional languages to broaden [...]