Consumer interest in Sustainable Travel is on the rise. According to a recent report from CMIGreen, consumers are more actively engaging in activities and purchasing decisions that are inline with their values. When consumers made the same value alignment with fish and paper products big changes were seen in those respective industries. Study after study [...]
In a previous post we talked about the fact that customers are removed from the certification process. They aren’t fully aware of what a business is doing and/or if that business is making improvements in order to maintain its status as a certified sustainable business. True. These same concerns surrounded the establishment of programs for [...]
Leilani Latimer - Sabre Holdings, GSTC Board Member and Chair of the Market Access Working Group Standards for Sustainable Tourism When you think of standards, do you think of limitations or confinements? If you've ever been in sales, you know that standards can give you boundaries, which you can then run freely [...]
One of the most common misconceptions about the GSTC Criteria is that it was designed to be a one-size-fits-all solution. This couldn’t be farther from the reality. The criteria are a reference or starting point for any business seeking to become more sustainable. In fact, the GSTC has created tools to help businesses do a [...]
The International Standards Working Group will gather at the 2nd Annual GSTC Membership Council Meeting to continue our work on updating the GSTC Criteria. Our Working Group is responsible for managing the GSTC Criteria, specifically the revision process as required by ISEAL standards. Prior to the annual meeting I wanted to provide a bit [...]
Shannon Stowell - President, Adventure Travel Trade Association and GSTC Board Member I recently sent a direct invitation to the entire Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) members to join the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Why? Why would I encourage our members to join another organization? Because I believe membership in the GSTC [...]
Amos Bien - Technical Director, GSTC The GSTC and the Rainforest Alliance are presenting a two-part webinar series for ATTA on using certification to position businesses in the marketplace. Our fabulous Technical Director, Amos Bien, will moderate the sessions. Session #1, covering terminology and definitions, will be June 9 @ 10am PDT [...]
Last week at the World Travel & Tourism Council's Global Summit held in Las Vegas, Nevada, GSTC Executive Director Erika Harms spent some time chatting with TravelMole TV's Charles Kao.Erika discusses a number of issues about GSTC's future education outreach to providers and consumers, the growing demand for sustainable tourism, new partnerships with Amadeus and [...]
There has been some talk about the GSTC not being responsive to criticism. We’d like to address this and then get back to the collaborative work of helping the travel and tourism sector protect destinations, reduce poverty and create equitable and productive markets. The GSTC takes feedback and criticism seriously. We posted an open letter in [...]
The Sagrada Familia, a UNESCO World Heritage site The GSTC is excited to officially announce the 2nd Annual GSTC Membership Council meeting in Barcelona, Spain. The series of meetings and member events will happen June 28-30, 2011. We are especially grateful to the City of Barcelona for hosting our event. REGISTER NOW [...]
