The GSTC India Working Group held a public webinar on August 24th, 2022 titled “GSTC in India: Adopting the Sustainability Agenda in the Travel & Tourism Marketplace”.

Sustainable travel as a concept is gaining momentum. The Travel and Tourism Marketplaces are well positioned to further the “sustainable & responsible travel” aspirations that travelers are demanding. Given their reach to connect with a range of service providers, which way will the Travel and Tourism Marketplaces go?

In this webinar, Deep Kalra, Founder & Chairman of MakeMytrip, very eloquently quoted, “Educating the wider Ecosystem” is part of Sustainability. Kalra said that solutions relevant to each country and destination have to be identified and developed. Solutions that work well in the western world may not work in Indian conditions.

Ritu Mehrotra, Regional Commercial Director APAC of Booking.com, discusses long-term strategies and plans, mentioning that their partners are practicing green principles. Speaking on Booking.com’s initiatives, Mehrotra said that the Sustainable tourism badges introduced by the company have been received well by the stakeholders. Other initiatives like the Booking Booster programme, and the Partner hub programme are all launched with sustainability in focus.

Meanwhile, Harris Manlutac from Director, Head of Consulting APAC, American Express Global Business Travel, states that it’s not only about business, but moving ahead using sustainable options. The pressure is mounting on the corporate world to reach net zero emissions. Post COP26 summit, the pressure has further mounted on investors, clients and employees to reduce their carbon footprint.

The GSTC India Working Group Members include Aditi Chanchani, Rajesh Nambiar, Freeda Maria, and CB Ramkumar.

Read the article featured in the ET Travel World:
https://travel.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/travel-agents/large-b2b-travel-distribution-companies-call-for-standardisation-of-sustainable-tourism-parameters/93918249

Watch the webinar recording

GSTC Criteria

  1. GSTC Industry Criteria = relates to the sustainable management of private sector travel industry, focusing currently on Hotels and Tour Operators.
  2. GSTC Destination Criteria = relates to sustainable management of Tourism Destinations.

Information for different stakeholders

Reading one article is not enough. The GSTC website offers those interested in learning more about sustainable tourism the needed resources. Make sure you visit the relevant pages for you:

Learn more about Sustainable Tourism