GSTC in India
Sometimes referred to as ecotourism in India, sustainable tourism is becoming more and more important. According to research conducted by Booking.com in 2020, 96% of Indian travelers identified sustainable travel as important to them, while 76% said they were more determined to make sustainable choices when looking to travel again in the future. Furthermore, witnessing the impact that tourism has on the environment while on vacation has resulted in 73% of travelers making more eco-friendly choices in their everyday life.
However, while these findings are promising, obstacles still exist. 39% of Indian travelers do not know how or where to find sustainable travel options and 54% think there aren’t enough sustainable travel options available. Therefore, clarity on sustainable tourism companies in India is needed.
The GSTC Criteria is already being used in India and has been gaining more momentum recently.
GSTC India Working Group
As the name suggests, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is truly global. As such, we have a dedicated Director and a Working Group focused on India:
- CB Ramkumar, GSTC Board Member & South Asia Director
- Aditi Chanchani, Tourism Researcher and Consultant
- Rajesh Nambiar, CEO and Chief Consultant, Provork
- Freeda Maria, Founder and Head, Dharthi
You can contact us at india@gstcouncil.org
Internship with the GSTC India Working Group
The GSTC India Working Group is now accepting interns/volunteers. If interested, and you have the skills and passion, fill in this form.
Recent Sustainable Tourism India News
Ecotourism in India: Sustainability, Accreditations and SDGs
Sustainability, Accreditations, Ecotourism and SDGs – the GSTC way, in India A research paper on Ecotourism in India, by Freeda Maria Swarna (member of [...]
Gujarat Subsidizes Tour Operators Certification to the GSTC Criteria
The Gujarat government its Gujarat Tourism Policy 2021-2025 Towards Sustainability "While the global travel and tourism industry contributes to 10% of the global GDP, [...]
Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report 2020
96% of Indian travelers identified sustainable travel as important to them: Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report 2020 According to research conducted by Booking.com in 2020 [...]
GSTC Training News: Green Dreams for the Planet Becomes a Training Partner in India
Green Dreams for the Planet (GDP), a non-profit foundation in India focused on environmental education and sustainability action, is the newest addition to the [...]
GSTC activities in India in partnership with GreenOtels
December 2017 - Awareness of GSTC is growing in India, facilitated by the partnerships GSTC is forging with organizations like GreenOtels. With the GreenOtels team, [...]