My course facilitator and teacher (Ayako and Antje) went above and beyond to answer our questions and provide us with additional resources. The course content (the GSTC Criteria) was delivered in an understandable and organized way. Learning the GSTC Criteria and how it applies to our own projects, businesses, and destinations is integral to anyone wanting to do any kind of work in the future centered around travel. I appreciated that the course was delivered in an interactive way over Zoom, and not just something we watched on YouTube. For me, being able to interact with fellow students from around the world, was a big plus. Was well worth it, and I highly recommend the course!

Deb Lace-Kelly, The Lost Compass

This course has been very relevant and provides in-depth knowledge of GSTC criteria for sustainable practices for destinations as well as the travel industry [with] plenty of real life examples and share links to plenty of reading material throughout the course. … As we move forward during these difficult COVID times, learning our lessons on the damage to nature, it becomes all the more important for industry professionals to get trained and step up efforts to embrace sustainability in all aspects of tourism. Hence, I recommend this course to all industry professionals.

Manisha Soti, The Walshe Group

This course enables participants to connect with the GSTC team directly, over an easy to use platform and network around the world. Using real life examples and detail in each of the 4 sections of the GSTC.

Kim Storey, General Manager, Destination Phillip Island

The GSTC training was a great way to connect, network, and engage in mind-broadening and eye-opening discussions with others in the diverse field of sustainable tourism. I would highly recommend this as a starting point for anyone interested in the journey of regenerative and sustainable tourism.

Sarah Dawn Bergs, Founder, Nourish NPO & Shik Shack Backpackers

The course was great and the on- the-go discussions added great value to keep abreast of trends from across the globe. Participants from various parts of the world brought in their experiences and made the course very interesting.

Freeda M, Founder, Dharthi

Hearing about actual destinations applying Sustainable Tourism initiatives and learning from real situations practicing Sustainable Tourism, as well as the related successes and challenges, was very informative and valuable. My favorite part was the unexpected camaraderie from and connections with the other participants. I genuinely enjoyed the online discussion, sharing of ideas, and breakout groups and, overall, meeting so many others who she a passion for Sustainable Tourism. Thank you, GSTC, for a great course!

Justin Smith, President, The Evolved Traveler

A complete holistic approach to sustainable tourism. The comprehensive lessons given each week break down the GSTC Criteria and are paired with practical examples, international experts and ‘hands on’ online workshops. The opportunity to discuss and share insights from all the participants around the world not only contributes to my own knowledge but to also my professional network. I highly recommend this course for anyone discovering sustainable tourism.

Isabelle Robertson, Tourism Development Consultant

The course is quick and handy way to immerse in the issues of Sustainability in Tourism and a great kick start in starting your own business or destination program. I could have had the course even longer and especially the live sessions were great to get to know some of the other participants and share their knowledge and experiences – best practices are the best way to get started and to get valuable information. Highly recommended!

Riikka Sukula, CEO, Scarpa Winery and Monvigliero Vineyard Villas

The course was so informative and presented in an engaging & interesting way. The examples & speakers gave us a lot to think about and many tangible ways that we can make a difference in our travel business. Thank you!

Alex Musgrave, Owner, Impact Escapes

This course has given me an approach to the GSTC Criteria, where the basic and complete structure to move forward on sustainable paths is visualized. The reflections generated through real examples, discussions and available material are key to better internalize what sustainability means. Ideas applicable to our business and our work area appear during the course that contribute positively to one’s reality. I will recommend this course, for its contribution to the objective, honest and constructive understanding of what sustainability is.

Agustin Landeta, Owner, Zenit Travel

I can only highly recommend the course for every travel and tourism professional- it is a great motivational boost to get into action and helps me support destinations in bringing the idea of destination stewardship – an inclusive and holistic approach – alive. We do not need more and more tourists, we need sustainable tourism.

Sonja Tischer, Travel Professional/ Consultant/ Experience Designer; Winklhofer.one Agency

Taking the GSTC training at this point in time was extremely valuable. It gave me a sustainable tourism framework to help assess what I’ve been able to accomplish and also consider the role that sustainable experiential travel may mean as we begin to inch our way out of the world of zero tourism towards something likely new and different. One other great benefit of the training was starting to get acquainted and sharing with other participants and instructors from around the globe. These connections will be valuable for a very long time to come.

Ann Becker, Founder, Travel with Ann Experiential Adventures

I found this online course well structured and enjoyable. The trainers are really inspiring, extremely knowledgeable about the field and very supportive. The live online sessions give a great introduction to key topics, and there are online lessons, discussion forums and reference material to deepen knowledge. I feel like I have access to so much wisdom, and it is great to be part of a global community of sustainable tourism practitioners.

Caroline Sprod, Owner, Solar Branco Eco Estate

Thank you GSTC for such a great course. The content was relevant, the case studies were inspiring and the course structure was spot on! I can’t wait to take my learnings and inspiration and activate it across regional destinations in Australia. Keep up the great work.

Linda Tillman, Managing Director, Tilma Group

What I liked the most about this course is the well-defined structure, the opinion sharing with online classmates, and the up-to-date topics. It makes the experience much more effective and enjoyable.

Naiara López, Tourism Consultant, THR

Excellent course that sets the foundations for sustainable tourism practice.I was very new with sustainable tourism and now after the course I have very solid understanding and skills to apply to my job. In addition, the amazing network of professionals sharing ideas is another great tool!

Monica Moruzzi, Helloworld Travel

This course provided me with a thorough understanding of how to implement sustainable travel practices. I will definitely integrate information from this training into my work with travel organizations and destinations to help them achieve short-term progress through a long-term strategy.

Sophia Hyder Hock, Founder and CEO, Papilia

The GSTC training provides a comprehensive overview of key indicators for a holistic view of sustainable tourism. The training provided an excellent opportunity to network with other tourism professionals, and to share ideas, develop plans, and comment on sustainable tourism initiatives that are being implemented in a diverse array of locations globally. I’m grateful for the connections that I made and for the helpful feedback on ideas for improving sustainability in several operations.

Becca Balis, Consultant

Useful and inspiring! The way the course is organised with lots of practical experience from colleagues in the tourism sector is indeed the most useful and interesting part of the course, [making it easier] to approach the GSTC criteria.

Sara Vitali, Founder, Sara Vitali Consulting & Manager, Hotel Loveno

The GSTC course was really great to me because it gave me an in-depth knowledge about sustainable tourism. The combination of the criteria explanation and the presentation from other experts was really great, as it gave us the know-how, lots of samples and case studies. Before joining this course, I had heard about the term sustainable tourism many times, but [was not sure] what it is all about and how we can achieve it. I am glad to have gained the bigger picture of sustainable tourism. I’m developing my village to be a community based tourism destination, and now I can adopt and apply the standard locally.

I Gede Oka Wira, Chief, Desa Wisata Jasri / Jasri Village Community Based Tourism

A great training program that gives the participants a thorough understanding on the sustainable management of both destinations and individual businesses. Anyone from the industry – from the business or the government side – should understand the bigger picture of the destination level management as well as the industrial level so that both public and private sectors can work together for a more sustainable tourism industry.

Aye Mya Mya Soe, General Manager, Indonesia, PEAK DMC

The GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program provided an up-to-date perspective and holistic approach on the topic. I really enjoyed taking part in the group discussions and hearing about the realities of other destinations and their challenges.

Jason Bent, Tourism Cluster Manager, Iles de la Madeleine Tourism Association

I think the training was very useful and gave me many insights that I will use in my daily work to develop more sustainable tourism. The training class was also a good group for networking.

Annika Sandström, Region Västerbotten, Sweden

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is the most widely recognized institution for offering sustainability courses for tourism professionals.

Sustainability Leaders Project, Which Are the Best Sustainability Courses for Tourism Professionals?

This is a one-of-a-kind course that provides the tools in getting you started. Not to mention, you’re also collaborating with people and organizations across the globe facing similar challenges. The feedback from fellow students was invaluable and honestly, what better way to tackle some big challenges related to the environment than with people from different countries and backgrounds. I’d take this course again just for those connections!

Julie North, Travel Ninja, Compass & Globe Travel

The [GSTC course] has been a remarkable learning experience and a great introduction to sustainable tourism. The combination of online resources, discussion forums, weekly live events with guest presenters provides a deeper understanding and useful tools in sustainable tourism. The trainers have incredible expertise in both tourism and sustainability and share their knowledge and passion about current sustainability practices. I would highly recommend this course to everyone involved in the tourism industry or have a interest in sustainable tourism.

Tarryn Smith, Africa Rewind

An excellent programme run by well qualified professional staff and trainers. The guest speakers were world class and materials industry leading. A definite must for any tourism professional who is serious about making sustainable impacts for the betterment of our industry.

Graham Harper, Director of Sustainability and Social Responsibility, Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)

Amazing learning experience. Exceeded my expectations by far. Excellently organized and facilitated. Great dynamics in discussions with course participants – so much to learn from. Highly valuable best practices and interactive modules really made the best learning experience I had until now! It really motivated and inspired me to continue on the road of global sustainable tourism.

Michelle Schönberger, Deutsche Bahn

The GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training gave me the tools and network to be able to work for a more sustainable tourism sector in the area where I’m based (South Sweden). The structure with the four principles makes it easy to follow and to discuss also outside the GSTC world. The examples from the other participants were great, and we will continue sharing good and bad examples from destinations all over the world.

Emil Selse, Visit Östergötland, Sweden

To work on sustainability is a never-ending story and can be overwhelming at times. The GSTC training supports a structured approach toward continuous improvement. It provides applicable tools to evaluate our sustainability performance and guidance for setting long-term strategies. It allows you to break down this massive task into achievable working packages.

Matteo Bierschneider, Co-Founder, Wise Steps Travel

The GSTC training was a great first touch point for me into the world of sustainable tourism and destination management. I loved hearing case studies from around the world and real life examples on how the GSTC criteria can make a difference. The course has enabled me to start building on these criteria within my job.

Pia Ametsbichler, Director of Global Sales, Preferred Hotels & Resorts

The training has enable me to go through all the GSTC Criteria thoroughly with better knowledge of sustainable tourism standard and practices. It will be useful as basic guidelines for the Foundation to use these Criteria, as the destination wants to embark in becoming a sustainable tourism destination, aiming to become GSTC-Certified.

Daniella Payet, Chairperson, Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Foundation

I would definitely recommend GSTC training to absolutely everyone in the tourism industry. The entire [GSTC] framework is extremely useful and important – a framework of values and ideas that is evolving, and that is meant for us a roadmap to make things better for people and companies that may be starting from different points in the journey towards sustainability.

Miguel Cunat, CEO, The Fabulous Getaway

The quality of this training was really first class; materials, presentations, trainer support, resources and discussions. The forum helped keep everything relevant and up to date, and I also liked the format of the live events. All guest presenters were excellent; I liked that they were sharing real life experiences and not just theoretical examples. From each and every live presentation I gained ideas, reinforcements to my own experiences and enthusiasm for what I and my colleagues are doing in our own part of the world.

Hayley Wright, Owner and Director, Black Mountain Montenegro Ltd

The STTP programme has been a good introduction to the principles of sustainable tourism. It was a good mix of presentations and cases of sustainable tourism in real-life, insights from experts from various countries and across tourism sectors and explanation of key GSTC criteria. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences and observations through discussion forums and presentations, which made the sessions more lively. The final exam is recommended for those who wish to test their ability to put these principles to practice. I highly recommend this course to tourism industry professionals wishing to incorporate sustainable tourism management at work.

Rajesh Nambiar, Executive Vice-President, Ottila International

The GSTC training provided me with a deep understanding of the criteria. My fellow classmates were industry experts in various sectors from around the world, bringing the criteria to life with valuable examples/discussions of how they have implemented the very practices we were learning.

Deby Stabler, Owner, Project Azul Verde

My first impression was the organization, it was perfect regarding the admin efforts and the learning tools. The course materials were really useful, as well as the live sessions from which I gained a deep understanding and experience from the other participants. I really want to have the chance to thank all the team who was involved, and of course I would recommend people working in the tourism industry to join this course

Maged Gendy, Senior Technical Advisor, Oman Ministry of Tourism

The training gave me a clear understanding of the challenges we face and the actions to take to make sustainability effective, [covering] each of the main areas in a systematic way with enough technical detail for those who needed it, without losing the less technical trainees (like myself) who needed to understand the broad overview of sustainable tourism practices

Jack Delf, Chairman, Western Balkans Geotourism Network

The overview of standards, coupled with best practice and real world examples has been very beneficial for my work in destination management and responsible tourism development. The ability to meet likeminded industry colleagues, who are working in this arena was also highly valuable.

Jo Williams, Consultant, World Bank Group

Thank you for the opportunity and privilege to take GSTC Sustainable Business Travel Course. I cannot express how enjoyable I feel the course was and the passion Bernard and Horst feel for the material was contagious. I found the final exam both challenging and invaluable.

Katie Romanko, Travel & Events Sourcing, Dropbox

This first GSTC Sustainable Business Travel training course has definitely exceeded my expectations. As the world has changed due to covid, this course provides practical steps for corporates around the globe on how to build a responsible and sustainable corporate travel program to make positive contributions to the destinations. I found the relevant and up-to-date teaching materials, interactive style of training by two industry experts Horst and Bernard, and live breakout sessions where industry participants share ideas and formulae solutions to today’s problems particularly helpful.

Benjamin Wong, Co-founder and CEO, Tricolage

The GSTC program has a rich pedigree, evolving as it has from a United Nations sustainability initiative. This, coupled with an existing history of pursuing sustainability initiatives in tourism and leisure travel, has provided a rich foundation for the corporate travel course. The instructors likewise bring a history of expertise and passion in the area of corporate travel sustainability. This converges into a course that can dramatically impact the role that corporate travel takes in combatting climate change, inequity, and other sustainability shortfalls in the corporate travel industry.

Michael Hall, Senior Manager, Global Travel, llumina

The enthusiasm of the trainers – Horst and Bernard – made a difference. The course was one of the best learning experiences I had in my career.

Sesilia Kalss, Senior Consulting Manager, American Express Global Business Travel

The GSTC Sustainable Business Travel course is a great way to get an overall view of the tasks that lie ahead, when turning Business Travel green. Highly recommendable.

Peter Skieller, CEO, Nordic NDC

I decided to attend the course to better understand the post-pandemic scenario in the business travel industry. The course was far beyond my expectations, it has been a great occasion for networking with professionals from all over the world but most of all I must say that the knowledge and inputs shared by the GSTC trainers will surely be of great help to improve not only my professional skills but also to engage colleagues in exploring the sustainable and responsible best practices for the industry.

Enrico Presicci, Event Manager, Indigenus Experiences

It was a great course, especially for a tour company like ours that is thinking of expanding to Business Travel. For us, it is important to start working with the pillars of GSTC as a lighthouse. Have the opportunity to share with colleagues from all over the world and enjoy the leadership during the course of two great sustainability professionals and speakers was indeed the best scenario!

Raffaele Di Biase, Co-Founder, BirdsChile

The course helped me become much better informed, learning about new reporting criteria, what official institutions there are for certification and how companies can best share their activities and reports. Interaction with other participants was useful, the speakers and presentations were very useful with great tips about books and articles. It definitely increased my awareness that sustainability is not just about the environment but also about people and culture. Taking the exam is a good opportunity to practice what you learn with a real case from your own company or clients.

Marijke Poppink, Owner, Poppink TRVL Projects

I am now more aware of what needs to be done within the travel space with applicable knowledge of where to start. The team was very knowledgeable, with prominent speakers and elaborated discussions.

Bindu Dominic, Global Travel Operations Manager, Cisco Systems

While most often focus within sustainability is around CO2 reduction, however, this course really brings out the other pillars of sustainability (socio-economical, cultural, management). The use of the small group discussions opens up the communication, and allows you truly listen to other views and insights.

Howie Honeycutt, Senior VP, Global Operations and Shared Services, ATG Travel

This was an eye opening course! I thought I knew what will be taught, but there is much more to sustainability than I expected. The trainers and guest speakers clearly know what they’re doing and the wisdom they can instill is inspiring.

Matt Lewis, Sales Representative, Alta Group

This is the definitive go-to guide for sustainable business travel and was incredible opportunity to learn about the future of travel at a global scale.

Daniel Nettuno, Consulting Engagement Manager, American Express Global Business Travel

…I have enjoyed the course very much and look upon it as very educative enriching the knowledge and insights which are currently developing in the global market on this topic. In case there are plans to develop and provide a follow-up course or any other type of follow-up I’m happy to participate again….

Gert van Spijk, Senior Specialist Travel Technology, MSD

If you ever want to expand your knowledge or organize your existing knowledge in the field of sustainability, gain a broader perspective on various sustainability topics from every possible angle, exchange experiences and best practices during live sessions in an international environment, get the knowledge from professional mentors, and additionally gain knowledge where to look for valuable content on the Internet concerning current news on sustainable tourism – I wholeheartedly recommend the GSTC Sustainable Business Travel training. There will be a lot of reading, a lot of watching, but the more time you spend working at home during the course the more you will get out of the live classes.

Monika Górnik, Customer Care Manager, Meetings & Incentives, Weco-Travel

Both the live sessions with interesting participants, speakers and group exercise and the training platform were a great enrichment. In addition, great emphasis was placed on closely linking the criteria with practice. Many thanks to Ayako and David!

Anke Fürer, Hotel sustainability advisor, uniquainable GmbH

This was a great learning course with practical tools that can really jump start and/or improve a hotel’s sustainability journey. You’ll learn from the speakers, facilitators, and from engaging with cohorts, considering their questions and their experiences. Overall, a good investment!

Beth Maryan, Manager/Owner, The Cabins at LVF

This course was so much more than I expected. The training was so constructed that each component part added to the previously discussed, to create a very good overview of all aspects that make up the ‘big picture’!

Brian Lindfield, Hospitality Trainer, An Rê Mai Sen Hospitality Training Center

The GSTC Sustainable Hotel Course was an excellent opportunity to gain broad-based knowledge on sustainability practices for the tourism industry while acquiring hotel-specific “know-how” on implementing relevant and practical sustainability initiatives for hospitality management.

The interactive e-learning platform and program are well designed, and the quality content, guest speakers, and live online sessions with other participants were very informative and inspiring.

Our facilitators (Ayako Ezaki and Dr. David Ermen) were incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the topics covered and made a concerted effort to engage all participants with diverse backgrounds and experiences in tourism.

Christine Toguchi, Managing Director - MacroVision Network Pte Ltd

It was great to be a part of a globally conducted course. As people from all over the world were colleagues, we had a better understanding of sustainable tourism. From discussing the practices that we are following now in our respective lodges to what can be done to enhance it was all included in this course. I recommend this course to everyone who wants to be in the sustainable or eco-tourism, regardless of which country you are based in.

Ghanshyam Singh, Lodge Manager, Waghoba Eco Lodge, Pugdundee Safaris

A well structured course, making it clear and easy to navigate the GSTC framework. Being able to discuss this with other tourism professionals around the world was a valuable bonus.

Gisela Purcell, Sustainability Advocate, Tourism Industry Aotearoa

I greatly enjoyed the course, especially meeting such a diverse group of people. The program was perfectly tailored to the relevant industries people work in. The course content had the right balance between theory and sharing best practices, which I think was a great way to learn.

Helga Nagy, Director, École d'Hôtellerie et de Tourisme Paul Dubrule

It was a very experiential and practical course and strongly recommended to everyone involved in tourism and hospitality sustainable development.

Gansukh Damba, Chairman of Sustainable Tourism Development Centre, Mongolia

Training in sustainability is important for hotels because they can actively changing the future of our planet. Sometimes it is not very easy to start and GSTC course has helped to understand the practical actions to be taken. I would recommend this course to others in the hospitality sector because it is an opportunity to discuss and reflect on existing Earth needs.

Irene Torre, Green Hospitality Programme

Having participated in this course, I gained many skills for sustainable resources, which I will definitely apply in my day-to-day operations.

Harpreet Singh, Lodge Manager, Kanha Earth Lodge, Pugdundee Safaris