Sustainable Tourism at a Critical Juncture From right to left: Roi Ariel (General Manager, GSTC), Natalie Kidd (Chief People and Purpose Officer, Intrepid Travel), Jason Lin (Co-founder & CEO, Talent Basket), Jennifer Lin (Senior Manager, Business Development, Southeast Asia, Rezio), Shinobu Hayama (CEO, Journey for Change), Halim Choi (Program Officer, Jeonbuk MICE Bureau). [...]
Turismo sostenible en España: medioambiente y turismofobia Abordamos la sostenibilidad en el turismo. Nos preguntamos si es posible desarrollar esa actividad turística sin que se destroce el medioambiente, es decir, además de generar ingresos para la población autóctona, ser respetuoso con el ecosistema y con la cultura local. Vamos a analizar los motivos por [...]
How has health and political crisis impacted travel, and is tourism ready for sustainability? Article and interview by Anula Galewska, Travindy This article is part of the “Sustainable tourism insights” interview series with speakers and participants of the Green Destinations Conference in Athens, Greece held in September 2022. Dr. Ioannis Pappas is the Director [...]
Can We Certify Our Way to Sustainable Travel? Article written by Sun Woo Baik in Asparagus Magazine When I think about the impacts my travels have had, my mind immediately goes to the massive, gas-guzzling, carbon-spewing aluminum tube I boarded to get to my destinations. Aviation is the most obvious culprit for travel-related emissions, [...]
How to Tread Lightly in Fragile Places Article written by Elaine Glusac in The New York Times Organizing a responsible visit to sensitive areas like the Galápagos Islands or Antarctica involves research, decoding certifications and possibly a travel adviser. For independent travelers, sustainable certifications can help identify responsible operations. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council [...]
Tablet Hotels' Sustainability Program Gains Momentum Tablet Hotels, the hotel experts at the MICHELIN® Guide, has launched a hotel sustainability program, making it easy for travelers to choose hotels that are working to make a positive impact on the planet and in their community. The program features the sustainability icon, which indicates hotels that have [...]
easyJet holidays launches new ‘eco certified’ collection, in partnership with the GSTC easyJet holidays is making it easier for its customers to make sustainable choices for their holiday, by identifying a new ‘eco certified’ collection on its website. The hotels included in the collection will be identified by a green leaf motif, and all have [...]
Vision setting: A sustainable coastal and marine tourism sector in 2030 and 2050 What is sustainable coastal and marine tourism in 2030 and 2050? What are three key shifts needed by 2025 to achieve this ambitious vision? Expert Perspective by Randy Durband, CEO of GSTC on Ocean Panel. Coastal and marine tourism is enormous [...]
Vision setting: A sustainable coastal and marine tourism sector in 2030 and 2050 What is sustainable coastal and marine tourism in 2030 and 2050? What are three key shifts needed by 2025 to achieve this ambitious vision? Expert Perspective by Caroline Tippett, Vice President of Ocean Markets and Finance, World Wildlife Fund, published on [...]
WTTC launches major hotel sustainability initiative at its Global Summit in Manila The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched its ‘Hotel Sustainability Basics’, a coordinated set of basic actions that hotels should implement as a minimum at the beginning of their sustainability journey. The initiative was launched at WTTC's Global Summit in Manila in [...]
Une interview avec Ignacio de la Cueves, formateur GSTC, aborde les critères GSTC et leurs objectifs. Qu’est -ce que les critères GSTC et quels sont leurs objectifs ? Les critères GSTC servent de normes mondiales pour la durabilité dans les voyages et le tourisme. Les Critères sont utilisés pour la formation et la sensibilisation, [...]
What Makes an Eco-Resort Truly Sustainable? This article by Elana Spivack was published on Popular Science. Eco-resorts are generally committed to a carbon-zero existence and preserving their surrounding environment. The word “resort” connotes luxury, and many claim to provide luxury sustainably. These locales have been cropping up in recent years as environmental consciousness becomes [...]
This article by GSTC Chairman Luigi Cabrini and GSTC CEO Randy Durband was published on OECD Forum. Can global sustainability standards be key to a green recovery? In 2019, tourism accounted for 10% of the global GDP and 1 of every 11 jobs worldwide, with a record 1.5 billion international tourists. But in 2020 [...]
Following global trends, hoteliers are now moving faster towards more sustainable practices. However, sustainability is a broad topic and taking the first steps might be daunting. To make it easier, Randy Durband, CEO of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), shares 6 ways that are crucial in making hotels sustainable: Market Demand for Eco-Friendly - [...]
New York Times: How to Travel More Sustainably Don’t skimp on doing your own research, and be aware that ‘green’ certificates aren’t always all they’re cracked up to be. Looking for a hotel or tour operator that has earned a sustainability label might seem like a good place to start, but the reality isn’t so [...]
Treehugger: What Is Sustainable Tourism and Why Is It Important? As people begin to pay more attention to sustainability and the direct and indirect effects of their actions, travel destinations and organizations are following suit. What Makes Tourism Sustainable? The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), which is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of [...]
The pandemic has accelerated these trends. Prior to 2020, the government had already poured trillions of yen into promoting lesser-visited parts of Japan as tourist destinations. Although sustainability rarely factored into official tourism strategy within Japan, the effects of the climate crisis and overtourism appear to have finally made some impact. Government white papers [...]
Because so many organizations and destinations are coming at this from different starting points, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council - GSTC has established a baseline standard for more responsible tourism practices, offering criteria that help consumers find reputable destinations and companies. It also helps both government and private-sector organizations develop sustainable tourism requirements for destinations, [...]
“The coronavirus crisis definitely gives Southeast Asia a chance, but will governments and businesses take it?” GSTC General Manager Roi Ariel questioned. But Ariel is seeing a glimmer of hope among destination marketing organizations, which, unlike the private sector, are less threatened by dwindling cashflow amid the coronavirus crunch and are more likely able to [...]
A big part of resetting the tourism industry, says Randy Durband, CEO of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, is the improvement of public policy and destination management, beginning with the capacity of governments to guide tourism development. “There needs to be a dramatic shift from spending mostly or entirely on promotion to significant spending [...]