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 [...]
"Going green has become a point of industry pride. Hotels not only covet Global Sustainable Tourism Council and LEED certifications; they’re also establishing important sustainable initiatives themselves. Sustainability as an ideal is almost fully mainstream these days; even Prince Harry launched his own sustainable travel initiative, Travalyst, at the end of 2019." Read the full [...]
"A new world order for travel lies ahead. How quickly travelers adapt, and more importantly how quickly travel companies adapt to the changing behaviors, will be key." Randy Durband, GSTC CEO, writes on Skift. Read the full article: What Travel Companies Will Need to Know About Consumer Mindset Post-Crisis by Randy Durband on Skift [...]
"Start Your Destination’s Tourism Recovery Plan. Don’t wait." "Wise planning requires enlightened, collaborative destination stewardship. Now would be a time for each destination to convene – remotely, if not yet in person – a broad-based council to do that. Destinations should use the GSTC Destination Criterion A1 as a basic minimum." That criterion states in [...]
"Fortunately, it’s not a new term, and there’s real criteria associated with being considered a sustainable travel outfit. Since 2008, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has been updating criteria that aim to “serve as the global baseline standards for sustainability in travel and tourism.” " "I encourage everyone to visit www.gstcouncil.org to review [...]
Greening Your Travels: Sustainable Tourism Strategies to Help you Travel More Responsibly 1. SELECT YOUR DESTINATION THOUGHTFULLY A growing number of destinations are working to encourage sustainable and responsible tourism. Among those leading the way is the Central European country of Slovenia. A whopping 31 of its cities and regions are among the 2019 [...]
According to a 2019 report by Booking.com, 70 percent of global travelers would be more inclined to book eco-friendly accommodation. The industry seems to have taken the hint: eco-lodges and “green” hotels are trending. But these days, it can be difficult to discern between environmentally friendly digs and those just trying to profit from the craze. So [...]
Here are six ways we recommend you get started, in order from the easiest to implement to the most environmentally impactful: (1) Travel with trust: When looking for a place to stay, look for accommodations that utilize various sustainability standards. [...] Use the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s list of trusted standards used in different countries as [...]
This publication aims to introduce the strategic role that sustainable procurement can play to transform tourism by scaling up the market of sustainable products and services in the sector, enabling the reduction of GHG emissions and the shift towards a more resilient, resource-efficient development. It has been developed as part of the United Nations Environment [...]
Randy Durband, CEO of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, said some of the best examples of a management-over-marketing approach right now come from smaller, emerging destinations looking beyond visitor numbers to include average length of stay, amount of money spent, and guest satisfaction level as key indicators in defining success. One example is the Thompson [...]
Uber suggests 5 ways to reduce the carbon footprint of business travel According to Uber, "annual growth in business travel is expected to reach $1.6 trillion in 2020, while on average, 30% of European business travellers fly once a month." in an article, Uber suggest 5 ways of how organisations can reduce the carbon [...]
© CHRIS GASH/WWF-US Planning a getaway? Consider destinations, hotels, and tour operators that meet the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) standards. By doing so, you can minimize your environmental impact and send a powerful message to the travel industry about sustainable travel choices. Created by the United Nations and supported by WWF, [...]
"If you want to be an eco-friendly traveller, you’re going to have to work for it. This collection of tips, resources and ideas will help you reduce your environmental footprint wherever you travel" "To change the way you look at travel, try to seek out designations such as the Green Destination Standard, which sets environmental, [...]
Sustainable travelling is finding effective ways to be a tourist, without harming the natural surroundings and resources of the place you visit. The emphasis is on reducing our so called ‘footprint’, in this context defined as our personal negative effect on the places we visit. So defined, it also involves considering the impact of tourism [...]
#3 Stay in sustainable lodging Where you choose to sleep at night also plays a key role in being a green traveller. This part requires some legwork and research, however. “Hotel sustainability practices have grown tremendously in recent years, especially through certification programs that follow international best-practice standards,” Bray said. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) [...]
Jennifer Wesselhoff, President and CEO of the Sedona Chamber of Commerce, speaks about Sedona, Arizona's new sustainable tourism plan following their GSTC Destination Assessment in 2016. Sedona is applying the GSTC Criteria for Destinations, applying key tactics to keep their resident and visitor experience top-notch while the population *doubles* daily from tourism--a $1B business for [...]