The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) 2026 Conference will be taking place this April 21-24, 2026 in Phuket, Thailand. The conference will bring together sustainability leaders, tourism professionals and industry stakeholders from around the world to advance sustainability efforts across the travel and tourism industry. The GSTC2026 Phuket Conference will consist of insightful discussions, networking opportunities and workshops centered on the three main themes: Sustainable Hospitality, Resilient Cities and Communities, and Carrying Capacity and Visitor Distribution Management.
In addition to the inspiring mix of engaging panel discussions and interactive hands-on workshops, the GSTC will offer a range of pre-conference trainings that will provide participants with the opportunity to deepen their knowledge, build practical skills, and gain a stronger understanding of GSTC Standards (formerly known as GSTC Criteria) before the main conference begins.
GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course | April 19-20, 2026
The GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course provides the knowledge and tools needed to help improve sustainability practices across the travel and tourism industry. This flagship course covers the GSTC Destination Standard, the GSTC Hotel Standard, and the GSTC Tour Operator Standard, and provides best practices for businesses and destinations.
With an in-depth understanding of the GSTC Standards, you will be able to make informed decisions on how to implement sustainability practices for your company or destination, and be ready to develop actionable sustainable tourism policies and practices for your organization.
The GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course will be offered from April 19-20, 2026, at the Royal Phuket City Hotel in both English language and Thai. The English training will be led by GSTC trainers Dr. David Ermen, Managing Director at Destination Capacity; Dr. Kelly Bricker, GSTC Vice-Chair, and Associate Dean of the HNU-ASU Joint International College (HAIC); Jorge Moller, GSTC Latin America Program Director; and Trang Nguyen, Sustainable Tourism Specialist. The Thai training will be led by GSTC Trainers Katchaphon Janpetch, Head of Tourism Innovation Development at Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organization), and Pornpol Noithammarj, CEO & Co-founder of Verigrene.
Sustainable MICE Course | April 19-20, 2026
The GSTC Sustainable MICE Course provides the knowledge and tools needed to help improve sustainability practices in the MICE industry. The course covers the GSTC MICE Standard (for Venues, Event Organizers, and Events & Exhibitions), aiming to serve as the global sustainability standard for the industry. This standard was created to provide a common understanding of sustainable tourism in the MICE industry throughout the world and offers best practices for the MICE industry. This course has four main themes: effective sustainability planning, maximizing social and economic benefits for the local community, enhancing cultural heritage, and reducing negative impacts on the environment.
The two-day in-person training course in English will focus on practical insights into the GSTC MICE Standard, and tangible action steps to applying it. This course will be offered in English, from April 19-20, 2026, at the Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Town, and will be led by Dr. Özen Kirant Yozcu, Associate Professor, ISAG – European Business School, and GSTC Trainer.
GSTC Sustainable Attraction Course | April 19-20, 2026
The GSTC Attraction Course provides the knowledge and tools needed to help improve sustainability practices in tourist attractions. The course covers the GSTC Attraction Standard that establishes the global sustainability standards for attractions, guiding businesses such as theme parks, museums, and national parks toward sustainable practices.
This course will be offered in English, from April 19-20, 2026, at the Courtyard by Marriott Phuket Town and will be led by GSTC Trainer Arzu Kutucu Özenen, Founder of Interculturalis Consultancy and Yeşil Valiz Association for Responsible Tourism and Sustainable Tourism & Cultural Heritage Manager.
All courses will combine trainer presentations, group discussions, and exercises with hands-on learning opportunities, focused on practical insights into the specific GSTC Standards and tangible action steps to applying them.
How to Register
Enhance your industry knowledge and conference experience by participating in a pre-conference training course ahead of the GSTC2026 Global Sustainable Tourism Conference in Phuket, Thailand.
Participants attending the GSTC2026 Phuket Conference may register for a pre-conference training course at a discounted rate. To register, simply select the “2-day pre-conference training” option as an add-on when completing your conference registration here.
For participants who are not attending the conference, training-only registration is also available.
To register for a training course only, please use this dedicated training registration link.
Discounted Rates
Discounted conference rates are available for attendees from the ASEAN region and for Thai participants. When registering for the training in conjunction with the conference, please select the appropriate conference registration type from the drop-down menu to receive the corresponding discounted conference rate.
Group discounts are also available for GSTC Members attending the GSTC2026 Conference. For groups of 5–10 participants, a reduced training registration rate of USD 300 per person applies. To register as a group of five or more, please contact training[@]gstc.org for further details.
Please note that after selecting your conference ticket, you will still need to add your chosen training course by selecting the relevant pre-conference training add-on during the registration process.
What’s Included?
Participants’ course registration includes training materials provided before the course, as well as lunch and coffee breaks during the training days. Participants will also receive a Certificate of Completion confirming their participation.
Please note that travel, accommodation, and other related expenses are not included in the course fee. Participants are responsible for arranging their own travel and accommodation.
The exam registration fee (USD 75 per person) is not included in the training fee. If you wish to take the exam for the sustainable tourism course, you can select the exam option when you register for the course. If you have any questions, please contact training[@]gstc.org for further details.
For more information regarding the pre-conference trainings and the GSTC2026 Phuket Conference, click here.
