Accreditation Documents
For inquiries related to GSTC Accreditation Documents, please contact accreditation@gstc.org. All documents are protected under GSTC’s intellectual property rights.
1. Latest Accreditation Documents
2. GSTC Accreditation Glossary
3. Accreditation Manual Revision History
GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification Bodies-Industry: Hotel/Accommodation & Tour Operator (AM-I)
| Document | Approval/Effective Date | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| GSTC Accreditation Manual for Accommodation/Hotel & Tour Operator v.3.0 |
12 July 2023 and will be effective on 13 October 2023 | 3-month transition period |
| GSTC Accreditation Manual for Accommodation/Hotel & Tour Operator v.3.1 |
1 October 2023 and will be effective on 13 October 2023 | No transition period due to minor revision |
| GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification Bodies -Industry:Hotel/Accommodation & Tour Operator v.4.0 | 1 November 2024 | One year transition period |
| GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification Bodies – Industry_ Hotel/Accommodation & Tour Operator version 4.1 | 10 February 2025 | No transition period due to minor revision |
GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification of Destination (AM-D)
| Document | Approval | Transition |
|---|---|---|
| GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification Bodies – Destination version 2.0 (March 2025) | 26 March 2025 | One year transition period from April 1, 2025 |
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is committed to revising the GSTC Accreditation Manual through active stakeholder engagement. For information on the ongoing stakeholder engagement and public consultation, please visit the following page: ‘GSTC Public Consultations for Accreditation‘.
4. Interpretation, Amendment, and Additional Requirements
| Document (Code) | Subject/Description | Referenced Manual/Document | Referenced Sections | Published Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019INTD01 | Understanding and applying the international norms for certification | AM-I v.2.4 |
11.3 Certification: Understanding and applying the international norms for certification |
16-Sep-2019 |
| 2019INTD02 | Guidelines for the type of sampling and size of the samples to be employed in each instance | AM-I v.2.4 | 15. Sampling within the Audit | 16-Sep-2019 |
| 2021AMD01 | Auditor Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills | AM-I v.2.4 | 10. Auditor Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills | 08-Apr-2021 |
| 2023INTD01 | Interpretation regarding the evaluation tasks specified in the GSTC Accreditation Manual | AM-I v.2.5 | 8.5. Requirements for the application of ISO 17065 ISO 17065:2012 7.4 Evaluation |
02-Feb-2023 |
| 2023INT02 |
Interpretation of the “Similar tourism services” for determining members of Group Certification |
AM-I v.3.1 | 15. Group Certification | 11-Dec-2023 |
| 2024INTD01 | Interpretation of “unit” in the context of certification for a Tour Operator. | AM-I v.3.1 | 16. Requirements for Tour Operator | 07-Mar-2024 |
| 2024ACL01 | Suspension of scope of certification: OUTBOUND TOUR OPERATOR | n/a | n/a | 08-Apr-2024 |
| 2024ACL03 | Hotels undergoing surveillance audits in 2025, as part of an existing certification cycle, shall be informed by the CBs on the new performance requirements. However, non-conformities related to them will be issued during 2025 surveillance audits | GSTC Requirements for Hotel’s Performance against Eight Standards | n/a | 05-Jun-2024 |
| 2024ACL05 | Clarification on the accreditation scope and certification of entities located in Northern Cyprus | n/a | n/a | 06-Nov-2024 |
| 2024ACL06 | Clarification on implementing and auditing criterion D2.1. Greenhouse gas emissions | GSTC Industry Standard – Version 3 | D2.1. | 08-Nov-2024 |
| 2025ACL01 | Guidance on hybrid and remote surveillance audit | AM-I v.4.0 | 8.18 Surveillance activities | 13-Jan-2025 |