In July 2025, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released the insight report “Travel and Tourism at a Turning Point: Principles for Transformative Growth”, developed in collaboration with Kearney. The report, to which GSTC CEO Randy Durband contributed, provides an in-depth analysis of the travel and tourism sector at a critical juncture in its evolution, [...]
In August 2024, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), in partnership with the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), announced its plans to expand the GSTC Standards, the global standards for sustainable tourism, by developing a new set specifically for tourism-related food service providers. This forthcoming set, with an official name to be determined, [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce the establishment of its Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). Composed of a diverse group of highly respected professionals from the tourism and travel industry, the Technical Advisory Committee will offer expert recommendations to support GSTC’s operations. Their insights will help strengthen and enrich the decision-making process [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) participated in a roundtable event hosted by Booking.com in Madrid, Spain, on June 25, where the 10th edition of its Travel & Sustainability Report was presented by Inés de Santiago and Eguzkiñe Añón from Booking.com. Based on a global survey of over 32,000 travelers across [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Destination Assessments of Birgi and Side in Türkiye took place between June 23 and August 2, 2024, and were conducted by the GSTC with the participation of Cappadocia University. The assessment process, which included local stakeholder consultation, helped the destination management team identify the essential components and areas [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) participated in the Conference “Lessons from the Past: Advancing Sustainability in WWII Heritage Tourism,” held in Berlin on June 13th, 2025. The event brought together professionals from the tourism and heritage sectors to discuss how World War II-related sites can be managed in line with sustainability [...]
Equality in Tourism International released its 2025, Sun, Sand & Ceilings report. Drawing on publicly available information for 68 organisations, 28 tour operators, 16 hotels and hotel groups, 15 carriers, airlines and cruises, and nine professional associations, the charity calculated that women occupied 33 percent of board seats across global tourism, up from 23 percent [...]
Visit Tucson has joined as a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). Located in southern Arizona, USA, Tucson is known for its distinctive desert landscapes and cultural diversity. Set within the Sonoran Desert, surrounded by five mountain ranges and bookended by Saguaro National Park, the city offers a combination of natural features [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) welcomes your feedback on the draft revisions of the GSTC Hotel Standard and GSTC Tour Operator Standard in this third round of public consultation, which is now open until July 3rd, 2025. The GSTC Standards (known previously as GSTC Criteria) serve as the global standards for sustainability in [...]
The Sustainable Tourism Academy is now available to support hospitality professionals in their journey toward more sustainable operations. Born through a strategic partnership between the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and Agoda, the platform offers a practical and accessible pathway for hotels and accommodations professionals to learn and turn sustainability goals into action. Available free [...]
Control Union, a GSTC-accredited certification body, will transfer the management authority of GSTC Certification from its current accredited office in Zwolle, the Netherlands, to its newly accredited office in Singapore. This move reflects an operational shift designed to enhance service delivery globally, with expanded coverage now including China. Control Union has been providing testing, inspection, [...]
The GSTC Sustainable Tour Operator Course (TOC), in collaboration with Virgin Voyages (VV) for its partners, fulfilled a comprehensive and impactful run from January 2024 to December 2025. This online, complimentary course was provided to Virgin Voyages’ diverse portfolio of tour operators in an effort to create positive social and environmental benefits in the [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is announcing the launch of a new training course specifically designed to support destinations in their journey toward sustainable tourism: the GSTC Destination Stewardship Course (DSC). The GSTC has developed the Destination Stewardship Course as a comprehensive, self-paced training course that provides tourism professionals working at the destination [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has formed a Roundtable for Animal Welfare in Tourism (R4AWT), an initiative aimed at promoting responsible, ethical, and science-based approaches to animal welfare within the global tourism industry. R4AWT aims to provide a platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the development of practical guidelines tailored to the tourism [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has published the GSTC-Certified Hotels Directory, a comprehensive resource designed to help destinations, businesses, and consumers identify accommodations that have been certified as sustainable by GSTC-accredited Certification Bodies. In an industry where greenwashing remains a critical concern, the Directory reinforces the importance of traceability and transparency from an [...]
From June 3 to 6, 2025, the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), an intergovernmental organization dedicated to improving productivity in the Asia-Pacific region, held a regional workshop on Promoting Sustainable, Inclusive Tourism in Kathmandu, Nepal. The event was implemented in partnership with the National Productivity and Economic Development Centre (NPO) of Nepal and [...]
The European Commission has initiated the development of a comprehensive EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy, aiming to ensure that tourism in Europe remains competitive, sustainable, and inclusive. As part of this process, a consultation has been launched to gather input from stakeholders across the tourism ecosystem. This initiative invites authorities, businesses, civil society, and other interested [...]
Epicentro Lanzarote, held on February 13th and 14th, 2025, at ‘Jameos del Agua’, brought together stakeholders from the tourism sector to promote sustainable practices. Organized by the GSTC Member, Lanzarote Society for External Promotion (SPEL – Turismo Lanzarote), with the collaboration of the GSTC and UN Global Compact Spain, the event led to the development [...]
On June 9, 2025, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) proudly joins the global celebration of World Accreditation Day (WAD), an initiative by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). This year’s theme, “Accreditation: Empowering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)”, shines a spotlight on the essential role accreditation plays in [...]
On June 3rd, 2025, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) successfully held a High-Level Workshop in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. The event was conducted with the support of the Sabah Tourism Board, underscoring the state's effort to advance sustainable tourism. The workshop opened with welcoming remarks [...]
