The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has released the first report from the R4AWT – Roundtable for Animal Welfare in Tourism, an initiative established to support dialogue and collaboration on animal welfare practices within the tourism sector, aligned with the GSTC Standards. First R4AWT Roundtable Report on Animal Welfare in Tourism available here [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) congratulates Cooperative JOO-IN, a locally rooted tour operator based in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province, which has become the first Korean local Tour Operator brand to achieve GSTC Tour Operator Certification. The certification was officially approved on December 26, 2025, following a one-year independent assessment conducted by Control Union [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) participated in the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026, held on January 29, 2026, in Cebu, Philippines, under the theme “Navigating our tourism future, together.” Marking its 45th edition, the forum brought together national tourism organizations, policymakers, development institutions, and tourism stakeholders from across the ASEAN region and beyond to [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has published its first report from the R4MSEC – Roundtable for Micro and Small Enterprises Certification, an initiative launched on 14 March 2025 to support the development of certification approaches that are more accessible and relevant for micro and small tourism enterprises. First R4MSEC Roundtable Report on Micro [...]
GSTC attended a series of European tourism policy and sector events held in Brussels from January 26 to 28, 2026, as part of European Tourism Week. These events brought together European institutions, public authorities, and tourism stakeholders to address current priorities and future directions for the tourism sector in Europe. GSTC was represented at [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) participated in the Tamil Nadu Global Tourism Summit 2026, held in Chennai, India, on 2-3 February 2026. As part of the official program, CB (Ram) Ramkumar, GSTC Vice Chair, moderated the panel session “Rethinking Ecotourism Beyond Sanctuaries.” The session encouraged participants to move beyond a narrow understanding of [...]
GSTC congratulates Khiri Travel on achieving GSTC Certification across all its operational destinations in Asia. Khiri Travel, a destination management company based in Southeast Asia, operating in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, was officially certified on 18 December 2025 by Control Union, a GSTC-accredited certification body. At Khiri [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) participated in the Sapporo MICE Promotion Committee MICE Seminar, held on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at Lilac Square in Sapporo City, Hokkaido, Japan. Yasufumi Takagi, Membership Manager, Tourism & MICE Promotion Department, of Sapporo City, did the opening remarks. He stated that ‘he hopes to deepen his understanding [...]
The revision process of the GSTC Destination Standard version 2.0 has officially begun, marking a new milestone in its continuous evolution since its formal release in December 2013. This revision phase opens a structured consultation process aimed at ensuring the Standard remains relevant, robust, and aligned with the evolving realities of sustainable tourism and [...]
GSTC will be present at ITB Berlin 2026 (March 3rd-5th), with a dedicated area for the GSTC secretariat and GSTC-accredited Certification Bodies at Hall 4.1 (Responsible Tourism). Come meet us there.In addition to the physical exhibition area, GSTC representatives will share insights through the following talks at The Lighthouse Stage in Hall 4.1b Adventure ∙ Responsible Tourism.March [...]
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, [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and QueerVadis join forces to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion as an essential component of social sustainability, fostering a global tourism industry that is equitable, diverse, and inclusive. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with QueerVadis in November 2025 to support the integration of [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) took part in a high-level sustainability dialogue in Davos, held ahead of the Global Tourism Forum – Power 40 (GTF Power 40), organized by EuroNews Hub Davos. This engagement formed part of the lead-up activities surrounding Davos week, bringing tourism into broader global conversations on sustainability, leadership, and [...]
In December 2025, GSTC announced the completion of the revision of its Industry Standard for Hotels and Tour Operators. As part of this revision, the former GSTC Industry Standard version 3.0 has evolved into two distinct standards: the GSTC Hotel Standard version 4.0 and the GSTC Tour Operator Standard version 4.0. To support a [...]
The Sustainable Tourism Partnership - Urban Agenda for the EU, which aims to empower local authorities and destination management organizations (DMOs) in supporting the green transition of tourism SMEs, has launched two new publications. The first, Greening Tourism SMEs: A Practical Handbook, provides detailed insights into certification pathways and enabling conditions for uptake. The [...]
GSTC Member Península Papagayo released its 2025 Legacy Book, a publication that presents its environmental and community initiatives and invites guests to participate. The document brings together conservation actions, community outreach programs, and educational activities, and explains how visitors can engage through experiences or contributions linked to nature protection and social development in the [...]
Overview The Marketing Manager will be responsible for developing and executing market access benefits for businesses that achieve a meaningful degree of verified compliance with the GSTC Standards See the GSTC Marketing Manager Job Description for full details. Roles & Responsibilities Market development of GSTC-Certified businesses • Translate certification into clear market-facing value propositions for [...]
Overview The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is seeking an Accreditation Compliance Manager who will be responsible for conducting and overseeing accreditation assessments of certification bodies (CBs) against GSTC accreditation requirements. See the GSTC Accreditation Compliance Manager Job Description for full details. Roles & Responsibilities The position plays a central role in safeguarding the [...]
GSTC Member GREEN Hospitality participated in the launch of “Conscious Cooking – Asian Delights,” a cookbook developed in collaboration with the University of Hong Kong (HKU) School of Biological Sciences and the food-saving app CHOMP, the result of a three-year project among them, aiming to tackle food waste reduction in the hospitality industry. Hong [...]
GSTC Member Destination Canada has released Canada’s Sustainability Storybook, a publication presenting sustainability initiatives related to business events across Canadian destinations. The document brings together examples of environmental, sociocultural, and economic programs implemented by cities, venues, and tourism partners, illustrating how sustainability can be integrated into event planning and delivery. The Storybook aligns its [...]
