The GSTC Sustainable Tourism Private Course sponsored and held for the Lake Mashu Tourism Association took place from 27 to 29 October 2025 in Teshikaga Town, Hokkaido, Japan. The training brought together several participants interested in enhancing their knowledge on sustainable tourism practices; The course provided a focused learning environment rooted in the local [...]
The GSTC Online Sustainable Tourism Course (STC) was delivered for SENECA SEDE (Sustainable Economic Development and Employment), the sector network of the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) focused on sustainable economic development and employment across Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Afghanistan. The network promotes professional exchange of knowledge and experience among its members and [...]
The Global Tourism Forum 2025 Annual Meeting brought together ministers, tourism executives, policymakers, and global leaders to discuss how the tourism industry can adapt to the shifting global landscape. Over two days of panels and networking sessions, participants explored the intersection of innovation, investment, sustainability, and inclusive growth as key drivers of the sector’s [...]
Dr. Mihee Kang, GSTC Chief Assurance Officer, attended the IAF General Assembly in Bangkok, Thailand, which was part of the IAF/ILAC Annual Meetings held from October 15th to 24th, 2025. GSTC became an official Association Member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) in November 2024. GSTC is part of the User Advisory Committee (UAC), [...]
ITB Asia, the annual 3-day B2B trade show and convention, was held in Marina Bay Sands in Singapore from 15-17 October 2025. Organized by Messe Berlin Asia Pacific and supported by the Singapore Exhibition and Convention Bureau. GSTC was a Conference Partner of the event, which ran parallel with ITB Asia, MICE Show Asia, [...]
The GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course, held in partnership with Wise Steps Consulting (WSC) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, concluded on October 17th, 2025, after two days of in-depth learning and exchange. Hosted at the Greenhost Boutique Hotel in Yogyakarta, the program brought together a group of participants committed to learning about advancing sustainability within the tourism [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) participated in the Expand Your World – Tourism Summit Budapest 2025, joining industry professionals, policymakers, and tourism stakeholders to explore trends, challenges, and opportunities in sustainable tourism under the conference theme, “Travel Smart, Explore the Future!” As a panelist on “Mega-Events vs. Slow Tourism,” Michelle Janke (GSTC) outlined [...]
On October 16, 2025, the IV Open Stakeholder Conference of Grupo Viajes El Corte Inglés was held in Madrid, Spain, under a hybrid format that combined in-person attendance and live streaming. The event brought together representatives from the travel, tourism, and corporate sectors to discuss sustainability strategies, social impact, and responsible business practices across [...]
On October 17, 2025, the First International Travel Services Conference and Trade Exhibition was successfully held in Sanya, China, bringing together leaders, experts, and stakeholders from across the tourism and MICE industries to discuss the future of international travel. Representing GSTC, Cathy He, Co-founder of Colorful Earth — GSTC’s official training partner in China [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) participated in the 7th edition of the HIC Summit, which took place in Ibiza, Spain, from October 15th to 17th, 2025. The summit brought together experts, institutions, and industry leaders to explore innovative and regenerative approaches to the future of tourism. GSTC Chair Luigi Cabrini participated as one [...]
The GSTC MICE Standard for venues, event organizers, and events & exhibitions has been translated into Hungarian and is now available for download in the GSTC Standard Translations section. A helyszínek, rendezvényszervezők, valamint rendezvények és kiállítások számára készült GSTC MICE Standard immár magyar nyelven is elérhető, és letölthető a GSTC Standard fordítások szekciójában. [...]
A recent survey conducted among GSTC-certified hotels has provided valuable insights into why leading properties worldwide choose certification by GSTC Accredited Certification Bodies (GSTC Certification) and how it supports their sustainability journeys. The findings highlight not only the strong motivations behind certification but also the tangible benefits hotels are experiencing as they align their [...]
- The Sustainable Tourism Academy, a fully digital training platform launched by GSTC and digital travel platform Agoda last June, has gained traction, attracting over 1,500 participants in under four months. More than half of the participants have already successfully completed the free digital training and earned their personal certificate, demonstrating commitment to advancing [...]
During his recent visit to Japan for the GSTC Japan Members Workshop 2025, GSTC CEO Randy Durband met with the Deputy Mayor of Sapporo, Osamu Kato, at the Sapporo City Hall on the 22nd of September, 2025. The discussion focused on the establishment of Sapporo’s new Destination Management Organization (DMO), which is set to [...]
This year, World Standards Day aims to highlight how standards provide a shared framework that enables meaningful collaboration across industries, governments, and organizations to achieve common objectives. Celebrated worldwide on October 14th, it recognizes the significance of standards-related efforts and underscores the crucial role standardization plays in the global economy, raising awareness among regulators, [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) is pleased to announce that the standard “Multietichetta eLabel! RDP Servizi di ricettività con o senza servizio accessorio di ristorazione (PR accommodation services with or without the additional catering service)” has gained GSTC-Recognized Standard status, meaning the standard includes criteria and indicators equivalent to the full criteria of [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) will partner with WTM London to deliver a Masterclass titled “Cutting Through the Noise: Your Step-by-Step to Credible Sustainability Success” on the 5th of November, during WTM London 2025 in the ICC Maritime Suites from 10:00h to 12:00h. Led by Dr. Mihee Kang, GSTC Chief Assurance Officer, and [...]
The third edition of the Estates General of European LGBTQ+ Tourism was held in Milan on October 1, 2025, at Milano Verticale, UNA Esperienze. The gathering served as a platform to discuss the present and future of LGBTQ+ travel, bringing together leading voices from across the tourism sector to exchange knowledge and foster collaboration. [...]
GSTC was at the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday, 1st of October 2025, participating in the high-level event “Establishing Sustainable Tourism Destinations in the European Union.” The event, hosted by Ms. Elena Kountoura, Member of the European Parliament and Vice-Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), gathered key representatives [...]
The 2025 edition of the EuroVelo & Cycling Tourism Conference took place in Balatonfüred, Hungary, from September 24 to 26, 2025. The conference was the annual gathering of stakeholders from the cycling and tourism sectors, providing a platform for discussion and exchange on recent developments and ideas related to cycling tourism, EuroVelo, and cycle [...]
