The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) participated in the Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB) Quarterly Membership Meeting, held on Thursday, August 14, 2025, at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort and online for those unable to attend in person. Michelle Merfalen, Membership Committee Chair, did the opening remarks. The event provided updates to its members on [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) signed a partnership agreement to deepen collaboration around sustainable tourism, strengthening the bridge between academic innovation and industry practice. CSUMB is a public university in the Monterey Bay region of California, committed to supporting innovation and sustainability in higher education through [...]
From August 17–19, 2025, the Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO), organized by the U.S. Travel Association, took place in Phoenix, Arizona. ESTO is a well-known gathering for U.S. destination marketing professionals in the United States that attracts leaders from across the country to share expertise and strengthen the promotion of tourism destinations. Each [...]
If you weren’t able to attend our Global Sustainable Tourism Conference in Fiji this year, missed out due to simultaneous sessions, or want to revisit your favorite conference sessions, recordings are now available on our YouTube channel. GSTC2025 Fiji brought together expert leaders from around the globe to share their insights and engage in [...]
The third GSTC Academic Symposium was held on Tuesday, August 5th, in Fiji as part of the GSTC2025 Global Conference. This one-day, in-person event marked its third edition (the previous one was held in Sweden in 2024) and brought together experts from research, academia, and the tourism sector to engage in deep, solution-oriented conversations [...]
GSTC has finalized the 2025 Board of Directors election. With votes validated by the GSTC Election Committee, we’re excited to share the official results and welcome the new directors who will help guide our mission in the year ahead. The GSTC Board of Directors plays an integral role in the leadership of the organization. [...]
Sustainable tourism in Italy continues to progress through the combined efforts of many actors, including the coordinated initiatives of the GSTC Italy Working Group (IWG). Established in 2022, the IWG brings together a diverse network of public and private organizations committed to advancing sustainability in the tourism sector. With strategic coordination and shared goals, [...]
Visit California has joined as a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Visit California is a nonprofit organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs – in partnership with the state’s travel industry – that inspire travel to, and within, California. The organization promotes California as a [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is developing a tailored Pre-Training Course on Sustainable Tourism for JTB Corp, designed to support and provide knowledge and practical tools, serving as a new step in strengthening JTB’s commitment to more responsible and sustainable tourism practices. Conducted in Japanese with an English version available for overseas staff, [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC ) and Content With Purpose (CWP) collaborate to create landmark new digital travel series on sustainable tourism. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is proud to launch its first global digital series, Travel Redefined: Tourism for People and Planet, in partnership with Content With Purpose (CWP) the strategic [...]
The fifth annual Destination Stewardship Yearbook is a compilation of articles from the 2024–2025 Destination Stewardship Report (DSR), co-produced by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), and Destination Stewardship Center (DSC). Each edition of the DSR highlights destinations that exemplify comprehensive and effective management, showcase leading practices in sustainable [...]
The GSTC2025 Global Sustainable Tourism Conference took place from 5 to 8 August at the Sheraton in Denarau, Fiji. The event brought together tourism professionals, destination representatives, academics, and sustainability experts from around the world to discuss key challenges and solutions in advancing sustainable tourism practices. Set against the backdrop of one of the [...]
We invite tourism stakeholders and certification bodies to participate in the public consultation on the new accreditation requirements for certification bodies, which aim to demonstrate their ability to provide reliable and trustworthy certification services to the MICE (Venues, Event Organizers, and Events/Exhibitions) and/or Attraction sectors. The public consultation will run for 100 days from [...]
City Destinations Alliance has released a white paper titled “The Score is Not the Story”, offering a comprehensive reflection on the role of sustainability indexes and certifications in urban tourism management. The publication provides insights into how cities across Europe are using these tools to advance their sustainability agendas, foster collaboration, and align with [...]
Ascott hosted the workshop “Shaping Sustainable Tourism, Together” on July 17, 2025, at lyf Ginza Tokyo, the first hotel in Japan to receive GSTC certification by Vireo, a GSTC-accredited certification body. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) participated in this day event, which brought together future leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to [...]
Randy Durband, GSTC CEO, was recently interviewed by Nikos Diamantopoulos, General Manager of Marketing Greece, to share insights on the role of sustainability standards in shaping the future of tourism. During the conversation, Mr. Durband described how the GSTC Standards are developed through an incredibly inclusive process (previously known as GSTC Criteria), serving as [...]
GSTC Member, Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) issued the “Petra Five Promises” guideline in early 2025, following public consultations conducted in December 2024 across six Petra communities. Developed under the Petra Tourism Development Master Plan 2023–2033, which was prepared in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and launched in November [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) launched the GSTC Attraction Standard in November 2024. GSTC designed the Early Adopter Program to facilitate the practical implementation of the GSTC Attraction Standard. The two-year program focuses on exploring mechanisms and resources for implementing the standard, rather than showcasing results. Its goal is to share best practices [...]
The world is now only five years away from 2030, a critical milestone for delivering on the goals of the Paris Agreement, the Global Biodiversity Framework, and the Sustainable Development Agenda. The time available to implement meaningful action is becoming critically short, with the consequences of a changing climate increasingly visible – from rising [...]
In 2022, GSTC Member Tricolage obtained the GSTC Tour Operator Certification from Control Union, a GSTC-accredited Certification Body. This achievement made Tricolage the first tour operator in Japan to receive the GSTC Tour Operator Certification. Tricolage says it approaches sustainability not as a passing trend but as a core responsibility to travelers, local communities, [...]
