In consultation with WWF, we elected to endorse the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC) tour operator sustainability standard and certification program. The work we have all done in collaboration for the sustainable shore excursions program has laid the ground work to be able to now take our program to the next level, adopting the world’s [...]
Royal Caribbean has always driven innovation and best practice in our industry, both in our own operations and with our suppliers. Over the past year, RCL spent considerable time reflecting on what we have achieved with regards to sustainability and what we can do better in the future. We looked to partner with an organization [...]
No. STI has discontinued its STEP Shore Excursion verification program. If your STEP verification expires prior to 2019, your tours will continue to be distinguished as sustainable tours until 2019, at which time all sustainable tours must be provided by GSTC Certified tour operators. Therefore, we recommend that as soon as possible you select a [...]
The respective brands -- Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises or Azamara Club Cruises will highlight sustainable tours in the following ways: Provide a special sustainability mark in their tour descriptions on the respective brands’ website Consideration for feature blog posts on Royal Caribbean International and Azamara Club Cruises blog, highlighting tours fitting the brand objectives
Yes. All tours operated by existing STI STEP verified tour operators will be distinguished as “sustainable” tours in our shore excursion marketing program until the end of 2019. Beginning in 2020, the “sustainable” designation will be only available for the tours operated by tour operators that have taken the next step in the program to [...]
Each online course has a Course Facilitator whose contact information you will find on the course page. You can contact the Course Facilitator with your questions and requests.
To complete the course, you need to have all units and knowledge checks marked complete. You can mark each course unit complete by clicking on the little checkbox in the top right corner. You can move to the next unit without completing one, and come back later to complete the unit. This will be a [...]
As with any other online and offline professional training program, it’s entirely up to you to invest as much or as little effort as you would like into the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course. On average, we recommend that you set aside 3-5 hours per week for: – Reviewing video lessons and reading materials; – Attending [...]
Both face-to-face and online GSTC Sustainable Tourism Courses are led by expert GSTC trainers, and cover the training curriculum developed by the GSTC, using the GSTC Criteria as the framework. In addition, both face-to-face and online classes satisfy the training requirement towards earning the GSTC Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism. In these ways, the [...]
Upon successful completion of the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course Exam, you will receive an email with your exam results, and a PDF copy of your certificate, sent to the email address you provide at the time of registration.
If you don’t achieve the passing score (80% and above), but achieve the minimum required score of 50%, you will be offered the opportunity to re-take the exam within 2 weeks, with a one-time non-refundable administrative fee of US$50.
You will receive your exam results within 4 weeks of the exam submission deadline, which is indicated in the exam instruction email you will receive at the end of the course.
The exam is evaluated on the basis of its relevance to the training content and current industry knowledge, according to the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course Exam Evaluation Guidelines, developed and approved by the GSTC Education and Training Working Group.
The GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course Exam period is 4 weeks following the course completion. Following your training, you will receive specific instructions on how to access the exam and your submission deadline. Extension may be granted on a case-by-case basis (a late fee will apply, except for valid cases of medical or family emergencies). [...]
The GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course Exam is offered in an online and open-book format, and is designed to evaluate the training participant’s awareness and knowledge of the content covered in the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course, and relevant examples and approaches to implementing sustainable tourism policies and practices within tourism industry businesses and destinations.
There are two options for you to complete the training requirement towards earning the GSTC Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism: (1) Onsite 3-day GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course: Face-to-face training classes offered throughout the year in various locations around the world. (2) Online 4-week GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course: Online scheduled training classes led by GSTC [...]
The GSTC Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism is awarded to those who have (a) completed the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course, and (b) successfully passed the official GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course Exam. The Certificate, signed by the GSTC Chair and CEO, recognizes that the recipient has demonstrated their knowledge of the GSTC Criteria. Those who [...]
When you attend either a 3-day onsite training class or a 4-week online training of the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course, you will receive a Certificate of Attendance that states the date of the training class, to confirm participation in that class. This is given at the end of each course to everyone who has [...]
As part of your registration for an onsite (face-to-face) class, you will receive: – Training materials to be provided prior to the class; – Lunch breaks and coffee breaks during the class; – A Certificate of Attendance confirming your attendance in the class; and – The opportunity to take the official GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course [...]
Yes, you can sign up multiple people at the same time when registering online. Select the number of people you would like register, and you can enter contact details for each participant on the form. We also offer a discount for each group purchase of more than 5 seats. If you would like to sign [...]
