Over the past twenty years, Barcelona has undergone an extraordinary evolution as a tourist destination. Boosted by the Olympic Games of 1992 (an authentic point of inflection - before and after) Barcelona has gone from being practically irrelevant on the international tourist circuit, to becoming one of the most highly desired world destinations. With [...]
Consumer interest in Sustainable Travel is on the rise. According to a recent report from CMIGreen, consumers are more actively engaging in activities and purchasing decisions that are inline with their values. When consumers made the same value alignment with fish and paper products big changes were seen in those respective industries. Study after study [...]
In a previous post we talked about the fact that customers are removed from the certification process. They aren’t fully aware of what a business is doing and/or if that business is making improvements in order to maintain its status as a certified sustainable business. True. These same concerns surrounded the establishment of programs for [...]
Leilani Latimer - Sabre Holdings, GSTC Board Member and Chair of the Market Access Working Group Standards for Sustainable Tourism When you think of standards, do you think of limitations or confinements? If you've ever been in sales, you know that standards can give you boundaries, which you can then run freely [...]
One of the most common misconceptions about the GSTC Criteria is that it was designed to be a one-size-fits-all solution. This couldn’t be farther from the reality. The criteria are a reference or starting point for any business seeking to become more sustainable. In fact, the GSTC has created tools to help businesses do a [...]
The International Standards Working Group will gather at the 2nd Annual GSTC Membership Council Meeting to continue our work on updating the GSTC Criteria. Our Working Group is responsible for managing the GSTC Criteria, specifically the revision process as required by ISEAL standards. Prior to the annual meeting I wanted to provide a bit [...]
Shannon Stowell - President, Adventure Travel Trade Association and GSTC Board Member I recently sent a direct invitation to the entire Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) members to join the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Why? Why would I encourage our members to join another organization? Because I believe membership in the GSTC [...]
Amos Bien - Technical Director, GSTC The GSTC and the Rainforest Alliance are presenting a two-part webinar series for ATTA on using certification to position businesses in the marketplace. Our fabulous Technical Director, Amos Bien, will moderate the sessions. Session #1, covering terminology and definitions, will be June 9 @ 10am PDT [...]
Last week at the World Travel & Tourism Council's Global Summit held in Las Vegas, Nevada, GSTC Executive Director Erika Harms spent some time chatting with TravelMole TV's Charles Kao.Erika discusses a number of issues about GSTC's future education outreach to providers and consumers, the growing demand for sustainable tourism, new partnerships with Amadeus and [...]
There has been some talk about the GSTC not being responsive to criticism. We’d like to address this and then get back to the collaborative work of helping the travel and tourism sector protect destinations, reduce poverty and create equitable and productive markets. The GSTC takes feedback and criticism seriously. We posted an open letter in [...]
The GSTC Secretariat is pleased to announce the opening of the GSTC Board Election process as described in our by-laws (Article 5, Section 5) and Operations Manual. To review the process please click here. First please visit the Candidates page to learn about each candidate. Then click on VOTING FORM to make your selections. On [...]
The Sagrada Familia, a UNESCO World Heritage site The GSTC is excited to officially announce the 2nd Annual GSTC Membership Council meeting in Barcelona, Spain. The series of meetings and member events will happen June 28-30, 2011. We are especially grateful to the City of Barcelona for hosting our event. REGISTER NOW [...]
The Adventure Travel Trade Associations' annual Adventure Travel World Summit delivers to executive-level adventure tourism professionals the must-attend conference of the year for the global adventure travel community. Meet GSTC board members Leilani Latimar, Director, Sustainability Initiatives at Sabre Holdings and Shannon Stowell, President of ATTA. Join the ATTA in Chiapas, Mexico, October 17-20, 2011 [...]
The required bi-yearly review of the GSTC Criteria has begun, but there is still time to provide your feedback. Read More.
November 11, 2010 - 11:00 am to 12:00 pm World Travel Market - London, UK / North Gallery Room 8 n the occasion of the International Year of Biodiversity and during this year’s World Travel Market, IUCN would like to invite you to join a discussion on “Nature conservation and tourism: how to make [...]
November 9, 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Belize Tourism Board Booth #250b Supported by the Belize Tourism Board (BTB), the United Nations Foundation (UN Foundation) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the GSTC is hosting a side event at the World Travel Market in London on November 9. The purpose of this event is [...]
As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of World Tourism Day, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC) invites businesses and individuals to harness the power of change of tourism. We are driven by the possibility of tourism to preserve the world’s travel and tourism destinations—so that our children and grandchildren can continue to enjoy all of [...]
The Fairmont Mayakoba, on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, is a tourist destination nestled in the heart of Riviera Maya. The hotel offers spectacular views of canals, lagoons, and mangrove forests, and also offers close access to Cozumel, Chichén Itzá, and beautiful beaches. But being a beautiful resort and a tourist destination was not [...]
GSTC Issues Call for Individuals and Industry to Commit to Sustainability; Announces New Global Board of Directors New York and Washington (September 27, 2010)—The Global Sustainable Tourism Council celebrates World Tourism Day announcing its new Board of Directors and inviting individuals to commit to sustainable tourism. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council leverages the power and [...]
