The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce that SGS has gained the GSTC-accredited Certification Body status with the scope of certifying Hotels/accommodations and Tour Operators to the GSTC Hotel Standard and GSTC Tour Operator Standard with a worldwide geographical scope.
Established in 1878, SGS is a testing, inspection, and certification company with a network of over 100,000 employees and 2,500 offices and laboratories, aiming to enable a more sustainable, safer, and connected future.
Achieving the GSTC-accredited status means that a Certification Body has been verified to conduct proper certification of businesses in a competent and neutral manner, following processes and procedures detailed in the GSTC Accreditation Manual. Some of the requirements in the GSTC Accreditation Manual include: Legislation; Transparent and impartial certification procedure; Competent personnel capable of conformity assessment in the sustainable tourism field; Compliance with the ‘ISO/IEC 17065:2012 Conformity Assessment Requirements for Bodies Certifying Products, Processes, and Services’; and more.
Businesses and destinations certified by a GSTC-accredited Certification Body, meeting the full relevant GSTC Standard (or a GSTC-Recognized Standard), have the highest level of assurance* and credibility available. With an accredited certification, customers and buyers are assured that the business or destination was certified in a credibly verified procedure in a transparent, impartial, and competent manner.
Certification by an Accredited Certification Body can be referred to as “accredited certification”.
Attesting to that, those businesses certified by a GSTC-accredited Certification Body can display a unique GSTC logo with a traceable code. The purpose of the GSTC Accreditation is to provide a higher level of assurance and reward genuine practitioners of sustainable tourism, which builds confidence and credibility with consumers.
“Accreditation deserves greater attention and appreciation from the hospitality and tourism industry,” says GSTC CEO Randy Durband. “Most eco/green/sustainable labels for tourism businesses operate without external review, meaning that their rigor and impartiality are unknown. We welcome SGS among the select list of GSTC-accredited Certification Bodies.”
«Achieving GSTC accreditation marks a significant milestone for SGS. With our extensive experience in testing, inspection, and certification services worldwide, we are committed to supporting the hospitality and tourism industry in aligning their operations with the global GSTC Standard. Through our professional audit team and strong expertise in management systems certification, SGS aims to be a trusted partner for the tourism industry, helping organizations reduce their environmental and social impacts while advancing sustainable tourism practices. Responding to the growing demand for credible sustainability certification in the hospitality and tourism industry, SGS is proud to contribute to the global transition toward responsible tourism,” says Steven Chiou, Managing Director of SGS.
The GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification Bodies – Industry Hotel/ Accommodation & Tour Operator provides detailed technical requirements for certification of Hotel/Accommodation and Tour Operator. Certification Bodies are required to comply with ISO 17065 (Conformity Assessment -Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services) and GSTC specific requirements. These requirements are impartial and competent certification procedures, auditor experience and qualifications, certification decision-making, rigorous surveillance of certified businesses, and proper promotion of their services.
Hotels that follow sustainability standards and wish to stand out with a reputable certification as a sustainable hotel should seek sustainable hotel certification by a GSTC-accredited Certification Body.
Tour Operators that want to demonstrate their adherence to sustainability standards are encouraged to seek sustainable tour operator certification by a GSTC-accredited Certification Body.
Destinations that are managed in accordance with sustainability standards can aim for destination certification by one of the GSTC-accredited Certification bodies. Certification bodies certifying destinations must follow the GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification Bodies – Destination.)
About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading testing, inspection, and certification company, recognized globally as the benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 99,500 professionals and over 2,500 offices and laboratories worldwide, SGS is committed to creating a safer, more trusted, and more sustainable world for customers and society.
For more information, visit: www.sgs.com.tw
About the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) establishes and manages global sustainable standards, the GSTC Standards, also known as the GSTC Criteria. The GSTC Destination Standard for public policy-makers and destination managers, the GSTC Hotel Standard for hotels and accommodations, the GSTC Tour Operator Standard, the GSTC MICE Standard for Venues, Event Organizers, and Events & Exhibitions, and the GSTC Attraction Standard for tourist attractions such as theme parks, museums, and national parks. These are the guiding principles and minimum requirements that any tourism business or destination should aspire to reach in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for conservation and poverty alleviation.
The GSTC Standards form the foundation for GSTC’s assurance role for Certification Bodies that certify hotels/accommodations, tour operators, and destinations as having sustainable policies and practices in place. GSTC does not directly certify any products or services but provides accreditation to those that do.
GSTC is an independent and neutral USA-registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that represents a diverse and global membership, including national and provincial governments, leading travel companies, hotels, tour operators, NGOs, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism. The GSTC is an ISEAL Community Member, a global membership organization for ambitious, collaborative, and transparent sustainability systems, as well as an Association Member of The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and an Associate Member with the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC).
Information for media and the press: www.gstc.org/about/for-the-press/
*Note of General assurance levels:
3rd-party certification by an Accredited Certification Body (impartiality is certain)
3rd-party verification (impartiality is not certain)
2nd-party verification (not impartial)
1st-party self-assessment
No verification at all
