During the last week of August and the beginning of September 2025, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) carried out an extensive agenda in Buenos Aires and Iguazú, sharing knowledge and experiences through lectures, presentations, and workshops with universities, hotel and MICE professionals, and tourism stakeholders. The program highlighted the relevance of the GSTC Standards as a global framework to support sustainability in education, hospitality, and destination management.
Hotelga Summit 2025
Hotelga 2025 was held at La Rural in Buenos Aires, and GSTC delivered two presentations. The first, titled ‘Trends, Case Studies, and Reflections on Sustainability in the Hospitality Sector,’ was given by Mrs. del Azar, GSTC Communications Manager. The second, titled ‘Regeneration: The Evolution of an Unresolved Challenge,’ was presented by Mr. Moller, GSTC’s Program Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. Both sessions offered valuable insights into current trends and the ongoing transformation of hospitality practices in the region, highlighting the importance of the GSTC Standards as the global standards for sustainability in travel and tourism.
Workshops for Sustainable Hotels & MICE Professionals
GSTC staff members led a workshop for Hoteles más Verdes members titled “Communication and Regeneration: Challenges for Thinking and Acting Differently.” The workshop in Buenos Aires, during the framework of Hotelga 2025, attracted over 40 participants and offered an interactive setting where hoteliers engaged in dynamic activities and discussions. The workshop was also held in Iguazú, providing local industry stakeholders with the opportunity to explore innovative approaches to sustainability communication and regeneration strategies in the context of hospitality management.
GSTC also held a dedicated presentation for the members of AOCA (Argentine Association of Organizers and Suppliers of Exhibitions, Congresses, and Events) at the Hilton in Buenos Aires. The session, titled “Introduction to the GSTC MICE Standards: A Guide to Managing Sustainability in the Meetings and Events Industry”, provided professionals with practical insights on how to integrate sustainability into event planning and operations, fostering dialogue around sustainable practices in Argentina’s MICE sector.
University Engagement in Buenos Aires
On August 25, at the ‘Universidad Abierta Interamericana’ (UAI), Jorge Moller, GSTC’s Program Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Adriana Pizzi, GSTC Membership Manager, and Estefanía del Azar, GSTC Communications Manager, presented “The GSTC Standards as a Support for Academic Management in Sustainable Tourism” to students and teachers. The following day, at the ‘Universidad de Buenos Aires’ (UBA), a similar lecture was delivered, reinforcing the importance of integrating sustainability principles into rural tourism.
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12th edition of the Sustainable Hospitality Contest
The contest, organized by ‘Hoteles más Verdes’ during Hotelga, was supported by the Association of Tourism Hotels of Argentina (AHT), the Association of Hotels and Restaurants of Uruguay (AHRU), the Hotel Industry Association of Paraguay (AIHPY), and the Hotel Industry of Chile. Mr. Moller and Ms. Pizzi participated as jurors, along with colleagues: Karina Fortete, Director of the Tourism Division at the Municipality of Montevideo; Camila Maquieira, Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Tourism of Uruguay; Marcelo Bisignani, Regional Delegate and Board Member of the Argentine Hotel Association (AHT); Francisca Herrera Neumann, Director of Hoteleros de Chile A.G.; Juan Carlos Danieri Benítez, Treasurer and Board Member of the Paraguayan Hotel Industry Association (AHIPY); Flavia Lavecchia, Board Member of the Uruguayan Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHRU); and Sergio González, Program Director of the Bachelor’s in Hospitality and Gastronomy at the University of Belgrano.
The winners of this year were: Loi Suites Iguazú Hotel (Argentina), under the category “Actions that shape our story”, and “Root Cuisine as a Driver of Transformation in Sustainable Hotels” by Nidia Mitjans from Universidad Americana (Paraguay), under the category “Innovative Ideas”.
After the contest, on their visit to Iguazú, the GSTC Staff had the opportunity to visit the Loi Suites Iguazú Hotel through the eyes of its Operations Manager, Yohana Ceballos, and Sustainability Manager, Diana Larghieri. As well as other hotels of the Iguazú region, such as the urban O2 Hotel with Leonardo Pascutto, General Manager of the hotel, and the Glamping Selva Iguazú, where they also learnt about the Guaraní indigenous community through a path along the site, guided by a community leader who shared their traditions, stories, and connection with the land.
The contest spans Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and is open to both accommodations and students in university tourism programs, aiming to foster innovation and sustainable management in the hospitality sector; seeking to showcase and reward outstanding practices and management models that strike a balance between tourism and environmental care, local economic development, and destination stewardship, while promoting sociocultural diversity and inclusion across the hotel industry. More information about the contest can be found here.
Collaborative Dialogues
The GSTC team met with key tourism and hospitality leaders in Iguazú, including Claudio Filippa, Mayor of Puerto Iguazú; Leopoldo Lucas, President of ITUREM; Marcelo Ghione, General Manager of Iguazú Jungle Lodge; Patricia Duran Vaca, CEO of TO Cuenca de Plata and President of AOCA. The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange perspectives on advancing sustainable tourism practices in the destination and to explore potential synergies for future collaboration regarding GSTC’s Yuluca Alliance.
Acknowledgments
GSTC extends its sincere appreciation to its members, the Argentine Hotel and Tourism Association (AHT), Hoteles más Verdes (HMV), and the Argentine Association of Organizers and Suppliers of Exhibitions, Congresses, and Events (AOCA) for their invaluable collaboration in making these activities possible. Special thanks are also extended to FEHGRA, Messe Frankfurt Argentina, and Hotelga for the kind invitation to contribute as speakers at the Hotelga Summit 2025. Additionally, we would like to thank Loi Suites Iguazú Hotel, Glamping Selva Iguazú, O2 Hotel Iguazú, La Aldea Lodge Iguazú, Hilton Buenos Aires, and Hotel NH Collection Buenos Aires Lancaster for their hospitality.
