GSTC was at the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday, 1st of October 2025, participating in the high-level event “Establishing Sustainable Tourism Destinations in the European Union.” The event, hosted by Ms. Elena Kountoura, Member of the European Parliament and Vice-Chair of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN), gathered key representatives [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) participated in the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) Ports & Destinations Dialogue 2025, which took place on 8–9 September in Hamburg, ahead of Seatrade Europe. The event gathered cruise lines, port authorities, destination representatives, and other key stakeholders to exchange views, identify opportunities for collaboration, and address the [...]
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 Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is announcing the launch of a new training course specifically designed to support destinations in their journey toward sustainable tourism: the GSTC Destination Stewardship Course (DSC). The GSTC has developed the Destination Stewardship Course as a comprehensive, self-paced training course that provides tourism professionals working at the destination [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has revised the GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification Bodies - Destination (hereafter, the Destination Accreditation Manual) and was approved on March 26, 2025. The manual is available on the GSTC Accreditation Documents webpage. Given the dynamic nature of the tourism industry, periodic updates and revisions to the certification [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has unveiled a new self-assessment tool designed specifically for destinations seeking to measure and enhance their sustainable tourism practices. The tool offers a simple yet effective way for destination to evaluate their progress across the four pillars of the GSTC Destination Criteria: Sustainable Management: This section encourages destinations [...]
The fourth annual Destination Stewardship Yearbook is a compilation of articles from the 2023–2024 Destination Stewardship Report (DSR), co-produced by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), and Destination Stewardship Center (DSC). In each issue, the DSR features destinations that have embraced effective and holistic management, best practices in sustainable [...]
When it comes to sustainability, travel can feel like a double-edged sword. On one hand, exploring the world helps to cultivate empathy towards new cultures and can lead to radical change. On the other, the potential emissions from hopping on a plane and touring around a destination is at odds with a cleaner planet. [...]
We invite tourism industry stakeholders to participate in the Public Consultation on the revision of the GSTC Accreditation Manual For Destination Certification Bodies v.2.0, which will run for 100 days starting from today, May 20th, 2024, to August 28th, 2024. About the GSTC Accreditation Manual For Destination Certification Bodies v.2.0: The GSTC Accreditation Manual [...]
