The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce its new website domain to be gstc.org instead of gstcouncil.org. This change reflects the organization's strong and growing presence worldwide, where it is widely known simply as "GSTC." The transition to gstc.org is designed to simplify the connection for stakeholders, partners, tourism professionals, and travelers [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is participating in the 9th edition of the Sustainable & Social Tourism Summit, which is taking place from May 20th to 23rd, 2025, in San José, Costa Rica. Under the theme "Tourism from the Perspective of Communities," the Summit is focusing on strengthening tourism practices that prioritize community [...]
Under the theme “Timeless Wisdom for a Sustainable Future,” the PATA Annual Summit 2025 hosted by the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) and supported by Turkish Airlines, focused on how cultural heritage and long-standing sustainable practices can contribute to shaping the future of tourism. Held in Istanbul, Türkiye, from April 21st to 23rd, [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has published its 2024 Annual Report, highlighting its ongoing efforts to advance sustainable tourism worldwide. The report showcases key milestones, strategic initiatives, and the organization's continued commitment to shaping a more responsible and resilient tourism industry. “Collaboration is at the heart of sustainable tourism. The 2024 Annual Report [...]
Overview The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is seeking an Accreditation Compliance Manager to manage GSTC accreditation documents and conduct compliance assessments. GSTC has developed a credible assurance program for hotels, tour operators, and destinations and has been extending it to MICE and Attractions. The growth of the GSTC Assurance Program requires qualified managers [...]
Overview The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is seeking a Training Program Coordinator. This role covers executing various operational and administrative functions of the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program while supporting the GSTC Training Team. See the GSTC Training Program Coordinator Description for full details. Roles & Responsibilities Ensure the maintenance of up-to-date training [...]
Overview The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is seeking a dedicated Auditor Training Program Manager administration of GSTC’s auditor training program. This role covers a wide range of duties, from establishing training plans and organizing training sessions, to managing the auditor qualification process, scheduling, evaluation, and deriving insights for the ongoing development of the [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) is pleased to announce that the standard “Version 1” has gained GSTC-Recognized Standard status, meaning they have been fully recognized as equivalent to the GSTC Industry Standard. Green my Experience is part of the Overview Effect, an ecosystem of purpose-driven companies driving real change through innovation, sustainable efficiency, and [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), in partnership with GSTC Member Destination DC, hosted an exclusive Pre-Summit Executive Workshop at Yours Truly DC Hotel, Vignette Collection by IHG, in Washington DC, USA. The workshop opened on Tuesday, March 25, with a warm welcome from Melissa Riley, Senior Vice President of Convention Sales & Services [...]
The 3rd GSTC Academic Symposium will be held in Fiji on August 5th just before the GSTC2025 Global Conference. This one-day, in-person gathering offers a dedicated space for researchers, practitioners and academics to connect and explore key topics in sustainable tourism. The symposium aims to foster dialogue and knowledge-sharing by inviting submissions focused on [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) announced last year the development of a new criteria set, GSTC Standard for Food & Beverage Service Providers, which has already undergone its first public consultation, which lasted 60 days. In August 2024, the GSTC, in partnership with the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), announced its [...]
GSTC Auditor Training in Japan Date: June 23-25, 2025 Location: Tokyo, Japan Venue: JTB Building (11th Floor, 2-3-11 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-8602) Language: English (Partial translation to Japanese may be provided.) Scope: GSTC Industry Criteria for Hotel and Tour operator *GSTC Auditor Training involves 3-days training class followed by two tests. In the GSTC [...]
GSTC renames its global standards from ‘GSTC Criteria’ to ‘GSTC Standards’ to enhance clarity and alignment with international terminology. "Our founders named these standards the ‘GSTC Criteria’ to distinguish them as globally managed standards from other sustainable tourism standards. However, that name led some stakeholders to believe they were something other than standards. Our Board [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) participated in the 20th Green & Blue Tourism Forum during ITB Berlin 2025, held from March 4–6. As part of the event, Dr. Ioannis Pappas, GSTC Director for the Mediterranean Region, delivered a keynote presentation focused on sustainable coastal and maritime tourism. The session explored strategies for integrating [...]
Today’s tourism industry features a significant presence of micro and small enterprises (MSEs). Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises are essential to the tourism and travel sector, representing approximately 80% of all tourism enterprises worldwide and up to 98% in select G20 nations (International Council for Small Business, 2024*). Tourism MSEs play an important role [...]
GSTC Auditor Training in Istanbul (HTO), Türkiye Date: April 5-7, 2025 Location: Istanbul, Türkiye Venue: Titanic Port Bakirkoy (Ataköy 1., Fişekhane Cd. No: 7/3, 34140 Bakırköy/İstanbul, Türkiye) Language: Turkish Scope: GSTC Industry Criteria for Hotel and Tour operator *GSTC Auditor Training involves 3-days training class followed by two tests. In the GSTC Auditor Training [...]
The GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course was sponsored by JTB Corp for its employees who came from Hokkaido, Tokyo, Kansai, and Fukuoka. It was held in Tokyo, Japan, from the 19th to the 21st of February, 2025. A total of 20 participants attended the training, and GSTC Trainer Kazuhiro Arai, Representative of Daisetsuzan Nature School, [...]
The GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course, sponsored by the Nasu Tourism Association for its employees, concluded successfully. It was held in Nasu-machi, Japan, from the 10th to the 11th of February 2025. A total of 24 participants attended the training, and GSTC Trainer Kazuhiro Arai, Representative of Daisetsuzan Nature School, led the course. The two-day [...]
The Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) who joined GSTC as a Destination Member in 2020, sponsored three GSTC Sustainable Tourism Trainings in different locations for destination representatives and tourism industry stakeholders in Japan. The GSTC Trainings in Japan were held in the following destinations: 1. Tsuruoka Yamagata, from the 14th to the 16th of December, [...]
The GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course, sponsored by Himeji City for its employees concluded successfully. It was held in Himeji City, Japan, from the 3rd to the 5th of February 2025. A total of 16 participants attended the training, and GSTC Trainer Kazuhiro Arai, Representative of Daisetsuzan Nature School, led the [...]
