February 25, 2015 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce that GreenEarth.travel and VisionCSR's Green Growth 2050 sustainable tourism standard has achieved 'GSTC Recognized' status. Green Growth 2050 Standard has been developed to meet the needs of tourism and travel businesses seeking today's solutions to the issues driving social, cultural [...]
The Sustainable Tourism Certification Alliance Africa, formerly known as the Sustainable Tourism Network Southern Africa (STNSA), is an alliance of sustainable tourism certification stakeholders in Africa, with an initial focus on countries in southern and East Africa. The Alliance aims to enable an integrated approach to sustainable tourism certification throughout the continent. For more information please [...]
Paul Snyder, IHG Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and GSTC Board Member An interview with IHG's Paul Snyder about the successful Green Engage program. InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is the newest sponsor of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), and one of the leading hotel companies, with 4,700 hotels around the world. [...]
The GSTC’s Chair of the Board, Luigi Cabrini, is featured in the February edition of the Travel & Tour World online magazine. The Travel & Tour World magazine is a B2B travel magazine with online global readership of over 2 million. The article entitled “GSTC Making Advances in Tourism Sustainability” focuses on the history, [...]
February 9, 2015- The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to be hosting the 2015 Latin America Regional Meeting, taking place at the Palacio de Cristal in Quito, Ecuador on April 26, 2015. The GSTC Latin America Regional Meeting will give travel and tourism professionals a foundational list of tools, contacts, and references to [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and several members recently participated in FITUR, the International Tourism Trade Fair, held January 28 to February 1, 2015 in Spain. During this event, GSTC Chair Luigi Cabrini and board member Jane Ashton (TUI Travel), participated at the meeting of the Advisory Group for the United Nations recently launched [...]
There is a heightened awareness of the growing global issue that food waste represents in a context of booming populations, shrinking arable land, freshwater scarcity and climate change. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), roughly 33% of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year, approximately 1.3 billion tons, [...]
The Destination Sustainability Comprehensive is an opportunity for destination managers to learn their current status according to the leading international standard, the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destinations. The GSTC Sustainability Comprehensive involves up to 10 days in the destination, including site visits, detailed analysis of the destination's documented policies, and intensive liaison with destination [...]
The GSTC Criteria serve as basic guidelines for businesses, organizations and destinations that wish to address sustainability issues in the travel and tourism industry. It is composed of a set of standards and provides assurance that the main principles of responsible tourism are being covered. In reality, the GSTC criteria represents a commitment to the [...]
January 20, 2015 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce that the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism’s Green Star Hotel program has achieved ‘GSTC Recognized’ status. The awarded status affirms Green Star Hotel’s commitment to promote sustainable tourism products and services. Green Star Hotel is a national [...]
"The diverse players of the travel and tourism industry have shown very mixed efforts in trying to “do the right things” for the environment and people, and have had very mixed results. That’s why effective use of universal standards for sustainability is essential. Some of the most prominent guidelines are for global hotel operations, [...]
Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and Tour Operators’ Initiative (TOI) Join Forces Merger creates global champion in sustainable travel and tourism Madrid, Spain, 22 December 2014 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and the Tour Operators’ Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development (TOI) announce their merger, as approved by the boards of directors of each [...]
The GSTC Latin America Regional Meeting was held in Quito, Ecuador prior to the start of the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC15). The meeting was structured in part like a workshop, presentations and round-table discussions center around sustainable tourism standards, destination management, industry best practices, GSTC-led programs, with a [...]
The tourism industry has the potential to be a good and powerful force on our planet. When responsibly managed, it enriches lives, and preserves natural resources and cultural heritage. More frequently these days, travelers take this into account and seek authentic holiday experiences, to choose a responsible tour operator, book a hotel with a sustainability [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) announces the appointment of Mr. Guy Chester as its new Technical Director. The position includes responsibility for managing the GSTC’s vital role in setting and disseminating its global baseline standards for sustainability in the travel and tourism industry. Two sets of standards, one for destinations and the other for [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council proudly welcomes the news that longtime GSTC Members and GSTC Recognized Standards, Rainforest Alliance and Travelife, will be teaming up to give travelers more options when booking sustainable accommodations. The two organizations signed an agreement in which all accommodations that meet the criteria of Rainforest Alliance certification for [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) recently launched the Sustainability Training Program to meet the growing worldwide demand for sustainable tourism education and training. Since the introduction of the GSTC Criteria in 2008, the GSTC continues to strive for universal adoption of sustainable [...]
In November, the Mayor of Arona, a major coastal destination in Tenerife, one of the Spanish Canary Islands, signed a commitment letter with the President of the Institute for Responsible Tourism (ITR), Tomas Azcarate and the Chair of the GSTC, Luigi Cabrini. The destination engages in advancing a tourism model based on the principles [...]
From November 20th thru 21st the Responsible Tourism Institute (ITR) hosted the “GSTC Destinations Community, Barcelona Summit” in Barcelona, Spain, a Biosphere World Class Destination. The 2-day summit created a space where committed destinations could further reinforce the applications of the environmental, social, cultural, and economic principles at the core of the GSTC Criteria. Attendance [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council celebrates the use of the GSTC Criteria in the selection process of The National Geographic Society’s World Legacy Awards. The National Geographic Society recently revealed the 15 finalists of the World Legacy Awards, a remarkable co-initiative in partnership with ITB Berlin, to feature the leading industry organizations and destinations ranging [...]
