The GSTC Training Partner Walking Mountains Science Center delivered a 2-day training class of the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program (STTP) from October 25-26, 2018, led by Dr. Kim Langmaid, GSTC Trainer and the Founder of the Walking Mountains Science Center. The training class was attended by local and regional tourism industry stakeholders, representing [...]
"With tourism arrivals tripling over the past two decades, the region has reached a tipping point in terms of its ability to prevent popular destinations from being ruined But wherever tourism is developed, it is critical to preserve both natural resources and local culture, says Mr Randy Durband, GSTC CEO." Read the full article: Loved [...]
The Delegation of Environment and Promotion of the Territory of Málaga, Spain, hosted the III Malaga Viva Annual Meeting (III Encuentro Anual Málaga Viva), a province against climate change on October 23, 2018. GSTC Chair, Mr. Luigi Cabrini, participated in a dialogue on climate change, along with, Alicia Torrego (CONAMA) and Mariano Sidrach (Fundación Renovables). [...]
GSTC Member Transat, one of the largest integrated tourism companies in the world and Canada's holiday travel leader, is now Travelife Certified. This marks the first time that this international certification has been awarded to a major international tour operator for the full range of its activities. This recognition underscores Transat's longstanding efforts and leadership in sustainable [...]
On October 6, GSTC Chair, Mr. Luigi Cabrini, delivered the keynote speech at the International Cruise Forum in Taiwan 2018, hosted by Taiwan Tourism Bureau. “Whatever the stage of development of a destination, a susustainability-based strategy is essential, and the GSTC criteria provide a comprehensive and practical reference,” said Mr. Cabrini. [...]
On October 2nd Vireo srl organized a conference concerning the certifications according to the GSTC criteria (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) at the municipal hall of Sesto, Italy. Many speakers took part during the event with significant speeches about the sustainability in the tourism market, especially regarding hotel industry. The event started with four main contributors: first, [...]
The Center for Responsible Travel has released its annual report, “The Case for Responsible Travel: Trends & Statistics 2018.” This report provides the tourism industry with key examples and best practices for mainstreaming responsible travel and addressing the complex issue of overtourism. "Certification continues to play an important role among responsibly-minded businesses, with the [...]
"Look for seals of approval from Global Sustainable Tourism Council, The Long Run, and Rainforest Alliance; all of these groups factor energy and water use, as well as sustainability and improving the livelihoods of local people. " Randy Durband, CEO of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, emphasizes the importance of choosing accredited accommodations and operators. “Certification equals [...]
The GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program (STTP) offered a 3-day training class for representatives of Mae Fah Luang University (28-30 September 2018). The training was attended by an interdisciplinary group of professionals representing various fields including architecture, law, environmental science and business management. The training was delivered by Dr. Mihee Kang (GSTC Trainer and Asia [...]
"Today, tourism is second only to hydropower in terms of revenue. Happily, the demand for guides and drivers creates employment and provides income opportunities via the sale of handicrafts, etc. Moreover, US$65 of the US$250 fee goes to the government who in reinvest it into free education and healthcare for citizens. But some are [...]
September 13, 2018 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce that Vireo Srl has achieved the ‘GSTC-Accredited’ status. Achieving the GSTC-Accredited status means that a certification program is following processes and procedures that have been reviewed and approved by the GSTC Accreditation Panel and by ASI (Accreditation Services International), GSTC’s [...]
Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat, Thailand Minister of Tourism & Sport, and Mr. Randy Durband, GSTC CEO In a recent article in The Nation, Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat, Thailand Minister of Tourism & Sports, said: “We seem to agree that the head counts of foreign tourists or their expenditure are not the top priority. So, targets like 36 [...]
Forum on Sustainability in Tourism & Hospitality The GSTC has partnered with the Vocational Skills Development Program of Swisscontact (the Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation) the Myanmar Responsible Tourism Institute (MRTI) and Thant Myanmar to jointly organize the second Forum on Sustainability in Tourism & Hospitality, which was held at Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon on the [...]
On August 27-28, the First Congress on Quality and Sustainability took place in the City of Guatemala, by the Guatemalan Tourism Board, INGUAT (Instituto Guatemalteco de Turismo), a GSTC Member. With 200 participants, the Congress aim was to raise awareness about sustainability in the travel and tourism sector, as well as to encourage the implementation of [...]
GSTC Keynotes the 2018 International Symposium of Tourism Development for Sustainability (Taiwan) GSTC General Manager, Roi Ariel, and GSTC Asia-Pacific Regional Director, Dr. Mihee Kang, delivered the keynote speeches at the 2018 International Symposium of Tourism Development for Sustainability that took place at Nanhua University, Taiwan, on 29-30 August 2018. The Symposium was organized by Taiwan Tourism [...]
On 24th August, Khiri Travel company employees, travel industry leaders, and other guests, gathered in Bangkok to celebrate Khiri Travel's silver (25th) anniversary. Khiri Travel was founded by Willem Niemeijer in Bangkok in 1993 to arrange travel to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia at a time when the Mekong region was opening to tourists. From [...]
St. Kitts' Sustainable Destination Council (SDC), has joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) as a destination member. The Sustainable Destination Council (SDC) serves as an advisory council for the Ministry of Tourism, with the aim to increase opportunities for locals and tourists to act as destination stewards, and has the influence over the [...]
In their article "Why Responsible Travel Matters (and Greenwashing Sucks)", Green Global Traveler share their “Top 10 Responsible Travel Organizations” - which includes the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
The GSTC Industry Criteria has been translated into Spanish and is available to download in the Criteria Translations section. Los Criterios GSTC para la Industria Turística se han traducido al Español y están disponibles para descargar en la sección Criteria Translations.
"Hotel sustainability certification is driving savings and increasing customer satisfaction levels, according to Tui research. But it is a challenge 'to get the message to customers' and awareness is hampered by the inaction of leading online travel agents (OTAs) that fail to identify certified hotels." "Certified hotels also recorded higher customer-satisfaction scores. The hotels [...]
