April 23, 2017 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce that the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label (SSTL) has achieved ‘GSTC-Recognized’ status. The awarded status affirms Seychelles commitment to promote sustainable tourism products and services.
The Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label which is a certification programme aims to enhance the quality and sustainability of visitors’ experiences by mitigating tourism’s negative economic, environmental and social impacts on the destination and contributing to the preservation of natural and cultural treasures for the future generations of Seychelles.
Achieving the GSTC-Recognized status means that a sustainable tourism standard has been reviewed by GSTC technical experts and the GSTC Accreditation Panel and deemed equivalent to the GSTC Criteria. Additionally, an organization that meets GSTC requirements must administer the standard. The purpose of the GSTC programs is to recognize and reward genuine practitioners of sustainable tourism, which in turn builds confidence and credibility with consumers.
“The Seychelles Sustainability Label is an important tool for our Hotel Industry to embrace as we all want to ‘Green our destinations’,” says Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, Seychelles’ Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine. “This is even more evident and relevant especially since the UNWTO has declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. I wish to congratulate the hotels that have been accredited to the Sustainability Label Programme and would ask them to be part of our recruitment drive especially during 2017, so that more hotels join this Programme. The benefits are real and will impact positively your bottom-line.”
“The Seychelles authorities are exhibiting a commitment to sustainable tourism policies, as evidenced by their focus on developing standards appropriate to their national context while adhering to international standards” says Randy Durband, GSTC CEO.
To date, 35 standards have achieved GSTC-Recognized status. The completion of these step-wise programs rewards standard owners for their commitment to sustainability while offering the market a proof that these standards adhere to international norms.
The GSTC will continue to work with organizations around the world to provide GSTC Recognition, Approval & Accreditation of standards for sustainability in travel and tourism. GSTC-Recognized standard owners are encouraged to complete the Approved or Accreditation process in order to showcase excellence in their sustainability frameworks while further distinguishing their standards and processes amongst other certification programs. Learn more about GSTC Recognition.
About the GSTC
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) establishes and manages global sustainable tourism standards with the aim of increasing sustainable tourism knowledge and practices among public and private stakeholders. The GSTC is an independent and neutral USA-registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that establishes and manages global baseline standards for sustainability in travel and tourism. The standards are two sets of GSTC Criteria: Destination Criteria and Industry Criteria, the minimum requirements for tourism businesses and destinations to pursue in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources, along with conservation and poverty alleviation. The GSTC represents a diverse and global membership, including UN agencies, leading travel companies, hotels, country tourism boards, tour operators, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism.
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About Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label (STTL)
The SSTL is a sustainable tourism management and certification programme developed specifically for use in the Seychelles. It is voluntary, user-friendly, and designed to inspire more efficient and sustainable ways of doing business. Presently applicable to tourism accommodations only, the mission of the SSTL is to encourage hotels of all sizes in Seychelles to mainstream sustainability practices into their business operations to safeguard the biodiversity and culture of Seychelles.
