GSTC Staff
Kathleen Pittman
Program Director – Caribbean, and Special Projects
Contact Kathleen at [email protected] 
Randy Durband
Randy Durband, Chief Executive Officer
Randy Durband has had two careers in travel and tourism – twenty-plus years in senior leadership positions at some of the finest U.S. tour operators, having served as President for Travcoa, INTRAV, and Clipper Cruise Lines, (brands within TUI Travel plc), plus Executive Vice President of Tauck World Discovery. Following that, in his second travel and tourism career, Randy advanced the work of Sustainable Tourism as an advisor, consultant, and speaker. He brings his knowledge of the business of travel, his global network of travel professionals, and a passion for sustainability to support the GSTC and the general sustainable tourism movement. He has held several board positions and committee memberships in travel and tourism organizations, and is a frequent speaker on sustainable tourism issues.
Roi Ariel
Roi Ariel, General Manager
Roi Ariel has been focusing on responsible travel and sustainable tourism over the past decade. In his role at GSTC, Roi manages the organization’s memberships, communications, events and operations. He previously worked with UN-ESCAP researching sustainable development and green growth in Southeast Asia, and on sustainability issues with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). Prior to his move to Asia, Roi worked with Friends of the Middle East in Israel as the Green Economy Initiative Advisor. Roi holds a master degree in Applied Economic and Social Development from the National Chengchi University in Taipei, and a bachelor degree in International Relations and Comparative Religion from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. With his master thesis titled “Common Pool Resource Management and Benefit Distribution in Community Based Tourism”, he speaks as a guest lecturer at universities and presents at academic conferences.
Contact Roi at [email protected]
Dr. Mihee Kang
Dr. Mihee Kang, Global Assurance Director & Asia-Pacific Director
Dr. Mihee Kang is the GSTC Director for the Asia Pacific region, as well as an authorized trainer and destination assessor. She has taught and researched ecotourism and sustainable tourism at several universities since receiving her Ph.D. degree in 1999 from Seoul National University. As the first Ph.D. in ecotourism in S. Korea and a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve (MAB) Young Scientists Awards 2000 winner, she has been involved in sustainable tourism policy development and sustainability assessments of various types of destinations in S. Korea and other countries over 30 years. She has served in both domestic and international organizations such as Korean Geopark Committee, Korea Islands Foundation, Korea Trails and Culture, Jeju World Heritage Committee, Korea Forest Education Committee, Asian Ecotourism Network, etc. She has actively participated in numerous research projects and ODA projects in Korea and abroad. Dr. Kang has published many articles and books including a recent book about ecotourism in Asian countries.
Contact Mihee at [email protected]
Estefanía del Azar
Estefanía del Azar, Communications Manager
Estefanía del Azar is the Communications Manager for GSTC, she has a solid background in advertisement and marketing. With an entrepreneurial mindset, she co-founded her own advertising agency, working for almost a decade with various agencies and media companies. Estefanía holds a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising and PR from Antonio de Nebrija University, as well as an MBA and other management and leadership courses, such as Corporate Social Responsibility, Team and Talent Management, and Online Marketing. She is a passionate learner about technology, innovation, and sustainable travel. In addition to her professional work, Estefanía volunteers in her community by leading its book club. She is based in Madrid, Spain.
Contact Estefanía at stef@@gstc.org
Naomi Oiwa
Naomi Oiwa, Japan Market Development Manager
Contact Naomi at [email protected]
Ane de Miguel
Ane de Miguel, Communications Specialist
Ane de Miguel Molina is the Communications Specialist at the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). She has a robust background in sustainability and communications, having worked as a Sustainability Coordinator, Content Creator, and Customer Experience Specialist. Ane also completed a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Management from Saxion University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, where she researched sustainable tourism practices and advised on regenerative tourism projects. Additionally, she was part of two projects by the EuroCulture en Pays Gentiane association in Riom-ès-Montagnes (France), focusing on the immersion of refugees from Africa through artistic initiatives. She holds certifications in Sustainable Tourism, Green Performer, and Animal Welfare. Ane’s expertise spans sustainable tourism, social media, video marketing, and customer experience. She is currently based in Deventer, the Netherlands.
Contact Ane at [email protected]
Sergio Aja
Sergio Aja, Assistant Accreditation Manager
Sergio Aja is a seasoned tourism professional with over 20 years of experience driving sustainability in businesses of all scales, from Andean communities in Peru and protected areas in Guatemala to hotel chains and multinational tour operators across Latin America. His early work, primarily with non-profit organizations, focused on strengthening sustainable practices in community tourism, SMEs, and local destination management organizations. These efforts aimed at safeguarding natural and cultural heritage while fostering inclusive and prosperous businesses. Sergio’s diverse expertise also extends to the public sector, private companies, and academia, where he served as a university professor, lecturer, and trainer. Before joining the GSTC, he managed the South American and Caribbean client portfolio for a prestigious CB, overseeing audit processes across multiple countries. Sergio Aja holds a degree in Ecotourism and a Master’s degree in Development from the Universidad del Valle in Guatemala. He is currently based in Lima, Peru.
Contact Sergio at [email protected]
Emi Kaiwa
Emi Kaiwa, Asia Pacific Manager
Emi Kaiwa specializes in tourism and hospitality, sustainable tourism, project management, membership engagement, corporate sustainability and fundraising, and is experienced in the regions of Europe, Africa, and Asia. Working with profit and non-profit organizations in different industries and countries have given Emi a varied skillset and the ability to multitask and handle multiple projects simultaneously. Prior to joining GSTC, Emi worked with the leading sustainability organizations, such as WWF (World Wild Fund for Nature) Japan, University of Cagliari, South Sardinia, and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). Emi holds an MBA in Tourism from University in Thailand, with a concentration in sustainable tourism in Asia. She is currently based in Tokyo, Japan.
Contact Emi at [email protected]
Herdi Andrarilachi
Herdi Andrarilachi, Audit Process Analyst
Herdi Andrarilachi has been concerned towards sustainable tourism and certification bodies since 2015. He has gained valuable experience as a coordinator and supervisor for an international Destination Management Company (DMC) in Indonesia. His certifications reinforce Herdi’s commitment to sustainability in IRCA ISO 9001:2015, IRCA ISO 14001:2015, RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil), ISPO (Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil, and GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council). This diverse set of credentials equips him with comprehensive knowledge and expertise in sustainability. Herdi holds a master’s degree from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, majoring in Environment, Development, and Sustainability concerning Sustainable Tourism Destination Management. Herdi is currently based in Indonesia.
Contact Herdi at [email protected]
Natalia Sanin
Natalia Sanin, Measurement & Reporting Analyst
Natalia Sanin is the Measurement & Reporting Analyst for GSTC. She has seven years of experience in quality assurance, both in ISO 9001 and Fairmined (sustainable standard for small-scale and artisanal mining), as well as experience in process improvement and crowdfunding. She has a business administration degree, a certification in Integrated Quality Management Systems (HSEQ), and is certified as an internal auditor.
Based on her experience and knowledge in quality assurance and auditing, she seeks to positively impact the lives of people in need, their communities, and the environment. She believes that sustainable standards are an excellent way to improve society and the world.
Contact Natalia at [email protected]
Tiffany Chan
Tiffany Chan, Destination Program Manager
Tiffany’s focus is on sustainable tourism, particularly in destination stewardship, responsible recreation, and nature-based tourism. Her role at GSTC includes communications and Destination program support. Prior to joining GSTC, Tiffany held various positions in tourism, from business development and marketing to client services. She is a jury member for two international tourism film festivals and a volunteer at the Destination Stewardship Center. Tiffany holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Tourism Management from the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria in Portugal and an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in International Development Studies, Economics, and Psychology from the University of Toronto in Canada.
Contact Tiffany at [email protected]
Dr. Jisun Kim
Dr. Jisun Kim, Training Program Manager
Dr. Jisun Kim is the Training Program Manager at GSTC. She received a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Inha University, focusing on happiness, leadership, work values, and self-efficacy. She taught a course on Peter Drucker’s Managing Oneself, focusing on how an organization and people can be sustainable. She completed the Global MBA and Leadership certificate program that included intensive training in France (University of Le Havre Normandy), Germany (Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg), China (University of Xiamen) and Korea (Inha University). She worked as an intern for a marketing project for CJ Cheil Jedang and as an HR Coordinator for Dongsung Corporation, developing an integrated job profile that included job description, role and responsibility, competence and KPI. At GSTC, she designs and operates training programs for industry and government with global trainers.
Contact Jisun at [email protected]
Maria Liontaki
Maria Liontaki, Accreditation Manager
Maria’s career has a significant focus on sustainability within the hospitality industry but also in accreditation procedures. As a Quality Manager, she successfully implemented ISO and Sustainability Management Systems for a hotel chain in Greece, integrating environmental and social considerations into operational practices. Her role as an Assessor for the Hellenic Accreditation Body (ESYD) highlighted her commitment to upholding industry standards, while her experience as a Lead Auditor for ISO Standards and Tourism Product Manager for a Certification Body showcased her proficiency in evaluating and certifying sustainable practices. Maria studied Chemical Engineering and holds an MBA. Maria’s multifaceted expertise and profound commitment to sustainability and accreditation make her an asset to the GSTC team, aligning seamlessly with the organization’s mission.
Contact Maria at [email protected]
Yoko Ueki
Yoko Ueki, Japan Training Coordinator
Yoko resides in one of Japan’s premier tourist destinations and has been dedicated to regional nature conservation for many years. She worked on promoting GSTC at the Japan Ecotourism Center, and supported GSTC training as part of the Japan Tourism Agency’s sustainable tourism model project, which deepened her engagement with GSTC training programs. She recognizes that sustainable tourism is crucial for community development. Currently, she primarily coordinates GSTC training in Japan and works with a nature conservation NGO.
Contact Yoko at [email protected]
Julieta Battilana
Julieta Battilana, Events & Membership Coordinator
Julieta Battilana is a tourism specialist whose focus has been on the communication and planning of tourism and has a particular interest in regenerative tourism. She has held different positions in this sector, from product development to marketing specialist for a certification body, focusing primarily on the communication aspects of tourism. Julieta recently completed her MSc in Sustainable Development at the University of Sussex, which engages with interdisciplinary perspectives of today’s most pressing issues. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Tourism, Planning and Management from the University of Westminster in London. She is currently based in London, United Kingdom.
Contact Julieta at [email protected]
Adriana Pizzi
Adriana Pizzi, Membership Coordinator
Adriana Pizzi is one of the Membership Coordinators at GSTC with over eight years of experience in the conservation of nature and sustainable tourism sector. Previously, Adriana worked as Communications Officer at Provita NGO in Caracas, where she contributed to environmental education and outreach projects. She later expanded her expertise by working as a Project Manager at Train & Travel with Women for Africa in Côte d’Ivoire, empowering women through community tourism. Adriana’s journey led her to become the Ecotourism Manager at Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Sierra Leone, where she successfully oversaw ecotourism activities. Her profound dedication to protecting natural resources, improving livelihoods, and promoting a harmonious relationship with nature and diverse cultures drives her work at GSTC. With a Law degree from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello, Venezuela and a Master’s degree in Ecotourism from Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland, Adriana is committed to projects that have a positive impact in nature and people.
Contact Adriana at [email protected]
Tatiana Agudelo Monguí
Tatiana Agudelo Monguí, Membership Coordinator
Tatiana works alongside in the GSTC Membership department, where her primary focus lies in providing dedicated support and fostering collaboration among Public, Academia, and Civil society members. She is convinced that recognizing the significance of inclusive discussions and engagement among all tourism stakeholders is necessary to build the foundations of sustainable tourism.
Tatiana has a master’s degree from the Université Lumière Lyon II in ‘Planning, Development and Marketing of Tourism Territories’ and have formerly served in the France public tourism sector in the Normandy region. Prior to this, Tatiana held various positions around the world from hospitality to tourism product, observatory, and destination development. Driven by her lifelong passion for cultural immersion and learning through nature, Tatiana has witnessed the incredible transformative power of tourism in recognizing and strengthening the cultural and natural heritage and wants to firmly continue to contribute to this.
Contact Tatiana at [email protected]
Ayako Ezaki
Ayako Ezaki, Online Training Manager
Ayako Ezaki is Co-Founder and Director of Training Strategies & Development at TrainingAid, an international tourism and training company offering training and skills development opportunities for tourism industry professionals. Having worked for more than a decade in tourism professional training and education, Ayako specializes in content building, educational program design, training facilitation and project planning. She also brings many years of experience in online communications and content marketing. Through TrainingAid’s partnership with the GSTC, Ayako serves as Training Director to develop, manage and market the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program, and over the last few years has worked with hundreds of tourism industry professionals from around the world supporting sustainability practices for tourism businesses and destinations. In addition, Ayako serves as the Expert Coordinator for Tourism Declares Climate Emergency, a global network of tourism industry stakeholders coming together to make tourism more climate positive.
Contact Ayako at [email protected]
Dr. Ioannis Pappas
Dr. Ioannis Pappas, Program Director – Mediterranean Region
Dr. Ioannis Pappas sits on the GSTC Board of Directors and acts as the Treasurer of GSTC. He is the GSTC Representative in the Mediterranean Region, and a GSTC authorized Trainer. Dr. Pappas is the CEO of Green Evolution SA, an experienced professional engineer, with over 25 years of work in several fields of science, focusing on sustainability and tourism, energy and environmental efficiency in infrastructure and buildings. He is also auditing and advising on standardization of companies and technological implementation of climate adaptation and mitigation methodologies. Dr. Pappas is Co-founder and a Board Member in a number of organizations (Sustainable Building Council of Greece, Hellenic Passive House Institute, Hellenic Start Up Association) as well as Co-founder of the Hellenic Ecotourism Society. He worked with the Joint Research Center-IE of European Commission and was a Greek representative as the expert for ITL at UNFCCC.
Contact Ioannis at [email protected]
Jorge Moller
Jorge Moller, Program Director – Latin America
Jorge Moller is a sustainable tourism expert with nearly 40 years of leadership and hands-on experience in Chile and throughout Latin America. Currently, Jorge is the Director of Regenera ONG, which is a GSTC Training Partner that delivers training courses in Spanish online and in Latin America. Through Regenera, Jorge builds bridges with indigenous communities to create authentic experiences for tourists by sharing their culture and beliefs while generating income to sustain their way of life. Jorge has been involved with the GSTC since 2013, when he participated in the GSTC Early Adopter Program in Chile. He aslso served on the GSTC Board of Directors for a number of years. Jorge was instrumental in the cofounding and development of the South American Sustainable Tourism Network (SAST Network). Also co-founder of LACEN (Latin American and Caribbean Ecotourism Network) and on the board of GEN (Global Ecotourism Network). He regularly shares his expertise as trainer, consultant and speaker, lecturing on tourism and sustainable development in events throughout the region. Jorge is especially passionate about his work with the Mapuche and other indigenous peoples in Chile.
Contact Jorge at [email protected]
CB (Ram) Ramkumar
CB (Ram) Ramkumar, Program Director – South Asia
CB Ramkumar is a Member of the GSTC Board of Directors, Chair of the GSTC India Working Group, and was influential in the adoption in 2014 by the government of India of national sustainable tourism standards which drew heavily from the GSTC Criteria. Ram is an author, speaker, trainer, consultant, an entrepreneur and an expert in applied sustainability. He developed a model for sustainable living when he built the first 100% eco resort – Our Native Village in Bangalore, India. Over the last decade, he has extended his expertise to sustainable living – sustainable food, sustainable health, sustainable service, marketing & branding. Ram had been an advertising and marketing professional for two decades. His long career in the advertising & marketing took him to global companies like Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy & Mather, Publicis and Standard Chartered Bank.
Contact Ram at [email protected]
Kathleen Pittman
Kathleen Pittman, Program Director – Caribbean, and Special Projects
Kathleen Pittman is a leading technical expert on the application of the GSTC Criteria by businesses and government, supporting specific partnerships, special projects, and as a Destination Assessor and a GSTC Trainer. Kathleen is an attorney and international practitioner at the intersection of tourism and sustainable development. Kathleen especially enjoys working with partners devising strategies to deepen community benefits from tourism, including building capacity and market access for local entrepreneurs and other suppliers. Kathleen previously served as an attorney for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the law firm O’Melveny & Myers LLP. Before law school, Kathleen helped the Center for International Private Enterprise advance private sector development in Latin America & the Caribbean.
Contact Kathleen at [email protected]
Jackie Denman
Jackie Denman, Associate Technical Director
Jackie studied maths and geography at Cambridge University and has been an Associate of The Tourism Company since its inception in 1991. Jackie has a long held and special interest in the interface between people, place and the environment and has specialised in sustainable tourism and tourism in rural and protected areas. She has worked on destination management plans and on product development strategy and evaluation. She has co-authored publications for the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), IUCN and the Secretariat for the Convention on Biological Diversity. In 2009, Jackie was awarded with distinction an MSc in Sustainable Development (Environmental Management) with Imperial College, London; she is an Environmental Partner of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management.
Contact Jackie at [email protected]
Richard Denman
Richard Denman, Associate Technical Director
Richard is Director of The Tourism Company, a small specialist tourism consultancy based on the UK. Following a degree in Economics from Cambridge University and a doctorate based on tourism research, Richard worked for ten years as development and marketing director for the tourist board in central England. He has been a consultant since 1990 and has worked in over fifty countries. In 2005 he wrote the policy guide Making Tourism More Sustainable for UNEP and UNWTO, and has continued to work with them and a number of international agencies on sustainability issues, including the preparation of various good practice guides. Richard has worked at a local level with many destinations round the world and has a particular interest in tourism in protected areas. In 2009/10 he undertook the initial work on developing the accreditation process for the predecessor body to the GSTC. Richard is a former Board Director of The International Ecotourism Society and serves on the Advisory Committee of the Travel Foundation.
Contact Richard at [email protected]
David Andrés Ortegón-Martínez
David Andrés Ortegón-Martínez, Associate Technical Director
David’s experience on sustainability include his work as Sustainability Corporate Director at Karisma Hotels & Resorts in México, Jamaica and Dominican Republic, the development of the SM@RT Manager program, created to integrate Project Management, International Quality Standards (The Leading Hotels of the World – AAA) Innovation and CSR under a Sustainable approach into the daily operation of Hotels & Accommodations, and the development of the Sustainable Tourism Model for the State of Guanajuato, México. David is General Director and Owner of KAI Sustainable Coaching, a company based in México and Dominican Republic, created to assist tourism businesses in Latin America and The Caribbean to integrate Sustainability into their Management Systems and use it as a key element to optimize the use of its resources and its competitiveness on the market. David holds a Master on Leadership & Environmental Management from the UCI Costa Rica and an International Master in Local/Rural Development from the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
Contact David at [email protected]
Dr. So Young Lee
Dr. So Young Lee, Project Manager
Dr. So Young Lee has a passion for human behaviour against nature. Her master research on local community’s perception on protected areas and world heritage sites has led on to further research on qualitative assessments in development projects and sustainable management. With her Ph.D research on ‘Enhancing Interactive Innovation in the Rural Areas of Europe through Evaluation: Quantitative Network Analysis and Qualitative Self-Evaluation Tools’ she is interested in how stakeholders can bring in innovative solutions to their programs/projects through self-evaluation and qualitative assessments. At GSTC she is responsible for data inventory management, such as filing of successful case studies according to the GSTC criteria. She also supports other GSTC initiatives.
Contact So Young at [email protected]
Dr. Yoonjeong Jeong
Dr. Yoonjeong Jeong, Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Yoonjeong Jeong is a postdoctoral fellow at the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. She holds a Masters and PhD degree in Forest Environmental Science from Seoul National University. Her research focused on sustainable tourism and ecotourism. She has also conducted research on community-based tourism and tourism governance. Currently she is focusing on tourism big-data as well. She has actively participated in Korean government-funded research projects which are related to the aforementioned research areas. To date, she (co-)authored many refereed papers including the recent article about factors influencing community-based tourism in developing and developed countries.
Contact Yoonjeong at [email protected]
Rita Kuan
Rita Kuan, Market Access Manager
Based in Taipei, Taiwan, Rita has a passion for working on cross-cutting solutions aimed at promoting sustainable tourism. Rita held various positions across tourism to sustainability consultancy, from guest relations, marketing, business development to ESG risk advisory. Rita holds a master’s degree in Global Hospitality Business from Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, and a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from Fu Jen University in Taiwan. In her role with GSTC, she is responsible for developing market access benefits to Certified Businesses, liaising with Accredited Certification Bodies(CBs), advise and support key stakeholders, and more.
Contact Rita at [email protected]
Soohyun Kwon
Dr. Soohyun Kwon, GSTC Asia Market Development Manager
Dr.Kwon studied national parks and rural tourism at Seoul National University in Korea and received a master’s degree and a doctorate from the University of Tokyo in Japan through the analysis of the social network of rural tourism stakeholders as a recipient The Korean Government Scholarship Program for Study Overseas. She has been engaged in government policy research projects on rural development, rural revitalization, forestry, mountain village revitalization, rural tourism, ecotourism, and international cooperation, etc. She also lectures at universities.
Contact Soohyun at [email protected]
Öykü Öztürk
Öykü Öztürk, Assurance Analyst
Öykü works as an Assurance Analyst at GSTC. She is an experienced professional with a background in sustainability reporting and sustainability frameworks, indices. She hold a Bachelor’s degree in Tourism Administration and a Master’s degree in Environmental Science from Boğaziçi University, specializing in environmental policies and sustainable tourism. Her career has been dedicated to bridging the gap between tourism and sustainability. She is passionate about driving positive change within the industry through her work in sustainability auditing and ongoing training in sustainable tourism practices. With a deep belief in the vital role of sustainability in the tourism sector, she is committed to applying her knowledge and expertise to create a more sustainable and responsible future for the industry and our planet.
Contact Öyük at [email protected]
Mustafa Söğüt
Mustafa Söğüt, Accreditation Coordinator
Mustafa Söğüt is the Accreditation Coordinator at GSTC. His role at GSTC is to support the execution of accreditation activities and Turkiye’s Sustainable Tourism Program by monitoring the GSTC-Accredited certification bodies’ activities and certified hotels.
Mustafa is an experienced sustainable tourism auditor who worked for ten years in the industry, which provided the opportunity to see onsite sustainability tourism implementation and sustainability efforts.
Mustafa holds two university degrees. The first one is Chemistry, where he worked for 13 years in a laboratory as a chemist. Public Relations is the second one, where he lectured on effective communication skills in private training. He is an MSc Student working on a thesis about Sustainable Tourism in Tourism Management at Akdeniz University. He has a GSTC Hotel Auditor Certificate, ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor, Pedagogical Education Certificate, and Occupational Health and Safety Expertise. He is also a committee member and examiner at the ALTSO (Alanya Chamber of Commerce and Industry) VOC-TEST Center. This center aims to gain professional qualifications and occupational certificates for Hotel Employees. Mustafa is currently based in Antalya, Türkiye.
Contact Mustafa at [email protected]
Joonsik Son
Joonsik Son, Assurance Planning Coordinator
Joonsik Son is an Assurance Planning Coordinator at GSTC. His responsibilities include operating the GSTC Assurance program, Auditor training, and overall communication and coordination with Certification Bodies & relevant stakeholders in this regard. Prior to joining GSTC, he earned his expertise in marketing communication through several years of experience as a brand marketer for a company specializing in locally inspired tourism souvenirs and as a creative copywriter at a comprehensive advertising agency. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature and has authored literary travel essays that achieved monthly bestsellers in a regional branch of Kyobo Bookstore. With this diverse experience and skills at his disposal, he is eager to make a meaningful contribution to GSTC’s mission of promoting sustainability within the global tourism industry.
Contact Joonsik at [email protected]