Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Directorate of Tourism has joined as a Member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Positioned at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Istanbul is nestled in the northwestern corner of Türkiye. With its iconic architecture and historic Byzantine and Ottoman heritage, its pristine Bosporus waterfront, and a fusion of diverse [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) invites you to provide input in the creation of the GSTC MICE Criteria covering Venues, Event Organizers and Events/Exhibitions. The GSTC Criteria operate as the universal foundation for sustainability standards in travel and tourism. It has been meticulously established through a comprehensive global effort to introduce a universally [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) is pleased to announce that the Green Hospitality Platinum Award Criteria has gained GSTC-Recognized status, meaning it has been fully recognized as equivalent to the GSTC Industry Criteria. Green Hospitality’s Awards Programme is designed as a Step-by-Step approach allowing businesses to implement the required criteria at their own [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) is pleased to announce that Ecostars Standard has gained GSTC-Recognized status, meaning the standard has been recognized as an equivalent standard to the GSTC Industry Criteria. Ecostars is a hotel-specific sustainability program that awards eco-stars based on a hotel's environmental impact per stay. Ecostars is relevant for both [...]
Nicky Guerrero, Secretary General of MedCruise - Ioannis Pappas, GSTC - Figen Ayan, President of MedCruise - Giancarlo Tereisi, Sicily Region - Sascha Gill, CLIA The 1st BlueMissionMed Mediterranean Stakeholder Forum took place in Palermo, Italy from 29th to 30th May, along with representatives from GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) and CLIA [...]
Figen Ayan, President of MedCruise and Dr Ioannis Pappas, GSTC Director for Mediterranean Region Today, the Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports (MedCruise) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), have signed a long-term agreement of collaboration on the contribution of Sustainable Development in Global Cruise Industry, focusing on Ports and Cruise Supply [...]
As climate-related disasters ramp up, how can travelers minimize the harms and maximize the benefits they bring to recovering destinations? Photo credit: Gabriel Lugo Professional bird guide Gabriel Lugo was looking forward to another busy season of tours when Hurricane Maria slammed into Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017. The Category 4 [...]
Destination Québec cité has joined as a Member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Quebec City is Located in Eastern Canada. Old Québec, is a UNESCO World Heritage treasure, where you can stroll the cobblestone streets of the only fortified city north of Mexico and explore its gorgeous outdoors nearby. Home to a [...]
GSTC2023 Conference in Antalya, Türkiye, Concluded with 350 delegates from 51 countries The #GSTC2023 Global Sustainable Tourism Conference that took place on May 9th-12th in Antalya, Türkiye, brought together 350 delegates from 51 countries, along with hundreds of viewers that watched the live broadcasting of the conference. The conference was held at the Nirvana [...]
Austrian National Tourist Office has joined as a Member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Nestled in the heart of Europe, Austria possesses a unique blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage that has shaped its identity over the centuries. The nation's diverse geography spans from the imposing Alpine peaks to the rolling [...]
On the 25th of April, we had a public GSTC DEI Webinar where we discussed best practices in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and Travel Unity’s DEI Standards for Visitor-Facing Organizations, which center on three Pillars: Management & Workforce, Visitorship, and Community Impact. The webinar was moderated by Roni Weiss, Executive Director of Travel [...]
easyJet holidays has partnered with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) to accelerate sustainability transformation in the industry by sponsoring three GSTC Sustainable Tourism Courses for its hotel partners in Spain, Greece and Turkey. The partnership comes as a result of easyJet holidays’ commitment to supporting hotel partners to achieve GSTC-Recognized Standards within the [...]
On May 14, 2023, the first official meeting of the GSTC Italy Working Group took place online. Comprising 13 members from Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), Consultancy and Travel Agencies, the group convened to establish its goals, priorities, and action plan for the year. Several key objectives emerged as top priorities during the discussions. These included [...]
Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory in Clackamas County has joined as a Member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory, the Destination Organization (DMO) for Clackamas County, is located southeast of Portland. This region starts at the eternally snowy peak of Mt. Hood, spills into the farms and vineyards of the [...]
Belize Tourism Board has joined as a Member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) is a statutory body within the Ministry of Tourism that functions as a strategic partner between government and the private sector to develop, market and implement tourism programs that fulfill the emerging needs of [...]
Tainan City Government Tourism Bureau sponsored the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training for DMO’s staff and government stakeholders in Tainan, Taiwan. The two-day training in Chinese was held from April 18th to 19th, 2023. The training was led by GSTC Trainer, Ms. Monique Chen, GSTC Trainer, Co-founder & Chair of Sustainable Travel Taiwan, and guest [...]
Cost vs Conscience: Booking.com Delves into the Dilemma Dividing Sustainable Travel in 2023 76% of travellers express a desire to travel more sustainably Environmentally-conscious habits are growing in popularity 67% turn off air conditioning when not in use, driven in part by cost reduction needs 60% reuse towels for similar reasons 500,000+ accommodations globally [...]
Municipality of Baião has joined as a Member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Baião is situated in the Norte region of Portugal, nestled between the Douro River and Serra do Marão mountain range. Baião's history dates back to prehistoric times, with numerous archeological findings and historical landmarks throughout the region. It is [...]
The successful completion of the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Course in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is an important milestone in the efforts towards promoting sustainable tourism practices in the region. The course, which ran from April 4-6, 2023, was sponsored by Traveloka, a leading travel and lifestyle platform. The training was led by Nalendra Mochamad. He [...]
Höga Kusten Destinationsutveckling AB (The High Coast of Sweden) has joined as a Member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Sweden's High Coast is in the northern part of Europe neighboring Norway and the Gulf of Bothnia. The High Coast is a UNESCO World Heritage site, boasting the highest coastline in the world at [...]
