Attendees of the 2015 GSTC AGM September 17th, 2015 - The GSTC 2015 Annual General Meeting was held September 10-13 in Huangshan, China. Participants from fourteen countries attended the event hosted by GSTC and the Huangshan Administrative Committee (HSAC) which manages the Mount Huangshan World Heritage site. The three-day dynamic event offered workshops [...]
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 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 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 [...]
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 [...]
The Responsible Tourism Institute (ITR) hosted the GSTC Destinations Community Summit on November 20-21, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. This 2-day event was open to destinations certified under a GSTC-Approved standard, destinations that have undergone a GSTC sustainability assessment, destinations currently in the process of certification and destinations that have formally expressed their [...]
The IUCN World Parks Congress (WPC) is the most influential gathering of world leaders to discuss protected areas management. It takes place every 10 years and the last one was held between November 12 – 19, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. In between sessions, The Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group [...]
The 12th annual meeting of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, Conference of the Parties (CBD COP12) just concluded in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea. During this 11-day event, many government authorities, world leaders and professionals of various fields shared common vision and adopted the strategic framework for capacity building agreeing to enhance public awareness [...]
Washington, D.C. (October 7, 2014) Randy Durband, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), presented at the International Conference on Community Development (ICCDT), PATA Youth Symposium, and PATA Travel Mart held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from September 16-19, 2014. The events were organized by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the Ministry [...]
The Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) and Visit Mexico will host the ATMEX Summit August 22-29 in Chiapas, Mexico. The summit will explore Mexico’s adventure travel offerings and provide opportunities for long-term business partnerships. According to the hosts, the goal of the event is “to inspire operators in Mexico to continue to pursue adventure travel [...]
The Ibero-American Forum in Sustainable Tourism (FITS) will be held from October 14 to 17, 2014 in Cajon del Maipo, right outside Chile’s capital. This edition of the Forum FITS will focus on entrepreneurship and aims to provide a platform to meet and exchange knowledge on sustainable tourism in the region. During the 4-day event, [...]
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 21, 2014) – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) conducted its Early Adopter program from 2012 through early 2014. During the program, a diverse group of fourteen forward-thinking destinations worldwide pilot tested the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destinations. Each Early Adopter underwent a baseline destination sustainability [...]
Dr. Dirk Glaesser has joined the GSTC Board of Directors. Dr Dirk Glaesser is the Director for the Sustainable Development Programme of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Along with UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme, UNWTO maintains a permanent seat on the GSTC Board of Directors. As of June 1st 2014, Dirk assumed that [...]
Mexican coastline destination adopts criteria and indicators for sustainable tourism WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 1st, 2014) – One of Mexico’s iconic tourism destinations, the Riviera Maya in the State of Quintana Roo, has become the first destination on the Mexican Caribbean coast to complete the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC) Early [...]
Since the late 1990s, Samoa has held a pivotal leadership role in Sustainable Tourism practices and the Early Adopter Program provided the destination with an opportunity to benchmark its performance in the international context. The Independent State of Samoa is made up of 10 islands in the Polynesia, covering a total area of 2,831 square-kilometers. Remarkably beautiful, [...]
First destination in the South Pacific Region to adopt criteria and indicators for sustainable tourism WASHINGTON, D.C. (March, 2014)– Samoa is the first South Pacific destination to complete the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC) Early AdopterProgram and the second destination in the world to do so at the national level. Since the late 1990s, Samoa [...]
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 21, 2014) - The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Randy Durband as its new Chief Executive Officer. Durband assumes executive responsibilities effective immediately. “Randy is a charismatic and dynamic leader who brings tremendous experience in the travel industry," said GSTC Board Chair Kelly Bricker [...]
Mexican biosphere reserve Sierra Gorda adopts baseline criteria and indicators for sustainable tourism March 11, 2013 – Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve in Mexico is the first Central American destination to complete the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC) GSTC Early Adopters Program to test its new Criteria and Indicators for Destinations, under the scope of the [...]
Earlier in February, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) in partnership with Sustainable Travel International hosted a live virtual educational presentation with over 300 registrations from around the world. The webinar was presented by Dr. Kelly Bricker, Chair of the GSTC Board, as well as Dr. Louise Twining-Ward and Jeremy Sampson from Sustainable Travel International. Some of [...]
