Big Red Group has joined as a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)
Australia and New Zealand’s largest experience marketplace, Big Red Group, has joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), supporting its efforts to protect the natural environments, cultural diversity and heritage they showcase through the experience marketplace. Home to brands including RedBalloon, Adrenaline, Experience Oz and Experience Oz Local Agent, the group enables more than 14,000 experiences, in partnership with over 3,500 experience partners. Since its inception in 2017, the group has served over 4.5M experiences.
Driving a Sustainable Experience Economy
Big Red Group is committed to uniting a very diverse industry around sustainability. With more than 140 different types of businesses represented on its platforms, from cultural tours to theme parks, and hot air balloons to glamping, there is a broad range of challenges and opportunities. Understanding the full impact of these experiences from a climate, biodiversity, social and cultural perspective is top of the agenda for the organisation, and more widely, a fast-emerging customer expectation.
In partnership with Eco Tourism Australia and Tourism Australia, Big Red Group will encourage its experience partners to participate in the Strive for Sustainability Scorecard developed by Eco Tourism Australia, based on the GSTC Industry Criteria, and undertake the newly introduced Sustainability Certification. These initiatives will set the basis for how customers interact and engage with sustainable experiences, providing badges, signposting, and information to make an informed choice.
In addition, Big Red Group has several exciting projects underway as part of its sustainability agenda, covering accessibility and inclusion in the experience industry, and plans to address how it plays a greater role destination stewardship, particularly around the Great Barrier Reef where it sends a significant number of travellers.
Jemma Fastnedge, Chief Sustainability Officer commented, “Being part of the GSTC provides us with ongoing connection to a global framework and network of professionals who are looking to solve the same challenges. We are really motivated to be part of it, and to learn, share and work together to ensure the industry we all love stays protected and respected for our future generations to enjoy.”
GSTC Welcomes Big Red Group
“We are very pleased to welcome Big Red Group to the GSTC and applaud their commitment to sustainability in the experience marketplace,” said Randy Durband, GSTC CEO.
About Big Red Group
At Big Red Group, we shift the way people experience life for good, delivering millions of moments of joy through our powerhouse of experience brands.
As the largest experience marketplace in Australia and New Zealand, we lead and grow the experience economy through our scale, expert marketing, state-of-the-art tech platforms, industry alliances and partnerships.
In addition to our experience market places we also provide a range of B2B Products and Services via our BRG Solutions division to support and enable our experience partners growth and direct businesses.
Our mission is to champion the experience economy and enable an experience every 30 seconds.
About the GSTC
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) establishes and manages global sustainable standards, known as the GSTC Criteria. There are two sets: Destination Criteria for public policy-makers and destination managers, and Industry Criteria for hotels and tour operators. These are the guiding principles and minimum requirements that any tourism business or destination should aspire to reach in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for conservation and poverty alleviation.
The GSTC Criteria form the foundation for GSTC’s assurance role for Certification Bodies that certify hotels/accommodations, tour operators, and destinations as having sustainable policies and practices in place. GSTC does not directly certify any products or services, but provides accreditation to those that do. The GSTC is an independent and neutral USA-registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that represents a diverse and global membership, including national and provincial governments, leading travel companies, hotels, tour operators, NGOs, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism.
Information for media and the press: www.gstcouncil.org/about/for-the-press/
