March 17, 2015 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce that the EarthCheck Destination Standard has achieved ‘GSTC Recognized’ status. The awarded status affirms EarthCheck’s commitment to promote sustainable tourism products and services worldwide.
EarthCheck is an international environmental management and professional services group, which was established in 1987. EarthCheck products and services are used by all sectors of the travel and tourism industry across the world to guide their broader sustainability and corporate social responsibility initiatives. This includes guidance and advice on the design, construction and operation of tourism infrastructure. EarthCheck has access to world leading research, science and technology, providing a strong foundation to address the economic, social and environmental sustainability challenges facing the planet. Over the past 25 years, EarthCheck has delivered tailor-made and market-driven tourism solutions to destination, government, business and community clients. www.earthcheck.org
GSTC-Recognized means that a sustainable tourism standard has been reviewed by GSTC technical experts and the GSTC Accreditation Panel in order to be 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.
To date, two standards including the EarthCheck Destination Standard have become GSTC-Recognized for destination-level certification. The recognition of these programs rewards the standard owners for their commitment to sustainability, while offering the market benefit of proof that these standards are aligned to international criteria.
The GSTC will continue to work with organizations around the world to provide GSTC Recognition, Approval and Accreditation of standards for sustainability in travel and tourism. GSTC Recognized standard owners are encouraged to complete the Approval and Accreditation processes in order to achieve improvements in their sustainability frameworks, further distinction amongst other certification programs, and receive increased market benefits.
Learn more about GSTC Recognition
About the GSTC
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is a global initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism efforts around the world. The GSTC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit that works to expand understanding of and access to sustainable tourism practices; helps identify and generate markets for sustainable tourism; and educates about and advocates for a set of universal principles, as defined by the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria. The Criteria, a set of voluntary principles that provide a framework for the sustainability of tourism businesses across the globe, is the cornerstone of our initiative. For more information, visit www.gstcouncil.org.
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