GetYourGuide has officially joined as a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
GetYourGuide, one of the world’s leading tours and activities booking platforms for unforgettable experiences, today joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), reaffirming its commitment to learning more about sustainability in the experiences industry. Through this membership, GetYourGuide will work with the GSTC to contribute to their work in promoting sustainability principles in the wider tourism industry, as they continue to determine their long-term sustainability goals as a company.
Since GetYourGuide’s founding in 2009, travelers from over 170 countries have booked more than 45 million tours, activities and attraction tickets through the website and app. Powered by a global team of over 550 travel experts and technologists, the company is headquartered in Berlin, Germany and has offices in 15 countries around the world.
Jean-Gabriel Duveau, VP Brand at GetYourGuide said: “We are early in our sustainability journey, but are very happy to join GSTC on this journey with the goal of protecting the world for future generations of explorers. Through our membership with GSTC, we will have access to an incredible network of experts and industry leaders from whom we can learn and with whom we can collaborate on our next steps.”
GetYourGuide Eco-badge
In 2019, GetYourGuide began highlighting tours and activities by sustainable tour operators with an “eco-badge”. This makes it easier to find travel options that have a positive impact on the places we travel.
The activities that receive the badge have been vetted by third-party sustainability certification agencies using a GSTC-recognized standard or directly using the GSTC Criteria to evaluate which tour providers meet global standards for sustainability.
“At GetYourGuide, we constantly look for ways to help travelers find the best experience that meets their preferences and motivations,” says Mathis Boldt, GetYourGuide VP of Sales and Supply. “By highlighting activities and attractions that meet GSTC Criteria and other sustainability standards, increasingly sustainability-aware travelers can easily find the best options, while also encouraging our suppliers to operate to those standards.”
GSTC Welcomes GetYourGuide
“GetYourGuide sets a good example for the sector as they formally utilize the GSTC framework to make it easier for their clients to identify sustainable tour operators,” says Roi Ariel, GSTC General Manager. “As a prominent tours and activities OTA, GetYourGuide’s program not only helps its users, but also influences its suppliers and inspires others to follow lead.”
“GSTC is very pleased to welcome GetYourGuide into our network of policy-makers and businesses striving to work systematically and holistically on more sustainable forms of tourism,” says Randy Durband, GSTC CEO.
GSTC Criteria
The GSTC Criteria were created in an effort to build a common understanding of sustainable tourism between tour operators and travelers, setting a minimum standard that businesses should aspire to reach.
GSTC hosts regular courses to help inform tour operators and others in the tourism industry about best practices and viable policies for sustainable tourism. Registration is open for the next course from Jan 20 – Feb 18, 2022, which includes live sessions convenient for people in the Americas, Europe, and Africa. More courses are scheduled for 2022.
About GetYourGuide
GetYourGuide is the booking platform for unforgettable travel experiences. Travelers use GetYourGuide to discover the best things to do in a destination — including walking tours by top local experts, local culinary tours, cooking and craft classes, skip-the-line tickets to the world’s most iconic attractions, bucket-list experiences and niche offerings you won’t find anywhere else. Since its founding in 2009, travelers from over 170 countries have booked more than 45 million tours, activities and attraction tickets through GetYourGuide. Powered by a global team of over 550 travel experts and technologists, the company is headquartered in Berlin, Germany and has offices in 15 countries around the world.
About the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is a nonprofit organization created jointly by United Nations agencies and prominent conservation organizations to establish and manage global standards for sustainability in travel and tourism, known as the GSTC Criteria. The Criteria are used for education and awareness-raising, policy-making for businesses and government agencies and other organization types, measurement and evaluation, and as a basis for certifications. They are the result of a worldwide effort to develop a common language about sustainability in tourism.
As the global authority on quality sustainable tourism standards, the GSTC engages with a worldwide network of members – from leading tour operators and international hospitality brands to government organizations and national tourism boards. Along with other leading sustainability schemes, GSTC is an ISEAL Community Member.
