WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 8, 2013) – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce a partner association with the Global Travel & Tourism Partnership (GTTP), anindustry philanthropic initiative to teach students about careers in travel and tourism in more than 5,600 schools in 11 countries. GTTP Executive Director Nancy Needham and GSTC CEO Mauro Marrocu formalized the alliance through a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last month.

According to the MoU, the two organizations will establish a working relationship and collaborate on projects for a period of two years. The agreement details the partners’ joint advocacy and mutual support of the GSTC’s mission to promote sustainable tourism development and the GTTP’s mission to educate secondary school students on career opportunities in travel and tourism.

Among the various collaborative efforts currently being planned, the GSTC will endorse GTTP curricular materials and GSTC members will have an opportunity to mentor GTTP students about sustainability practices in the travel and tourism industry. GTTP will endorse the mission of the GSTC and reference its Global Sustainable Tourism Criteriain GTTP curricular materials. The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria are recognized and endorsed by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which are Permanent Members of the Board of Directors of the GSTC.

“This is an exciting time for the GSTC and the future of our industry,” GSTC CEO Mauro Marrocu said. “The creation of a knowledge network, and the promotion of education and training initiatives in sustainable tourism worldwide are a fundamental part of our efforts. We see this new cooperation as a milestone because the GTTP provides a unique opportunity to teach sustainability values and practices to future generations,” he said.

“Sharing the GSTC’s vision of building an international understanding of sustainable tourism standards, the GTTP encourages students to apply critical thinking about the positive impact and application of these principles both in their home countries and globally.” Nancy Needham, executive director of GTTP said. “The collaboration of the GSTC will be extremely valuable in enhancing our education of sustainable tourism via our Passport to the World program for over 450,000 students as year, as well as our teacher training programs and student mentoring initiatives,” she said.

Representative GTTP advisory board members echoed Needham’s enthusiasm for the new partnership.

“The travel and tourism industry has been at the forefront promoting sustainability and we are pleased that GTTP students will now have access to GSTC’s expertise in this area,” said Ingrid Eras-Magdalena, chair of the GTTP Advisory Board and vice president of People Development and Staffing at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, EAME.

“The sustainability of travel and tourism depends on attracting young people to careers in our industry.” Gordon Wilson, CEO, Travelport said. “This new initiative will further enhance both our organizations’ efforts and will introduce more resources on sustainable tourism to our students,” he said.  

About GSTC

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council is a global initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism efforts around the world. The GSTC works to expand understanding of and access to sustainable tourism practices; helps identify and generate markets for sustainable tourism; 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, are the keystone of this initiative. For more information visit www.gstcouncil.org.

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About GTTP

The Global Travel and Tourism Partnershipis an industry philanthropic initiative to foster future talent and tackle the global skills shortage. The GTTP educates secondary school students about careers in Travel & Tourism at a time when they are making career and education choices. The GTTP works in 11 countries in Europe, Africa, East Asia, and North and South America. It serves some 450,000 students in more than 5,600 schools. For more about GTTP visit http://www.gttp.orgor Facebook.