January 20, 2015 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce that the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism’s Green Star Hotel program has achieved ‘GSTC Recognized’ status. The awarded status affirms Green Star Hotel’s commitment to promote sustainable tourism products and services.
Green Star Hotel is a national certification and capacity building program developed under the patronage of the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism to support hotels and resorts interested in improving their environmental performance and social standards. This customized certification distinguishes hotels that demonstrate sustainable environmental management through compliance with a carefully designed standard. Currently 53 hotels in 11 destinations throughout Egypt are GSH certified. Thirteen additional hotels are currently in the final audit cycle to be certified.
“Green transformation is a journey and not a project! The Green Star Hotel certification is part of our national vision to green the tourism sector. It distinguishes those who invest efforts and resources to sustain Egypt’s natural wealth and assets. We are proud to be recognized by GSTC. GSH is unique because it was developed specifically for Egypt, yet became internationally recognized”, stated Emad Hassan, Minister’s Advisor for the Egypt Ministry of Tourism.
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.
“Gaining GSTC Recognition signals to all the world that Egypt’s Green Star Hotel program adheres to the international standards embedded in the GSTC Criteria. We congratulate the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism for taking this important step,” said GSTC CEO Randy Durband.
To date, 22 standards including the Green Star Hotel standard have become GSTC-Recognized. The completion of these step-wise programs rewards standard owners for their commitment to sustainability while offering the market benefit of proof that these national standards adhere to international norms.
The GSTC will continue to work with organizations around the world to provide GSTC Recognition, Approval & 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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