To support companies in their quest for sustainable business travel, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), BCD Travel China, and Colorful Earth have entered a partnership for 2024. In a collaborative effort, the partners are set to unveil the «Sustainable Business Travel Strategy Guide» along with a suite of training programs targeted at corporate clients, their travel managers, and sustainability professionals.
Amidst the rise of virtual communication and video conferencing, the importance of business travel prevails. Face-to-face interactions remain an essential tool for trust-building, collaborations, and partnerships. Nevertheless, the environmental impact of business travel, including carbon emissions and water resource consumption in transportation and accommodation cannot be overlooked. With the pressing issues of escalating global climate change and biodiversity depletion, the need for sustainable business travel is critical. The main challenge facing the business travel industry is how companies can effectively reduce adverse impacts while amplifying positive contributions throughout their business travel.
The objective of the partnership between GSTC, BCD, and Colorful Earth is to aid businesses in crafting corporate travel strategies that are both scientifically sound and sustainable in a holistic way. This initiative is geared towards enhancing the ability to measure and control potential environmental and social impacts linked to business travel, empowering companies to make informed and responsible travel decisions. The partnership could also play an important role in achieving corporate ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) goals.
«This collaboration serves as a notable illustration of the outcomes possible when organizations with shared values join forces towards a meaningful goal. Together, we are not just participants but active shapers of the future of corporate travel, blending responsibility with innovation to forge a new path in the industry.
The necessity of this guide is more vital now than ever, providing a starting point for companies worldwide to navigate the complexities of sustainable business travel, ensuring a more environmentally conscious and responsible approach to business journeys» says Randy Durband, CEO of GSTC.
«We share a vision that travel should not only be about reaching destinations but also about preserving them for future generations,” says Jonathan Kao, Managing Director for BCD Travel North Asia, “We believe that our joint efforts with GSTC and Colorful Earth will inspire and enable companies operating in China to meet their ESG goals by adhering to the utmost standards of environmental stewardship and social responsibility.»
“Colorful Earth is the training partner of GSTC in China. Our joint mission to champion sustainable transformation within the tourism sector has found a strong ally in BCD,” says Koko Tang, Founder of Colorful Earth and Board Member of GSTC. “We’re excited to this collaboration leveraging our combined strengths to establish sustainable business travel as a standard practice. With GSTC’s support, and BCD’s proficiency in delivering comprehensive travel management solutions, I see the great potentials for a meaningful and positive impact.”
The travel guide and training programs are expected to be available in the second half of 2024.
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/
About BCD Travel
BCD Travel helps companies travel smart and achieve more. We drive program adoption, cost savings and talent retention through digital experiences that simplify business travel. Our 13,000 dedicated team members service clients in 170+ countries as we shape a sustainable future for business travel. For more information, visit www.bcdtravel.com
About BCD Group
BCD Group is a market leader in the travel industry. The privately owned company was founded in 1975 by John Fentener van Vlissingen and consists of BCD Travel, its subsidiaries BCD Meetings & Events and Advito, and Park ‘N Fly. For more information, visit www.bcdgroup.com
About Colorful Earth
Founded in 2022, Colorful Earth focuses on sustainable tourism, biodiversity, and issues of diversity, equality, and inclusion. With a robust international network of experts, Colorful Earth is committed to disseminating knowledge related to sustainability and providing enterprises with systematic services for sustainable transformation, including but not limited to assessment, strategy development, and capacity building. Additionally, Colorful Earth serves as the training partner for the GSTC in China, as well as the secretariat for the Pollinator Protectors Alliance (PPA) and the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Division of the Enterprise Financial Management Association of China.
