February-March 2017, Bangkok, Thailand, and Dalfsen, The Netherlands – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) had conducted a training to Control Union (CU) auditors. This is to ensure CU’s auditors obtain the required knowledge of the tourism sector in general and the GSTC Criteria and indicators in particular.
The training sessions took place in Bangkok, Thailand (20-23 February) and Dalfsen, The Netherlands (28 February – 3 March) and were tailored to the specific needs of CU by combining theoretical knowledge with practical exercises. The latter included an on-site mock audit at several hotels.
In total, 39 CU auditors participated in the training, representing CU offices in Hong Kong, Korea, Cambodia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Italy, Turkey, Bulgaria, Germany, The Netherlands, UK, Israel, France, US, Argentina, Brazil, and Peru.
The trained CU auditors need to complete an exam after the training, in order to become qualified as a CU auditor of the GSTC Criteria. The GSTC training is only one of the qualification requirements auditors need to become qualified. Additionally, they need to complete an IRCA recognized Lead Auditor course, demonstrate ability to execute an audit according to ISO19011 requirements, follow ISO17065 requirements regarding impartiality and avoidance of conflict of interest, amongst others.
