The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) announces the appointment of Mr. Guy Chester as its new Technical Director. The position includes responsibility for managing the GSTC’s vital role in setting and disseminating its global baseline standards for sustainability in the travel and tourism industry.
Two sets of standards, one for destinations and the other for hotels and tour operators, are collectively known as the GSTC Criteria. The GSTC Criteria provide an essential tool for public and private entities in assessing their sustainability standards. The GSTC plans to expand the famous and globally-applied Criteria into greater relevance for more subsectors of the travel industry.
“Guy Chester is uniquely qualified based on his long and deep experience in making sustainable tourism activities more accountable, measurable, and actionable” says GSTC CEO Randy Durband. “We are delighted to have him lead our important work in sustainability standards development and application. We wish to thank his predecessor, Amos Bien, for his long and tireless contributions from the beginnings of the GSTC to the present.”
Amos Bien remains with the organization in the role of Associate Technical Director, shared by Kathleen Pessolano who also serves as Director of Destination Programs.
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.
