Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report: majority of global travelers stating that they want to travel sustainably Green travel trend continues to gain momentum, according to the global Sustainable Travel Report by Booking.com, with a large majority of global travelers (87%) stating that they want to travel sustainably, and nearly four in 10 (39%) confirming that they often [...]
GSTC in Thailand: Sustainable Tourism Development towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destination (GSTC-D) A seminar on the theme 'Sustainable Tourism Development towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destination (GSTC-D)' was delivered to the Thai Ministry of Tourism on 10 April 2018 in Bangkok. The [...]
The GSTC is pleased to announce that Fair Travel, led by Jeppe Klockareson (GSTC Country Representative for Sweden), as a new Training Partner for the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program (STTP). The GSTC works with Training Partners in various regions and destinations that support the GSTC’s mission to increase sustainable tourism knowledge and practice [...]
The GSTC, in partnership with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), offered a 3-day intensive and interactive training program from 26-28 March 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. The training was attended by 30 industry professionals from Thailand and Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar, Indonesia) and beyond. Based on the GSTC Criteria, the global baseline [...]
From 19-23 March 2018, GSTC Training Partner Botswana Tourism Organization (BTO) conducted a training class of the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program (STTP), engaging 17 participants representing various units of BTO, including Ecotoursim Officers (Quality Services Department), Environment & Safety Officer (Environment & Eco-certification Division) and Grading Officers (Grading Division). The training class was [...]
Research recommends the European Commission (EC) to promote GSTC recognition of standards and accreditation of certification schemes The "Research for TRAN Committee - European Tourism Labelling by European Parliament Think Tank" focuses on the current situation in the European Union regarding quality and sustainability labelling in tourism. There is concern that the existing volume and variety [...]
GSTC Philippines National Forum on Sustainable Tourism Standards & Development Held in Boracay Island, Philippines The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) together with the Society for Sustainable Tourism & Development Inc. (SSTDI) and LEADimpact Asia, presented the GSTC - The Philippines National Forum last March 15-16, 2018, in the highly controversial Boracay Island, Philippines. The Forum [...]
The Difference Between Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Many confuse between the terms “Ecotourism”, “Sustainable Tourism”, and “Responsible Travel”, so here's a simple explanation on the differences. Ecotourism is a niche segment of tourism in natural areas. Sustainable Tourism does not refer to a specific type of tourism, it is an aspiration for the impacts [...]
What is Sustainable Tourism? There are many terms that float around that may sound similar but actually refer to something distinct. Definition of Sustainable Tourism Sustainable Tourism refers to sustainable practices in and by the tourism industry. It is an aspiration to acknowledge all impacts of tourism, both positive and negative. It aims to [...]
GSTC Destination Assessment Opening and closing workshops in Ohrid The objective of any assessment is to see the destinations’ present status and to create a strategic plan for improvement in order for the destination to become more sustainable. The assessment is based on the GSTC Destination Criteria, focusing on these four pillars: [...]
Introducing GSTC to Tourism Students of Ming Chuan University, Taiwan On 15 March 2018, GSTC General Manager, Mr. Roi Ariel, introduced the GSTC to international tourism students at Ming Chuan University in Taiwan. After learning of the GSTC and the importance of global sustainability standards, the students practiced identifying businesses (accommodations and tour operators) that [...]
ECOTRANS celebrates 25 years of sustainable development collaboration at ITB2018 Over 100 experts attended the 25th year of the Ecotrans European Network for Sustainable Tourism Development event "The SDGs2030: Fairytale or fairy tale ending?" at ITB on 8th March 2018. The presentation addressed the issue of how to ensure that the SDGs are not a fairy tale [...]
Travelife Certified Awards Handed Out to Tour Operators from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe at ITB 2018 March 8, 2018, Berlin. At ITB 2018, Randy Durband, GSTC CEO, joined Naut Kusters, Travelife Manager for Tour Operators, in presenting the Travelife Certified awards to 4 tour operator from Suriname, Madagascar, and Nepal. These companies comply [...]
ITB Berlin and Green Destinations unveiled their "World’s Top 10 Sustainable Destinations" at the end of ITB's Opening day, March 7. From 100 top-sustainable destinations, 32 finalists had first been selected by a Jury representing 12 international organizations. Dawson Ramsden, Ecotourism Marketing Executive – Botswana Tourism Organisation; interviewed by Valere Tjolle - TravelMole Vision on [...]
The GSTC Destination Criteria has been translated into Italian and is available to download in the Criteria Translations section. I Criteri di destinazione GSTC sono stati tradotti in italiano e sono disponibili per il download nella sezione traduzione dei Criteri
March 6, 2018 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce that the Actively Green standard has achieved the ‘GSTC-Recognized Standard’ status. The Actively Green standard is the core component used in the Actively Green Sustainable Business Training and Certification Program. It was launched as an innovative legacy initiative of the 2015 [...]
GSTC Contributes to the Portfolio of One Planet - Sustainable Tourism (10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production - 10YFP) The Portfolio of Work is a tool to include new and ongoing initiatives and activities under the umbrella of the network, given their potential to advance sustainable consumption and production (SCP) in the tourism [...]
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) announces the appointment of Mr. Felipe Beltran as its Country Representative in the Dominican Republic. GSTC Country Representatives play a valuable role, serving as the “eyes and ears” and in many ways the voices of GSTC in their respective countries or regions. “Felipe Beltran first joined the GSTC as a [...]
On 28th February 2018, the Sustainable Tourism Seminar was held in Tokyo: "A Look Back 2017 at the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development and A Look Forward to expanding the GSTC in Japan." The seminar was hosted by Ecotourism Japan (part of Asian Ecotourism Network: AEN) and sponsored by Japan Travel and Tourism [...]
"Think carefully about where to stay. Look for leading eco certification badges, such as the non-profit Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Denmark’s Green Key program now operates in 56 countries (France has the most awarded sites), while Los Angeles-based Green Globe measures businesses in 90 countries against 44 criteria. Beware TripAdvisor’s GreenLeaders program, though; it’s a self-reporting system that gives hotels [...]
