The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) is pleased to announce that the Travelife Ltd revised standard for accommodation providers has gained GSTC-Recognized status, meaning it has been fully recognized as equivalent to the GSTC Industry Criteria.
Travelife for Accommodation* revised standard, the first revision since 2014, reflects new and emerging sustainability issues and focuses on where accommodation providers can be more effective in terms of improving their impact on people and places. Compared to the previous standard, it gives more attention to measuring and monitoring greenhouse gas emissions, solid waste management, controlling the use of unnecessary single-use plastics, safeguarding children, and preventing modern slavery in the accommodation supply chain.
The GSTC-Recognized status refers to the standard itself, indicating that a sustainable tourism standard has been reviewed by GSTC technical experts and the GSTC Assurance Panel and deemed the content of the standard equivalent to the GSTC Criteria for sustainable tourism. It shows that the set of standards is based on the four pillars of the GSTC Criteria: Sustainable Management, Socioeconomic, Cultural, and Environmental principles.
GSTC Recognition of Standards does not relate to the process of certification (which is a third-party assessment, through an audit, of a tourism enterprise for conformity to a standard). GSTC Recognition of Standards does not relate to accreditation (formal verification that a certification body operates in a competent and neutral manner according to international standards of how to properly certify, which is the highest level of assurance).
The stated scope of the standard is ‘All sizes and types of tourist accommodation’ and coverage is international. The GSTC Recognition is valid until either the standard or the GSTC Industry Criteria are changed.
Carolyn Wincer, Travelife for Accommodation Managing Director said, “I am delighted that the Travelife for Accommodation revised Standard has gained GSTC-Recognised status. The recognition process has helped align our Standard with emerging sustainability issues and focus on where accommodation providers can be more effective in terms of improving their impact on people and places.
The Travelife for Accommodation revised standard addresses growing consumer and travel trade expectations around sustainability and climate change, as well as protecting human rights, supporting communities, reducing emissions and stress on local resources in their destinations.”
“By incorporating the Four Pillars of the GSTC Criteria at its foundation, Travelife for Accomodation revised standard reflects its allegiance to a holistic and international framework,” said Randy Durband, GSTC CEO.
Currently, 14 destination standards, 20 tour operator standards, 44 hotel standards, and 5 systems have achieved GSTC-Recognized status. The status offers the market proof that these standards adhere to international norms. GSTC Recognition does not ensure that a certification process is reliable, only that the set of standards used to certify are equivalent to the GSTC Criteria. GSTC-Recognized standard owners are encouraged to follow and complete the accreditation process, which assures that the certification process used to apply the standard meets international best practices, transparency, and rigor. A list of GSTC-Accredited certification bodies is available here.
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 Accreditation of 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 it accredits 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, NGO’s, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism.
Information for media and the press: https://staging.gstcouncil.org/about/for-the-press/
About Travelife Ltd
Travelife Ltd is an internationally recognised accommodation sustainability programme that certifies tourist accommodation of all sizes around the world. Travelife’s GSTC-Recognised standard is one of the most comprehensive and robust accommodation sustainability certifications, with requirements covering all areas of sustainability such as the environment, greenhouse emissions, fair labour, human rights, child safeguarding and animal welfare. Both travellers and travel companies can have confidence that a Travelife Certified accommodation provider has had their work in these areas independently checked and verified following a full onsite audit of the property.
Travelife certification also addresses growing consumer and travel trade expectations around sustainability and climate change. Guests staying in a Travelife Certified accommodation can be sure that the hotel is committed to protecting human rights, supporting communities, reducing emissions and stress on local resources in their destinations.
For more information about Travelife visit www.travelifestaybetter.com
[*Note: Not to be confused with Travelife for Tour Operators. The Travelife GSTC-Recognized Standard for Tour Operators & Travel Agents integrates both management and performance criteria and is based on leading international sustainability and CSR standards and guidelines. The Travelife Standard is used by tour operators as a tool to improve their own sustainability as well as that of their supply chain. Although they share the same name, it is different from GSTC-Recognized Travelife for Accommodation revised standard. ]
Note from GSTC: The section “About Travelife Standard for Accommodation” is a description by Travelife for Accommodation and not by GSTC, and therefore any statements or terminology expressed in this section should not be taken as an endorsement or recommendation by GSTC.
