What is the GSTC?

Summary

The GSTC, a joint initiative by UN agencies and international conservation organizations, has developed the Global Sustainable Travel and Tourism Criteria (GSTC Criteria IIA). These standards cover sustainable management, social and economic practices, culture, and the natural environment, aimed at combating greenwashing. The criteria are used for destination management, tourism policy, and various travel industry sub-sectors. GSTC provides accreditation to certification bodies and offers programs like sustainable tourism training and destination assessments, all based on its criteria. The criteria are available for free to promote sustainable practices in travel and tourism.

Takeaways

• 🌐 GSTC is a joint initiative by UN agencies and international conservation organizations to develop global standards for sustainable travel and tourism.
• 🏛️ The GSTC Criteria, known as GSTC Criteria IIA, are based on four pillars of sustainability: sustainable management, social and economic practices, culture and community, and the natural environment.
• 📋 The criteria are applicable to various sectors, including public sector for destination management, tourism policy, hotels, tour operators, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), and attractions.
• 🔍 GSTC Criteria are developed and revised through inclusive processes involving multiple stakeholders from different sectors and regions.
• 🌐 The criteria are widely accepted as global standards due to their inclusive development process.
• 🏅 GSTC provides accreditation to certification bodies, ensuring they meet rigorous requirements for certifying sustainable tourism practices.
• 🔄 There is a distinction between 'accreditation' and 'certification'; GSTC does not directly certify but accredits bodies that do.
• 📘 Certification involves external audits and the placement of a mark on a program, while accreditation is about the certification body's rigor, competence, and impartiality.
• 📚 GSTC offers resources such as the Sustainable Tourism Training Program, destination assessments, and support for destination managers, all based on the GSTC Criteria.
• 📥 The GSTC Criteria are available for free download in multiple languages for non-commercial use to raise awareness about sustainable travel and tourism.
• 💼 GSTC encourages businesses and destinations to operate more sustainably by providing tools and standards to support sustainable development policies and practices.

Q & A

What is the GSTC and what was its purpose for being created?

The GSTC, or Global Sustainable Tourism Council, was created jointly by UN agencies and prominent international conservation NGOs to develop global standards for sustainable travel and tourism and to create tools to verify legitimate claims of sustainable businesses while combating greenwashing.

What are the four pillars of sustainability that the GSTC criteria are based on?

The four pillars of sustainability that the GSTC criteria are based on are sustainable management, social and economic practices, culture and community, and the natural environment.

What are the GSTC destination criteria used for?

The GSTC destination criteria are used by the public sector for destination management and tourism policy at various levels.

What are the key sub-sectors of the travel and tourism industry that have specific GSTC criteria?

The key sub-sectors with specific GSTC criteria include the GSTC Hotel criteria, the GSTC T operator criteria, and the GSTC MICE criteria, which has three distinct components for venues, event organizers, and events and exhibitions.

How are the GSTC criteria developed and revised?

The GSTC criteria are developed and occasionally revised formally through highly inclusive processes involving multiple stakeholders from all corners of the globe, including the public sector, private sector, NGOs, academia, and consultants.

Why are the GSTC criteria widely accepted as global standards?

The GSTC criteria are widely accepted as global standards due to their inclusive development process involving a diverse range of stakeholders from around the world.

What is the role of the GSTC in the certification process?

The GSTC provides accreditation to certification bodies to certify to their rigorous requirements. It does not directly certify programs but offers accreditation to organizations that do certify, using the GSTC criteria as the global standard of standards for sustainable tourism.

What is the difference between accreditation and certification as mentioned in the script?

Certification involves placing a mark on a program based on external and impartial audits of the program's processes, while accreditation involves placing a mark on a certification body regarding their rigor, competence, and impartiality.

What resources does the GSTC offer for those interested in sustainable tourism?

The GSTC offers a sustainable tourism training program, destination assessments, and other support to destination managers, all based on the GSTC criteria.

In what languages are the GSTC criteria available, and for what purpose can they be used for free?

The GSTC criteria are available in several languages and can be used for free for non-commercial purposes to raise awareness of what sustainable travel and tourism truly means.

How does the GSTC encourage businesses or destinations to operate more sustainably?

The GSTC encourages businesses or destinations to operate more sustainably by providing them with the GSTC criteria, offering accreditation to certification bodies, and providing various programs and support based on these criteria.

Outlines

00:00

🌏 Introduction to GSTC and Its Mission

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is introduced as a collaborative initiative between the United Nations and other international conservation organizations. Its purpose is to establish global standards for sustainable travel and tourism, and to provide tools for verifying genuine sustainability claims while combating greenwashing. The GSTC has developed a set of criteria known as the GSTC Criteria IIA, which are based on four sustainability pillars: sustainable management, social and economic practices, culture and community, and the natural environment. These criteria serve as guidelines for public sector destination management and tourism policy, as well as for key sub-sectors within the travel and tourism industry, such as hotels, tour operators, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), and attractions.

📜 GSTC Criteria and Certification Process

The GSTC Criteria were developed through an inclusive process involving multiple stakeholders from around the world, including the public and private sectors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia, and consultants. This inclusive development process has led to the GSTC Criteria being widely accepted as global standards. The GSTC offers accreditation to certification bodies that meet its rigorous requirements, emphasizing the difference between accreditation and certification. While the GSTC does not directly certify businesses or destinations, it provides accreditation to certification bodies and the GSTC Criteria as the global benchmark for sustainable tourism standards.

🏆 GSTC's Role in Supporting Sustainable Tourism

In addition to setting standards and offering accreditation, the GSTC plays a significant role in supporting sustainable tourism through various programs. These include the Sustainable Tourism Training Program, which is available to anyone working in the tourism sector, destination assessments, and support for destination managers. All of these programs are based on the GSTC Criteria, which are freely available for non-commercial use in several languages to raise awareness about sustainable travel and tourism. The script encourages businesses and destinations to operate more sustainably and to utilize the GSTC's tools and criteria to achieve this goal.

Keywords

💡GSTC

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is an organization that plays a central role in the video's theme. It was created by UN agencies and international conservation NGOs to develop global standards for sustainable travel and tourism. The GSTC is mentioned as the body responsible for creating tools to verify legitimate sustainability claims and combat greenwashing. It is a key concept as it represents the authority that sets the standards for sustainable tourism practices.

💡Sustainable Travel and Tourism

Sustainable travel and tourism is the main theme of the video. It refers to the practice of tourism that minimizes negative environmental, social, and economic impacts while providing benefits to the host community, environment, and economy. The video discusses how the GSTC develops standards for this practice and offers tools to verify sustainability claims, emphasizing the importance of sustainability in the tourism industry.

💡Greenwashing

Greenwashing is a term used in the script to describe the act of making misleading claims about the environmental benefits of a product or practice. In the context of the video, the GSTC works to fight against greenwashing by developing standards and tools to verify the legitimacy of sustainability claims in the travel and tourism sector.

💡GSTC Criteria

The GSTC Criteria are the standards developed by the GSTC, which are based on four pillars of sustainability: sustainable management, social and economic practices, culture and community, and the natural environment. These criteria are mentioned in the script as the foundation for various sectors within the travel and tourism industry to follow, ensuring sustainable practices.

💡Sustainable Management

Sustainable management is one of the four pillars of the GSTC Criteria. It refers to the practices and policies that ensure the long-term sustainability of tourism businesses and destinations. The script mentions this concept as part of the criteria that need to be applied for destination management and tourism policy.

💡Social and Economic Practices

Social and economic practices are another pillar of the GSTC Criteria, focusing on the positive impacts of tourism on the local community and economy. The script emphasizes the importance of these practices in creating a sustainable tourism industry that benefits local people and economies.

💡Culture and Community

Culture and community are integral to the GSTC Criteria, highlighting the need to respect and preserve local culture and involve the community in tourism activities. The script discusses how these aspects are considered in the development of sustainable tourism standards.

💡Natural Environment

The natural environment is a key pillar of the GSTC Criteria, emphasizing the protection and conservation of natural resources and ecosystems. The script mentions this as an essential aspect of sustainable tourism, ensuring that tourism activities do not harm the environment.

💡Accreditation

Accreditation, as discussed in the script, is the process by which the GSTC recognizes certification bodies for their rigor, competence, and impartiality. It is distinct from certification, which involves the actual process of evaluating a program against the GSTC Criteria. The script clarifies the difference and the role of the GSTC in providing accreditation.

💡Certification

Certification is the process by which a program or business is evaluated against the GSTC Criteria and, if found compliant, is granted a mark indicating its adherence to sustainable tourism standards. The script explains that while the GSTC does not directly certify businesses, it offers accreditation to certification bodies that do so.

💡Sustainable Tourism Training Program

The Sustainable Tourism Training Program is one of the offerings of the GSTC, as mentioned in the script. It is designed to educate and train individuals working in the tourism sector about sustainable practices. This program is an example of the GSTC's commitment to capacity building and knowledge sharing in the industry.

Highlights

GSTC was created by UN agencies and international conservation NGOs to develop global standards for sustainable travel and tourism.

GSTC aims to create tools to verify legitimate sustainable business claims and fight against greenwashing.

The GSTC Criteria IIA are based on four pillars of sustainability: sustainable management, social and economic practices, culture and community, and the natural environment.

GSTC Destination Criteria apply to public sector for destination management and tourism policy at various levels.

GSTC has criteria for key sub-sectors of the travel and tourism industry, including hotels, tour operators, MICE, and attractions.

GSTC Criteria were developed and revised through inclusive processes involving multiple stakeholders globally.

GSTC Criteria are widely accepted as truly global standards due to their inclusive development.

GSTC provides accreditation to certification bodies to certify to its rigorous requirements.

Accreditation and certification are different; accreditation is for certification bodies, while certification is for programs.

GSTC does not directly certify, but offers accreditation to organizations that certify to its criteria.

GSTC Criteria serve as the global standard of standards for sustainable tourism certification.

GSTC offers a sustainable tourism training program available to anyone working in tourism.

GSTC provides destination assessments and support to destination managers based on its criteria.

GSTC Criteria are available in several languages for free non-commercial use to raise awareness of sustainable travel and tourism.

GSTC encourages businesses and destinations to operate more sustainably using its criteria and tools.

Transcripts

thank you for your interest in the GSTC

I'd like to tell you who we are and what

we do GSTC was created jointly by un

agencies and prominent International

conservation NOS to develop Global

standards for sustainable travel and

tourism and to create tools to verify

legitimate claims of sustainable

businesses while fighting against false

claims sometimes known as greenwashing

there are a number of Standards

collectively known as the GSTC crit IIA

they're based on four pillars of

sustainability sustainable management

social and economic practices culture

and community and the natural

environment these standards are the GSTC

destination criteria to apply by the

public sector for Destination management

and tourism policy at various levels and

these standards are for key sub sectors

of the travel and tourism

industry the GSTC Hotel criteria the

GSTC T operator criteria the GSTC mice

criteria which has three distinct

components for

venues event organizers and events and

exhibitions and finally the GSTC

attractions criteria H was first

developed and occasionally revised

formally through highly inclusive

processes because their development is

so inclusive with multiple stakeholders

from all corners of the globe public

sector private sector NOS Academia

Consultants the GSC criteria are

accepted widely as truly Global

standards the GSTC provides

accreditation to certification bodies to

certify to our rigorous requirements to

understand this you need to know that

the terms accreditation and

certification are often used incorrectly

in colloquial English they are not the

same certification involves placing a

mark on a program based on external and

impartial audits of the program's

processes

accreditation involves a mark on a

certification body regarding their rigor

competence and

impartiality certification bodies

interested in accreditation should read

the section of our website called for

certification bodies GSTC does not

directly

certify however we're very much involved

in certification because we offer

accreditation to those organizations

that do certify and we provide the GSTC

criteria as the global St of standards

for sustainable

tourism GSTC also offers these programs

sustainable tourism training program

available to anyone working in tourism

destination assessments and other

support to destination managers

everything we do is based on the GSTC

criteria we encourage you to download

the GSTC criteria which are available in

several languages they're free of charge

when used for non commmercial purposes

to raise awareness of what sustainable

travel and tri and tourism truly

means as you can see GSTC provides many

tools to support development policy and

practices for genuinely sustainable

travel and tourism activities thank you

for taking the steps to operate your

business or destination more sustainably