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.