global sustainable tourism criteria

Sustainable tourism

Related sdgs, promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable ....

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Tourism is one of the world's fastest growing industries and an important source of foreign exchange and employment, while being closely linked to the social, economic, and environmental well-being of many countries, especially developing countries. Maritime or ocean-related tourism, as well as coastal tourism, are for example vital sectors of the economy in small island developing States (SIDS) and coastal least developed countries (LDCs) (see also: The Potential of the Blue Economy report as well as the Community of Ocean Action on sustainable blue economy).

The World Tourism Organization defines sustainable tourism as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities".

Based on General assembly resolution 70/193, 2017 was declared as the  International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

In the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development SDG target 8.9, aims to “by 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”. The importance of sustainable tourism is also highlighted in SDG target 12.b. which aims to “develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”.

Tourism is also identified as one of the tools to “by 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries” as comprised in SDG target 14.7.

In the Rio+20 outcome document The Future We want, sustainable tourism is defined by paragraph 130 as a significant contributor “to the three dimensions of sustainable development” thanks to its close linkages to other sectors and its ability to create decent jobs and generate trade opportunities. Therefore, Member States recognize “the need to support sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building that promote environmental awareness, conserve and protect the environment, respect wildlife, flora, biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural diversity, and improve the welfare and livelihoods of local communities by supporting their local economies and the human and natural environment as a whole. ” In paragraph 130, Member States also “call for enhanced support for sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building in developing countries in order to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development”.

In paragraph 131, Member States “encourage the promotion of investment in sustainable tourism, including eco-tourism and cultural tourism, which may include creating small- and medium-sized enterprises and facilitating access to finance, including through microcredit initiatives for the poor, indigenous peoples and local communities in areas with high eco-tourism potential”. In this regard, Member States also “underline the importance of establishing, where necessary, appropriate guidelines and regulations in accordance with national priorities and legislation for promoting and supporting sustainable tourism”.

In 2002, the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg called for the promotion of sustainable tourism development, including non-consumptive and eco-tourism, in Chapter IV, paragraph 43 of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.

At the Johannesburg Summit, the launch of the “Sustainable Tourism – Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) initiative was announced. The initiative was inaugurated by the World Tourism Organization, in collaboration with UNCTAD, in order to develop sustainable tourism as a force for poverty alleviation.

The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) last reviewed the issue of sustainable tourism in 2001, when it was acting as the Preparatory Committee for the Johannesburg Summit.

The importance of sustainable tourism was also mentioned in Agenda 21.

For more information and documents on this topic,  please visit this link

UNWTO Annual Report 2015

2015 was a landmark year for the global community. In September, the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a universal agenda for planet and people. Among the 17 SDGs and 169 associated targets, tourism is explicitly featured in Goa...

UNWTO Annual Report 2016

In December 2015, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. This is a unique opportunity to devote a year to activities that promote the transformational power of tourism to help us reach a better future. This important cele...

Emerging Issues for Small Island Developing States

The 2012 UNEP Foresight Process on Emerging Global Environmental Issues primarily identified emerging environmental issues and possible solutions on a global scale and perspective. In 2013, UNEP carried out a similar exercise to identify priority emerging environmental issues that are of concern to ...

Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom, We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for su...

15 Years of the UNWTO World Tourism Network on Child Protection: A Compilation of Good Practices

Although it is widely recognized that tourism is not the cause of child exploitation, it can aggravate the problem when parts of its infrastructure, such as transport networks and accommodation facilities, are exploited by child abusers for nefarious ends. Additionally, many other factors that contr...

Towards Measuring the Economic Value of Wildlife Watching Tourism in Africa

Set against the backdrop of the ongoing poaching crisis driven by a dramatic increase in the illicit trade in wildlife products, this briefing paper intends to support the ongoing efforts of African governments and the broader international community in the fight against poaching. Specifically, this...

Status and Trends of Caribbean Coral Reefs: 1970-2012

Previous Caribbean assessments lumped data together into a single database regardless of geographic location, reef environment, depth, oceanographic conditions, etc. Data from shallow lagoons and back reef environments were combined with data from deep fore-reef environments and atolls. Geographic c...

Natural Resources Forum: Special Issue Tourism

The journal considers papers on all topics relevant to sustainable development. In addition, it dedicates series, issues and special sections to specific themes that are relevant to the current discussions of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)....

Thailand: Supporting Sustainable Development in Thailand: A Geographic Clusters Approach

Market forces and government policies, including the Tenth National Development Plan (2007-2012), are moving Thailand toward a more geographically specialized economy. There is a growing consensus that Thailand’s comparative and competitive advantages lie in amenity services that have high reliance...

Road Map on Building a Green Economy for Sustainable Development in Carriacou and Petite Martinique, Grenada

This publication is the product of an international study led by the Division for Sustainable Development (DSD) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) in cooperation with the Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs and the Ministry of Environment, Foreig...

Natural Resources Forum, a United Nations Sustainable Development Journal (NRF)

  Natural Resources Forum, a United Nations Sustainable Development Journal, seeks to address gaps in current knowledge and stimulate relevant policy discussions, leading to the implementation of the sustainable development agenda and the achievement of the Sustainable...

UN Ocean Conference 2025

Our Ocean, Our Future, Our Responsibility “The ocean is fundamental to life on our planet and to our future. The ocean is an important source of the planet’s biodiversity and plays a vital role in the climate system and water cycle. The ocean provides a range of ecosystem services, supplies us with

UN Ocean Conference 2022

The UN Ocean Conference 2022, co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Portugal, came at a critical time as the world was strengthening its efforts to mobilize, create and drive solutions to realize the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

58th Session of the Commission for Social Development – CSocD58

22nd general assembly of the united nations world tourism organization, world tourism day 2017 official celebration.

This year’s World Tourism Day, held on 27 September, will be focused on Sustainable Tourism – a Tool for Development. Celebrated in line with the 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the Day will be dedicated to exploring the contribution of tourism to the Sustainable Deve

World Tourism Day 2016 Official Celebration

Accessible Tourism for all is about the creation of environments that can cater for the needs of all of us, whether we are traveling or staying at home. May that be due to a disability, even temporary, families with small children, or the ageing population, at some point in our lives, sooner or late

4th Global Summit on City Tourism

The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the Regional Council for Tourism of Marrakesh with support of the Government of Morroco are organizing the 4th Global Summit on City Tourism in Marrakesh, Morroco (9-10 December 2015). International experts in city tourism, representatives of city DMOs, of

2nd Euro-Asian Mountain Resorts Conference

The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and Ulsan Metropolitan City with support of the Government of the Republic of Korea are organizing the 2nd Euro-Asian Mountain Resorts Conference, in Ulsan, Republic of Korea (14 - 16 October 2015). Under the title “Paving the Way for a Bright Future for Mounta

21st General Assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization

Unwto regional conference enhancing brand africa - fostering tourism development.

Tourism is one of the Africa’s most promising sectors in terms of development, and represents a major opportunity to foster inclusive development, increase the region’s participation in the global economy and generate revenues for investment in other activities, including environmental preservation.

• January 2017 International Year of Tourism In the context of the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the International Year aims to support a change in policies, business practices and consumer behavior towards a more sustainable tourism sector that can contribute to the SDGs.
• January 2015 Targets 8.9, 12 b,14.7 The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development commits Member States, through Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.9 to “devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”. The importance of sustainable tourism, as a driver for jobs creation and the promotion of local culture and products, is also highlighted in Sustainable Development Goal target 12.b. Tourism is also identified as one of the tools to “increase [by 2030] the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries”, through Sustainable Development Goals Target 14.7.
• January 2012 Future We Want (Para 130-131) Sustainable tourism is defined as a significant contributor “to the three dimensions of sustainable development” thanks to its close linkages to other sectors and its ability to create decent jobs and generate trade opportunities. Therefore, Member States recognize “the need to support sustainable tourism activities and relevant capacity-building that promote environmental awareness, conserve and protect the environment, respect wildlife, flora, biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural diversity, and improve the welfare and livelihoods of local communities” as well as to “encourage the promotion of investment in sustainable tourism, including eco-tourism and cultural tourism, which may include creating small and medium sized enterprises and facilitating access to finance, including through microcredit initiatives for the poor, indigenous peoples and local communities in areas with high eco-tourism potential”.
• January 2009 Roadmap for Recovery UNWTO announced in March 2009 the elaboration of a Roadmap for Recovery to be finalized by UNWTO’s General Assembly, based on seven action points. The Roadmap includes a set of 15 recommendations based on three interlocking action areas: resilience, stimulus, green economy aimed at supporting the tourism sector and the global economy.
• January 2008 Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria represent the minimum requirements any tourism business should observe in order to ensure preservation and respect of the natural and cultural resources and make sure at the same time that tourism potential as tool for poverty alleviation is enforced. The Criteria are 41 and distributed into four different categories: 1) sustainability management, 2) social and economic 3) cultural 4) environmental.
• January 2003 WTO becomes a UN specialized body By Resolution 453 (XV), the Assembly agreed on the transformation of the WTO into a United Nations specialized body. Such transformation was later ratified by the United Nations General Assembly with the adoption of Resolution A/RES/58/232.
• January 2003 1st Int. Conf. on Climate Change and Tourism The conference was organized in order to gather tourism authorities, organizations, businesses and scientists to discuss on the impact that climate change can have on the tourist sector. The event took place from 9 till 11 April 2003 in Djerba, Tunisia.
• January 2002 World Ecotourism Summit Held in May 2002, in Quebec City, Canada, the Summit represented the most important event in the framework of the International Year of Ecosystem. The Summit identified as main themes: ecotourism policy and planning, regulation of ecotourism, product development, marketing and promotion of ecotourism and monitoring costs and benefits of ecotourism.
• January 1985 Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourist Code At the World Tourism Organization Sixth Assembly held in Sofia in 1985, the Tourism Bill of Rights and Tourist Code were adopted, setting out the rights and duties of tourists and host populations and formulating policies and action for implementation by states and the tourist industry.
• January 1982 Acapulco Document Adopted in 1982, the Acapulco Document acknowledges the new dimension and role of tourism as a positive instrument towards the improvement of the quality of life for all peoples, as well as a significant force for peace and international understanding. The Acapulco Document also urges Member States to elaborate their policies, plans and programmes on tourism, in accordance with their national priorities and within the framework of the programme of work of the World Tourism Organization.

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Launch of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria

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Ted Turner Announces First-Ever Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria at World Conservation Congress

Voluntary Standards Help Travel Suppliers Around The World Meet Increasing Consumer Demand For Products And Services That Will Have Positive Effects On Communities And The Environment

Barcelona, Spain

October 6, 2008

Megan Rabbitt

[email protected]

United Nations Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner joined the Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) today to announce the first-ever globally relevant sustainable tourism criteria at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. The new criteria – based on thousands of best practices culled from the existing standards currently in use around the world – were developed to offer a common framework to guide the emerging practice of sustainable tourism and to help businesses, consumers, governments, non-governmental organizations and education institutions to ensure that tourism helps, rather than harms, local communities and the environment.

“Sustainability is just like the old business adage: ‘you don’t encroach on the principal, you live off the interest’,” said Turner. “Unfortunately, up to this point, the travel industry and tourists haven’t had a common framework to let them know if they’re really living up to that maxim. But the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) will change that.  This is a win-win initiative – good for the environment and good for the world’s tourism industry.”

“Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries and a strong contributor to sustainable development and poverty alleviation,” said Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. “Over 900 million international tourists travelled last year and UNWTO forecasts 1.6 billion tourists by the year 2020. In order to minimize the negative impacts of this growth, sustainability should translate from words to facts, and be an imperative for all tourism stakeholders. The GSTC initiative will undoubtedly constitute a major reference point for the entire tourism sector and an important step in making sustainability an inherent part of tourism development.”

The criteria were developed by the Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC Partnership), a new coalition of 27 organizations that includes tourism leaders from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Over the past 15 months, the partnership consulted with sustainability experts and the tourism industry and reviewed more than 60 existing certification and voluntary sets of criteria already being implemented around the globe. In all, more than 4,500 criteria have been analyzed and more than 80,000 people, including conservationists, industry leaders, governmental authorities and UN bodies, have been invited to comment on the resulting criteria.

“Consumers deserve widely accepted standards to distinguish green from greenwashed. These criteria will allow true certification of sustainable practices in hotels and resorts as well as other travel suppliers,” said Jeff Glueck, chief marketing officer of Travelocity/Sabre, a member of the GSTC Partnership.  “They will give travelers confidence that they can make choices to help the sustainability cause. They also will help the forward-thinking suppliers who deserve credit for doing things right.”

Available at  www.SustainableTourismCriteria.org , the criteria focus on four areas experts recommend as the most critical aspects of sustainable tourism:  maximizing tourism’s social and economic benefits to local communities; reducing negative impacts on cultural heritage; reducing harm to local environments; and planning for sustainability. The GSTC Partnership is developing educational materials and technical tools to guide hotels and tour operators in implementing the criteria.

“The American Society of Travel Agents feels it especially important to be a part of this global partnership that is leading the way in defining once and for all what it means to be a sustainable travel company,” said William Maloney, Chief Operating Officer for ASTA. “As an organization with its own Green Member program, it’s incumbent upon us to ensure that our steps toward a travel retailers’ green initiative were in sync with responsible global developments. The criteria will provide our members with much-needed guidelines for assessing future business partners’ commitment to sustainable tourism while offering consumers clear and reliable information about the travel choices they make.”

“The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria initiative is about steering the industry onto a truly sustainable path — one that echoes to the challenge of our time: namely the fostering and federating of a global Green Economy that thrives on the interest rather than the capital of our economically-important nature-based assets,” said Achim Steiner, United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme.

“The Rainforest Alliance celebrates the outcomes of the GSTC Partnership, which we believe will help the tourism industry put itself on a sustainable path,” said Tensie Whelan, Executive Director of the Rainforest Alliance. “The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria that have been developed will shape the minimum requirements that the Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council will demand from accredited certification programs and help travelers have the assurance that they are helping, not harming, the environment.”

“The GSTC Partnership is a collaborative effort to provide a much needed common framework and understanding of sustainable tourism practices,” said Janna Morrison, Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Choice Hotels International. “Tourism is an important and growing industry that supports sustainability and will clearly benefit from this common framework.  Ultimately this effort will result in a positive impact on communities and the environment.”

“Expedia is proud to support the Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria and committed to using these criteria as a standard for designating a travel partner ‘sustainable’,” said Paul Brown, President Expedia Partner Services Group and Expedia North America. “Consumers today are more motivated than ever to incorporate sustainable practices into their lives, at Expedia we are motivated as well and dedicated to being a leader in sustainable travel. We’re proud of our travel partners – hotels and tour operators – who are already excelling in this area, and hopeful that they will set the bar for their peers around the world. We hope that our travelers will see and appreciate the hard work our partners go through to fulfill these criteria and reach the benchmark of sustainability.”

About the Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria The Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC Partnership) is a coalition of 27 organizations working together to foster increased understanding of sustainable tourism practices and the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles. The Partnership was initiated by the Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Foundation, and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). These criteria will be the minimum standard that any tourism business 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 poverty alleviation.   To learn more, visit  www.SustainableTourismCriteria.org .

Additional members of the GSTC Partnership Steering Committee are the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), Choice Hotels, Conde Nast Traveler, Conservation International (CI), ECOTRANS, Expedia, Inc., Federation of Tour Operators (FTO), HM Design, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Instituto do Hospitalidade, International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA), the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Kenyan Ecotourism Society, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), Solimar International, Sustainable Travel International (STI), The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), Tourism Concern, Travelocity/Sabre, and VISIT.

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The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) publishes new GSTC MICE Criteria

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) is pleased to announce that the GSTC MICE Criteria have been published and are available to the public for non- commercial use. Developed for Venues, Event Organizers, and Events & Exhibitions, the GSTC MICE Criteria, developed with support from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), will guide businesses toward implementing sustainable practices in response to the growing focus on sustainability.

The GSTC Criteria serve as the global standards for sustainability in travel and tourism. The Criteria are used for education and awareness-raising, policy-making for businesses, organizations and government agencies, measurement and evaluation, and as a basis for certification. They are the result of a worldwide effort to develop a common language about sustainability in tourism and are arranged in four pillars: (A) Sustainable management; (B) Socioeconomic impacts; (C) Cultural impacts; (D) Environmental impacts.

The GSTC MICE Criteria are the third GSTC Criteria set, in addition to the GSTC Industry Criteria (for Hotels and Tour operators) and the GSTC Destination Criteria. The GSTC Attraction Criteria are currently under development.

GSTC MICE Criteria

The GSTC MICE Criteria aim to serve as the global sustainability standards for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) businesses and provide a common understanding of sustainable practices in the MICE industry worldwide.

With the steady growth of the MICE industry coupled with the escalating demand for sustainable tourism, it is imperative to establish universal guidelines that prescribe sustainable practices to be adhered to by the various subsectors within the MICE industry. The GSTC MICE Criteria have been developed for the following subsectors: Venues, Event Organizers, and Events & Exhibitions, and are the minimum that any MICE business should aspire to attain.

“After a year of dedicated work and effort, we announce the formal release of the GSTC MICE Criteria for Venues, Event Organizers, and Events & Exhibitions. We thank the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), who has been a key contributor to its development. Let’s seize this opportunity together to significantly advance the MICE industry’s journey towards sustainability,” says Randy Durband, CEO of GSTC.

Yap Chin Siang, Deputy Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board said: “Our collaboration with the GSTC and SACEOS to develop the GSTC MICE Criteria underscores Singapore’s unwavering commitment to sustainable tourism and solidifies our position as a leading MICE destination. The MICE Criteria represents a major milestone on this journey, empowering industry players with the relevant tools to contribute to and thrive in a sustainable tourism landscape. I strongly urge all stakeholders in the MICE ecosystem to embrace the criteria and play a pivotal role in forging a greener future for global tourism.”

Singapore Tourism Board launched its MICE Sustainability Roadmap in 2022, demonstrating clear commitments towards its sustainability goals. This include launching local guidelines to provide best practices for MICE stakeholders on setting waste management goals and reducing specific types of waste, and to better manage carbon emissions. It has also worked closely with Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS), as well as public and private stakeholders, to improve the sustainability performance of organisations and explore ways to host sustainable events.

The GSTC MICE Criteria will:

• Help define sustainability in a holistic manner
• Raise awareness of the breadth and nature of sustainability
• Serve as the basis for certification for sustainability
• Offer both public and private sectors a starting point by providing basic guidelines for MICE businesses to become more sustainable, including guidance for identifying more sustainable suppliers and service providers
• Help consumers identify sustainable MICE businesses
• Serve as a common denominator for recognizing sustainable MICE businesses, helping businesses in choosing sustainable suppliers and partners
• Serve as basic guidelines for education and training on sustainable MICE practices
• Demonstrate leadership that inspires others to act

Development of GSTC MICE Criteria

The GSTC MICE Criteria have been built on decades of prior work and experience around the world and take into account the numerous guidelines and standards for sustainable tourism from every continent. During the development process, criteria were widely consulted throughout the globe, in both developed and developing countries. They reflect our goal of attaining a global consensus on sustainable tourism.

The Criteria have been developed and revised by following the GSTC Standard-setting Manual v3.0 while striving to adhere to the Standard-Setting Code of the ISEAL Alliance, the body recognized to provide guidance on international norms for developing sustainability standards in all sectors. More detailed information about the process development is available here and in the GSTC MICE Criteria Development Terms of Reference (TOR) document.

GSTC MICE Criteria development process is shown below (Figure 1):

The Criteria development process was an 18-month-long journey from September 2022 to February 2024 (the formal period was 11 months, from April 2023). The first round of public consultation took place for two months, from June 15th to August 15th, 2023.

After compiling and revising the second draft, a Feasibility Assessment was conducted to evaluate the suggested criteria based on a compiled draft from the GSTC Technical Team, and to assess the readability (how easy to understand the criteria are), measurability/auditability (how objective they are), and feasibility of the requirement (how likely they are to be met) of each criterion. The feasibility assessment took place from October 15th to November 15th, 2023. Organizations that took part in the Feasibility Assessment can be found in the annex below.

Revisions to the GSTC MICE Criteria draft were made after the second public consultation period that was conducted from November 24th to December 29th, 2023. Final draft and consensus were made before the final adoption and publication.

Sukumar Verma, Vice President, Industry & Enterprise, SACEOS, said: “SACEOS is proud to have been a collaborative partner with the Singapore Tourism Board in developing the first GSTC MICE Criteria. We are also honoured to be part of the GSTC MICE Advisory Group to help shape the future of sustainable MICE and business events. As the national trade association representing Singapore’s MICE industry, we are grateful to our members for their valued inputs in championing the development of this comprehensive criteria. These standards provide a clear and actionable framework for businesses and organisations in sustainable event management for Event Organisers and Venues. The GSTC MICE Criteria will be instrumental in accelerating sustainable practices throughout the MICE sector both locally and globally.”

The GSTC will launch an ‘Early Adopter Program’ for the MICE Criteria. This program will run for two years, giving industry players the opportunity to apply the Criteria in the field and form a network for knowledge and experience sharing.

GSTC Criteria & SDGs

There is a strong relationship between the GSTC Criteria and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). By achieving the GSTC Criteria, organizations are helping to meet the UN SDGs. Economic, environmental, and societal dimensions are all addressed by the GSTC Criteria. Destinations and organizations looking to contribute to the SDGs will find that the GSTC Criteria provide effective tools to help them rise to the challenge. Further guidance on the criteria may be found in the supporting indicators and definitions set out in the publication.

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Destination Stewardship Center

Extending the work of the national geographic center for sustainable destinations..

Revising GSTC’s Destination Criteria

The GSTC Destination Criteria (GSTC-D) were revised last year with global public consultation. The criteria were first developed through a stakeholder consultation process leading to their initial publication (Version 1.0) on 1st November 2013. In 2018 the first revision of the GSTC-D began. The process has taken over a year to complete, including two rounds of global public comment, with final approval reached in December 2019. GSTC’s International Standards team explains what the criteria are, what they are for, how the revision process worked, and the main changes that have resulted.

The Elaborate Process of Revising Your GSTC Destination Criteria By Kelly Bricker and Richard and Jackie Denman

In this article: Introduction The process

• To whom do the criteria apply?

What are the criteria for?

What standard revision process has been followed?

Stakeholder engagement

Targeted stakeholder consultation

The results

Key themes emerging from the consultation

A structure toward increased understanding

New for 2.0 – Performance indicators and SDGs

Introduction The GSTC Destination Criteria (GSTC-D) were first developed through a stakeholder consultation process leading to their initial publication (Version 1.0) on 1 st November 2013. In 2018 the first revision of the GSTC-D was initiated. The process has taken over a year to complete.

Oversight of the revision for the GSTC-D has been provided by the GSTC’s International Standards Committee (ISC). The group is comprised of a small number of tourism professionals with experience of sustainability standards and certification, drawn from across five continents. A final version of the revised GSTC-Destination-Criteria-v2.0 was approved by the GSTC Board at their meeting on December 6 th 2019.

The purpose of this article is to summarise and provide a formal statement of the process that has been followed in undertaking the revision. But first, a brief introduction is required.

To whom do the Criteria apply?

The GSTC-D have been designed for destinations [1] . The criteria do not relate to a single body but rather to a named place that can be uniquely identified.   The criteria simply require that the condition described pertains in that destination, irrespective of what body may be responsible for it or how or by whom any related action is implemented.

The scope of the GSTC-D is broad and the criteria can be applied to a wide range of destinations. They may be in any part of the world and of any type (e.g. urban, rural, mountain, coastal or mixed). The criteria can relate to large destinations (e.g. sizeable cities or regions) and to small ones (e.g. national parks, clusters of local communities, etc.).

While the GSTC-D relate to the place, not to a body, many of the criteria may nevertheless be taken up by and applied through a destination management organisation which is responsible for a coordinated approach to sustainable tourism within the destination. The existence of such an organisation is a central requirement of the GSTC-D. It should be noted that this organisation is not necessarily a local authority or public sector body and requires the involvement of both the public and private sector.

Some of the criteria refer to enterprises. These may be individual businesses but they may also be other forms of facility, operation and undertaking. For example, they could include museums, festivals, public buildings and monuments, not only commercial businesses such as hotels or paid attractions.

Uses of the criteria include the following:

• Serve as the basis for certification for sustainability
• Serve as basic guidelines for destinations that wish to become more sustainable
• Help consumers identify sound sustainable tourism destinations
• Serve as a common denominator for information media to recognize destinations and inform the public regarding their sustainability
• Help certification and other voluntary destination level programs ensure that their standards meet a broadly accepted baseline
• Offer governmental, non-governmental, and private sector programs a starting point for developing sustainable tourism requirements
• Serve as basic guidelines for education and training bodies, such as tourism schools and universities
• Demonstrate leadership that inspires others to act.

The Criteria indicate what should be done, not how to do it or whether the goal has been achieved. This role is fulfilled by performance indicators, associated educational materials, and access to tools for implementation, all of which are an indispensable complement to the GSTC Criteria.

ISEAL is a non-governmental organisation whose mission is to strengthen sustainability standards systems for the benefit of people and the environment. The GSTC is committed to following the guidance of ISEAL in developing and implementing the global sustainable tourism criteria. The GSTC-D revision process has been informed by the ISEAL Code of Good Practice: Setting Social and Environmental Standards, Version 6.0 – December 2014. This is referred to as the ISEAL Standard-Setting Code.

At their first meeting on the GSTC-D revision, held on 21 st September 2018, the ISC was presented with a paper containing a systematic review of the outcomes, requirements, guidance and aspirational good practice as contained in the ISEAL Code.   Broadly, these covered:

• Transparent procedures
• Published Terms of Reference, covering the need for, and scope of, the standard, stated outcomes and associated risks
• Stakeholder identification
• Public availability of a summary of the process
• Public consultation, giving stakeholders sufficient time to provide input and opportunity to see how their input has been considered
• A consultation process which is open to all and seeks to achieve balance of interests
• Seeking to address constraints faced by disadvantaged stakeholders
• Striving to achieve consensus
• Clear decision-making procedures and protocols.

In reviewing the requirements of the ISEAL Standard-Setting Code, the ISWG has focussed on Section 4 (General Provisions) and Section 5 (Standards Development Revision). The process that was subsequently followed has been based on the requirements contained therein.

The key stages of the revision process are set out below.

The revision process has been fully documented. Key documents relating to each of the stages include the following:

• GSTC Criteria Revision and ISEAL Compliance, September 2018.
• Revision of GSTC-D: Terms of Reference, 27 th November 2018.

Includes: GSTC-D need, scope, objectives and uses, outcomes risks; key requirements of the process, program stages and timetable, stakeholder mapping, outreach and promotion.

• Report of first round consultation and suggested criteria revision, 3 rd May 2019.

Includes: details of respondents; handling of comments, key topics raised; draft revised GSTC-D.

• Report of second round consultation and suggested criteria revision, 26 th September 2019.

Includes: details of respondents; comments on structure and individual criteria; proposed final revision of criteria

• Report of final draft of criteria revision, with indicators and reference to SDGs, 29 th October 2019.

Includes: note on drafting of additional elements.

• GSTC-D Vs2.0 final draft, November 2019.

Separate documents, as Excel spreadsheets or Word tables, were also produced after each round of consultation, showing all the individual comments received and the response to each of them.

The importance of stakeholder engagement in the revision process has been fully recognised by the GSTC. Information on the communication activity and the level and nature of the response is summarised below. The revision of the GSTC-D has been heralded and documented on the Council’s website. https://www.gstcouncil.org/gstc-criteria/criteria-revisions/ . This has invited participation in the first and second round surveys, with a click-through to the questionnaires. Invitation to participate was also prominent in GSTC’s stakeholder communication activity.

Calls to participate in the first public consultation included:

• 13,770 accumulative recipients of our newsletters, members’ bulletins, media/press list, and invitations to those specifically signed for updates about the GSTC Criteria Revision. This also includes a list of 177 NTOs and 135 Trade Associations.
• 4,050 accumulative impressions on social media GSTC official pages (not including other shares in groups and by other organizations and individuals).

In addition, all those known to have been GSTC-Recognized under the prevailing GSTC-D Criteria were invited.

Calls to participate in the second public consultation included:

• 8,410 accumulative recipients of our newsletters, members’ bulletins, media/press list, and invitations to those specifically signed for updates about the GSTC Criteria Revision.
• 6,250 accumulative impressions on social media GSTC official pages (not including other shares in groups and by other organizations and individuals).

In addition, all those known to have been GSTC-Recognized under the prevailing GSTC-D Criteria were invited, AND, those participating in the first-round of consultation.

In addition, the above numbers do not include promotion by partners such as PATA, WTTC, IUCN etc. (see below)

The first-round consultation survey received 88 unique responses and generated a total of 883 comments on the original GSTC-D criteria, some of which were multi-faceted. A significant proportion of the respondents (72%) had not previously engaged with GSTC criteria development. The second-round consultation received a total of 95 responses, of which 57 contained comments on the draft revised set of GSTC-D criteria, generating a total of 312 comments. Respondents in both rounds were primarily from Europe, Latin America/Caribbean and North America. The nature of the organizations represented amongst the respondents to both surveys is shown in the table below.

The GSTC’s Destination Stewardship Working Group (DSWG) has played an important role in the GSTC-D revision process. The group is made up of a number of individuals with particular knowledge and interest in destination management. The aim of the group is to assist destinations in maintaining their cultural, environmental and socio-economic integrity through implementing the GSTC’s Destinations Programme. At the outset, DSWG was asked to consider an initial possible re-ordering and re-grouping of the criteria. This formed an important and very helpful input in parallel to the first-round consultation and was carefully considered alongside individual comments from the consultees. Members of the DSWG also submitted comments on the initial draft of the proposed revised criteria. They were also consulted on the final draft, and their comments influenced the final amendments to the criteria and indicators.

A number of additional bodies with a high level of specialist knowledge, engagement and expertise in environmental, social and cultural sustainability in the tourism sector were directly invited to make comments and suggestions on the revision of the GSTC-D. These included:

• ICOMOS: International Council on Monuments and Sites
• ECPAT: Every Child Protected Against Trafficking
• IUCN: International Union for the Conservation of Nature – Tourism and Protect Areas Specialist Group
• WWF: World Wildlife Fund

The process of revision of the GSTC-D was borne in mind during much of the work of the GSTC during the period. In particular, two dedicated workshops were held as part of large GSTC gatherings. These took place in Africa and Asia, both continents that were under-represented amongst respondents to the public consultation. The workshops were held in:

• Maun, Botswana, on December 9 th 2018, during the GSTC 2018 Global Conference (150 delegates from 26 countries)
• Chiang Mai, Thailand, on March 1 st 2019, during the GSTC Asia-Pacific Conference (250 delegates from 25 countries).

Both of these workshops had a diverse participation, including government officials, private sector and community-based organizations.

During the first-round consultation, certain key topics were raised by a number of consultees, either directly or by implication, as being underplayed in the original criteria, amongst which the following deserve particular mention :

• Management responsibility. The existence of some form of coordinating body responsible for destination management and sustainability was seen as a fundamental requirement. It needs to involve civil society, alongside the public and private sectors, and to have sufficient capacity to perform its functions. It should be the first criterion.
• Strategy . The destination management strategy should also include an action plan. It should be monitored and reviewed, have political support and relate to wider policies.
• Over-tourism . Concern about over-tourism was frequently mentioned. Comments pointed to a need for overall visitor management, including issues of visitor volume and dispersal. Regulation of operations, e.g. sub-letting, is a related topic.
• Resident engagement and feedback. While public participation and feedback from residents was included in the original criteria, it was felt that it should have more emphasis and be seen as an important aspect of overall management to be covered in Pillar A. There should also be a greater emphasis on community awareness and capacity building with respect to tourism.
• Visitor engagement. Visitors should be better informed about sustainability and their reaction to this should be included in visitor surveys.
• Enterprise engagement. Tourism enterprises are key stakeholders and there should be a stronger reference to engaging with them beyond promoting sustainability standards.
• Retention of income locally. Support for local tourism businesses and local supply chains should be seen in the context of reducing economic leakage and fostering linkage.
• Visitor sites. The original terminology for sites and attractions was considered to be confusing. Management should address the area around key sites as well as within them.
• Intangible cultural heritage. This was considered to be a gap and should be covered specifically in the criteria.

These topics, along with certain others, were reflected in the changes proposed in the first draft of the revised GSTC-D.

The re-arrangement of the GSTC Destination Criteria into four sections, each with two or three sub-sections, is shown below. This new structure was designed to introduce a clear logic and to make the criteria more coherent and easier to understand. The order of the sections and sub-sections was not intended to indicate the relative importance of each topic.

SECTION A: Sustainable management

A(a) Management structure and framework A(b) Stakeholder engagement A(c) Managing pressure and change

SECTION B: Socio-economic sustainability

B(a) Delivering local economic benefits B(b) Social wellbeing and impacts

SECTION C: Cultural sustainability

C(a) Protecting cultural heritage C(b) Visiting cultural sites

SECTION D: Environmental sustainability

D(a) Conservation of natural heritage D(b) Resource management D(c) Management of waste and emissions

The revision also sought to refine the language used, with careful wordsmithing designed to ensure the clarity of each criterion.

The performance indicators presented alongside the Destination Criteria are designed to provide guidance in measuring compliance with the criteria. They are not intended to be the definitive set or all-inclusive, but to provide a solid sample set for users of the GSTC-D in developing their own indicator sets. The performance indicators essentially provide a suggested list of circumstances, factors, evidence and actions to be looked for in a destination when assessing compliance with the criteria.

Application of the criteria will help a destination to contribute towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. Against each of the Destination Criteria, one or more of the 17 SDGs is identified, to which it most closely relates.

———————–

[1] A destination has been defined by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as: “A physical space with or without administrative and/or analytical boundaries in which a visitor can spend an overnight. It is the cluster (co-location) of products and services, and of activities and experiences along the tourism value chain and a basic unit of analysis of tourism. A destination incorporates various stakeholders and can network to form larger destinations”.

[2] Suggested performance indicators are also published for each criterion, although these do not undergo a formal stakeholder evaluation process and are not considered part of the standard per se.

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• Programmes Consumer Information for SCP Sustainable Buildings and Construction Sustainable Food Systems Sustainable Lifestyles & Education Sustainable Public Procurement Sustainable Tourism
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The GSTC Criteria as a touchstone for tourism businesses and destinations

• Published on January 8, 2018

External source(s)

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Certification criteria

• Effective sustainable management Conformance with the legal and administrative requirements, depiction of an accurate brand image.
• Social and economic issues Impacts that the tourism business has on the well-being of its employees and the local community.
• Environment How the tourism business conserves its resources and reduces pollution. Another major aspect is conservation of biodiversity, ecosystems and landscapes.
• Cultural heritage The way the tourism business engages with and protects the cultural heritage.

One certificate can include the group of hotels or several legal entities

• Single certification Organizations operating out of one site: a single location with one physical address, e.g. Single Hotel or Single Tour-operator
• Multi Site certification Organizations at more than one location / physical address.All sites are individually audited against the GSTC Standard. Not all requirements would necessarily apply to all sites, e.g. hotel chain with properties in different locations, or tour operator working in different locations within the same destination.
• Group certification The group designates a central office that establishes internal controls and is responsible for sites compliance. UCSL will audit the central office and a sample of sites instead of every site receiving an audit as in a multi-site certificate. E.g. group of Hotels / Tour-operators in one Destination , or group of small independent Hotels from different owners that wish to apply for the GSTC Standard Certification at a given destination.

Benefits of GSTC certification for tourism businesses

Other certification systems

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Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria

Promoting and implementing universal sustainable tourism principles around the world.

• Client: Global Sustainable Tourism Council
• Partners: United Nations Foundation, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Rainforest Alliance, Sabre Holdings, Travelocity, Expedia Inc., United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
• Project Duration: March 2007 – May 2009

Project Description 

Sustainable tourism is on the rise: consumer demand is growing, travel industry suppliers are developing new green programs, and governments are creating new policies to encourage sustainable practices in tourism. But what does sustainable tourism really mean? How can it be measured and credibly demonstrated to build consumer confidence, promote efficiency, and fight greenwashing? In order to mainstream sustainable tourism it must be easy to understand for tourists and tourism businesses alike. There must be educational tools and market access mechanisms to drive learning about sustainability as well as create tangible financial incentives.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria were developed as part of a broad initiative managed by The Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC Partnership), a coalition of over 40 organizations working together to foster increased understanding of sustainable tourism practices and the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles. In an effort to come to a common understanding of sustainable tourism, the GSTC Partnership—initiated by the Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Foundation, and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)—developed a set of baseline criteria organized around the four pillars of sustainable tourism: effective sustainability planning; maximizing social and economic benefits to the local community; reduction of negative impacts to cultural heritage; and reduction of negative impacts to environmental heritage. For more information please visit http://www.gstcouncil.org/.

Major Activities

To initially develop the Criteria, Solimar supported the partnership through consultation with sustainability experts and the tourism industry and reviewed more than 60 existing certification and voluntary sets of criteria already being implemented around the globe. Major activities include:

• Establishing partnerships:  formed a coalition of relevant stakeholders to come together to develop, adopt, and promote universal sustainable tourism criteria.
• Increasing awareness of sustainable tourism:  creating and disseminating educational materials based on the criteria to help tourism businesses understand sustainable best practices.
• Developing Indicators:  creating a set of measurement resources for the criteria so that certification programs and businesses can begin a measurable form of criteria implementaion
• Building capacity:  creating a self-assessment tool for to guide businesses through the process of implementing sustainable best practices and providing guidelines for education and training bodies such as universities to follow and use.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) serves as the international body for fostering increased knowledge and understanding of sustainable tourism practices, promoting the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles and building demand for sustainable travel. This is accomplished through the work executed by its diverse programs: international standard-setting, destination stewardship, education and training, market access, and accreditation. Solimar has supported the GSTC through:

• The development of a dynamic and interactive website that serves as an educational hub for tourism businesses on how to become more sustainable and acquire the resources necessary to initiate, increase, or improve their sustainable operations.
• The creation and implementation of a comprehensive social media strategy
• An open source self-assessment tool for businesses to measure their current operations against the GSTC and identify areas of improvement.
• Ongoing technical support for detailed global consultation of tourism stakeholders

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Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information.

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Advancing Sustainable Tourism and Conservation in Seychelles' Vallée de Mai" World Heritage Site amidst Adversity"

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global tourism industry faced significant setbacks, particularly affecting economies heavily reliant on tourism, like Seychelles. The pandemic showed the vulnerability of tourism, leading to a drastic decline of over 70% in foreign visitors to Seychelles in 2020. This downturn highlighted the nation's dependence on tourism revenue to sustain its population and facilitate international imports, emphasizing the need to strengthen its tourism infrastructure.

Reflecting on the project's impact, Beguita Bellard, a member of the Praslin Sales team, expressed its significance, stating, "I found the retail management training to be incredibly valuable. The training provided us with practical strategies to enhance our sales techniques and better connect with our customers."

In the annals of Seychelles' conservation and sustainable tourism narrative, this endeavour stands as a testament to resilience and ingenuity, safeguarding a cherished haven for generations to come.

Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF)

Sustainable Tourism Türkiye 17+

Turkiye turizm tanitim ve gelistirme ajansi, designed for ipad, screenshots, description.

The 'Sustainable Tourism' application, developed by the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency under the leadership of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, is a platform where guests interested in a responsible and sustainable holiday experience can access detailed information about the 'Sustainable Tourism Program' developed in cooperation with the GSTC, as well as the 'Safe Tourism Program.' They can also find verified/certified facility alternatives in Türkiye that have been granted verification or certification for complying with international sustainable tourism criteria recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

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The developer, TURKIYE TURIZM TANITIM VE GELISTIRME AJANSI , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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The developer does not collect any data from this app.

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Public Consultation

Revision of the gstc accreditation manual for certification of hotel/accommodation & tour operator v.4.0, gstc2024 global conference, royal djurgården, stockholm, sweden - april 23-26, gstc criteria, the global sustainability standards in travel and tourism, gstc industry criteria for hotels, gstc industry criteria with performance indicators for hotels.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria and Suggested Indicators for Hotels were created in an effort to come to a common understanding of sustainable tourism, and are the minimum that a hotel (or any type of built accommodations) business should aspire to reach.

The Hotel Criteria are organized around four main themes: effective sustainability planning, maximizing social and economic benefits for the local community, enhancing cultural heritage, and reducing negative impacts to the environment. The Criteria for Hotels are the same as for Tour Operators, both are identical to the GSTC Industry Criteria, but the Performance Indicators vary between Hotels and Tour Operators.

The Hotel Criteria are the same as for Tour Operators, and both are identical to the GSTC Industry Criteria, but the Performance Indicators vary between Tour Operators and Hotels. NOTE: Prior to December 2016, GSTC offered the combined Hotel & Tour Operator Criteria, but have now separated them for two reasons: 1) to create distinct Performance Indicators for each; and, 2) to create a framework for future additional subsector Criteria (examples may include Attractions, Cruise, MICE, Transport, etc.) based on the Industry Criteria.

The performance indicators presented here are designed to provide guidance in measuring compliance with the GSTC Criteria for Hotels.

Download Hotel Criteria and Performance Indicators

Download in other languages here

Global Sustainable Tourism Council Criteria for Tourism Industry (GSTC-I) with suggested performance indicators for Hotels

Global sustainable tourism council criteria for hotels – suggested performance indicators version 3, 21 december 2016.

Note on the usage of the GSTC Criteria:

• The GSTC encourages broad use and application of the GSTC Criteria, which are available from this website free of charge for their non-commercial use.
• However, the GSTC reserves the right to assess and charge fees for the commercial use of the GSTC Criteria.