Sustainability Standards & Assurance in Travel & Tourism The GSTC Criteria
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC), formed by UNEP, UNWTO, conservation groups, and key travel and tourism businesses, sets global standards for sustainable travel and tourism, known as the GSTC Criteria. This initiative is a crucial part of sustainable tourism and hospitality, providing guidelines for applying these criteria and GSTC-Recognized Standards in both private and public sectors.
Created by the UN agencies UNEP and UNWTO in conjunction with conservation groups plus leading travel and tourism businesses, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council®(GSTC) establishes and manages global standards for sustainable travel and tourism, known as the GSTC Criteria. That is GSTC’s foremost mission within the general ecosystem of sustainable tourism and hospitality. Secondly, GSTC provides guidance on how to apply the GSTC Criteria and “GSTC-Recognized Standards” – standards owned by others that formally conform to the GSTC Criteria – to the private and public sectors. Standards are applied in a variety of ways: for training and awareness of the breadth of sustainability, for external verification or “assurance” systems, for guidance and codes of conduct, for self-assessments on the current level of an organization’s holistic approach to sustainability.
The GSTC Industry Criteria have been built out to support strong technical guidance for good certification. This is driven by a well-developed and defined assurance program that conforms to international norms for auditing and certification, to a degree greater than most if not all players in this space.
HYB 2024 Hospitality ESG Edition
The global hospitality sector is at a crossroad when it comes to implementing sustainability. Consumers demand trustworthy information while regulators and investors expect transparent disclosure on sustainability performance. Owners, brands and managers aim to mitigate the sector’s footprint thus reaping the financial and reputational benefits. Industry players that fail to adopt a sustainability strategy or fall short in the implementation stage may struggle to remain competitive in the long term. Industry experts and researchers identify key areas where sustainable innovation can have the greatest impact, developing new technologies and solutions to address sustainability challenges, and creating policies and incentives that encourage the adoption of sustainable practices. The HYB 2024 Hospitality ESG Edition aims to unlock the sustainability innovation stack by highlighting the range and interconnectedness of sustainable technologies, systems, and practices that can be combined in a holistic way that creates a more sustainable hospitality ecosystem.