GSTC attraction standards are being prepared – feedback is welcome
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has launched an international consultation on the development of a sustainability criteria system for attractions. Feedback is invited until March 15 by filling out the following consultation questionnaire:
Briefly about GSTC
The history of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council began in 2007 when 32 partners founded the Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria. The founding partners included the Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Foundation and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism). The aim of the partnership was to promote a better understanding of sustainable tourism practices and the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles. By developing a universally accepted set of criteria, the partnership took the first step towards standardizing a common language for sustainable tourism.
Other members of the GSTC Partnership included the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA), the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), the Caribbean Sustainable Tourism Association (CAST), Choice Hotels, Conde Nast Traveler, Conservation International (CI), ECOTRANS, Expedia, Inc., the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO), HM Design, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Instituto do Hospitalidade, the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA), the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Kenya Ecotourism Society, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), Solimar International, Sustainable Travel International (STI), Tourism Concern, Travelocity/Sabre, and VISIT.
How did the GSTC criteria system develop?
The Partnership consulted with sustainability experts and the tourism industry for 15 months after its inception. During its work, it reviewed more than 60 existing certification and voluntary criteria sets already in use around the world. In total, more than 4,500 criteria were analyzed and more than 80,000 people, including conservationists, industry leaders, government authorities and UN agencies, participated in the development. The Partnership officially launched the criteria on 6 October 2008 at the IUCN World Conservation Congress.
The set of criteria is based on the following four pillars of sustainable tourism:
(1) effective sustainability planning;
(2) maximizing social and economic benefits to the local community;
(3) reducing negative impacts on cultural heritage;
(4) reducing negative environmental impacts.
These were the original GSTC Criteria – sustainability standards for hotels and tour operators.
After the criteria were introduced in October 2008, the GSTC Partnership focused on convincing all tourism stakeholders – from buyers to service providers and consumers – to adopt the criteria.
Not long after, standards-based certifications were developed. Certification bodies were first allowed to accredit their sustainable tourism certification programs with the Sustainable Tourism Supervisory Council, and then from 2010, the GSTC became the organization responsible for accreditation.
Such an accredited certification organization is also available in Hungary. Green Destionations.
GSTC MICE and attraction criteria system in preparation
The two existing GSTC Criteria sets can be used as a tool for businesses (hotels and tour operators) and destination management organizations to consider the economic, social and environmental impacts of their activities. However, there is a clear need to expand the scope of the GSTC Criteria. The growing size of sustainable tourism and the increasing demand for sustainable tourism require global guidelines that further specify the criteria. The MICE criteria set is expected to be published in April 2024, while the attraction criteria are open for comment until 15 March 2024.
The scope of attractions is interpreted broadly by the criteria system, taking into account that the sustainability criteria for natural, cultural and built attractions, as well as for spas and other recreational attractions, may vary.
The development guidelines and goals can be found here: https://www.gstcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/GSTC-Attraction-Criteria-Development_Terms-of-Reference_19082023.pdf
More information: https://www.gstcouncil.org/gstc-attraction-criteria-first-public-consultation-open/
