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| GSTC | |
|---|---|
| Name | GSTC |
| Type | Non-profit standard-setting body |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Unknown |
| Key people | See Governance and Membership |
GSTC
The GSTC is an international organization that develops and manages standards for sustainable practices in the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors. It produces consensus-based criteria used by certification bodies, corporations, destinations, and NGOs to assess environmental, social, and cultural performance across operations and supply chains. The organization engages with a wide range of stakeholders including certification bodies, hotel groups, airlines, cruise lines, multilateral institutions, and environmental NGOs.
The GSTC maintains a suite of globally recognized criteria intended to guide performance in areas such as energy use, water conservation, waste management, community engagement, labor rights, cultural heritage protection, and biodiversity conservation. Its work is referenced by organizations involved with United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations World Tourism Organization, World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and corporate actors such as Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, AccorHotels, and InterContinental Hotels Group. Certification bodies and programs that align with GSTC criteria include EarthCheck, Green Key Global, Green Globe, Rainforest Alliance, and Biosphere Responsible Tourism. Public-sector stakeholders that reference GSTC output include national tourism ministries in countries like Costa Rica, Spain, Thailand, and New Zealand.
The GSTC emerged from multi-stakeholder efforts in the mid-2000s to harmonize disparate sustainability standards in tourism. Early inputs came from meetings involving actors such as United Nations World Tourism Organization, United Nations Environment Programme, World Travel & Tourism Council, and NGOs like Conservation International and WWF. Founding discussions referenced best practices from industry actors including American Hotel & Lodging Association and certification pioneers such as Green Globe and EarthCheck. Over successive years the GSTC revised criteria in consultation with experts from institutions such as Harvard University, University of Oxford, Cornell University, and sectoral bodies like Cruise Lines International Association. Major milestones included publication of initial criteria, periodic revisions timed with international policy debates at forums like the UN Climate Change Conference, and recognition by some national tourism boards that integrated GSTC-aligned language into procurement and destination management policies.
GSTC criteria are organized into thematic pillars covering environmental, socio-economic, and cultural sustainability. These pillars align with international frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and draw on guidance from specialized bodies like International Labour Organization, Convention on Biological Diversity, and UNESCO conventions on cultural heritage. The criteria address measurable indicators that can be evaluated by third-party auditors, referencing methodologies similar to those used by ISO standards and environmental reporting practices promoted by organizations like Global Reporting Initiative and Carbon Disclosure Project. Revisions to criteria have been informed by scientific research from institutions such as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, World Resources Institute, and academic studies published in journals linked to Nature and Science.
GSTC itself does not directly certify hotels, tour operators, or destinations; instead, it accredits third-party certification bodies that demonstrate alignment with GSTC criteria. Accreditation processes mirror procedures used by accreditation entities like International Accreditation Forum and involve document review, witness audits, and periodic reassessment. Certification bodies that achieve alignment then audit operators using protocols comparable to those applied by Bureau Veritas and SGS. The process for businesses typically entails baseline assessment, implementation of corrective actions, formal audit, and issuance of a certificate valid for a defined period, with surveillance audits and re-certification required to maintain status.
Governance structures include a board, technical committees, and stakeholder councils drawing representatives from corporations, NGOs, academia, and certification bodies. Prominent institutional participants over time have included representatives associated with World Bank, European Commission, US Agency for International Development, and philanthropic funders such as Rockefeller Foundation. Membership and advisory roles have featured experts formerly affiliated with universities like University of Cambridge and organizations such as Skål International and The Travel Foundation. Decision-making processes are intended to be consensus-driven and to incorporate public comment periods similar to processes used by international standards bodies like ISO.
Supporters argue that GSTC-aligned accreditation contributes to harmonization across certification schemes, enabling clearer market signals for travelers, investors, and procurement agencies including multilateral lenders such as Asian Development Bank and European Investment Bank. Case studies reported by destination management agencies in places like Rwanda and Iceland suggest operational improvements in resource efficiency and community engagement. Critics, including some academics and NGOs, have raised concerns about the voluntary nature of alignment, potential greenwashing when certificates are used as marketing tools without substantive change, and the capacity of small operators to meet requirements without external funding. Debates echo critiques leveled at the broader sustainability certification field involving entities like Fairtrade International and Forest Stewardship Council.
GSTC interacts with a web of initiatives concerned with sustainable travel: certification schemes such as Green Key Global and Green Globe; conservation partnerships with World Wildlife Fund and BirdLife International; destination-level programs supported by entities like UNEP and UNWTO; and corporate sustainability programs run by groups such as AccorHotels, Marriott International, and Hilton Worldwide. Collaborative projects have linked GSTC criteria to carbon accounting initiatives like Science Based Targets initiative and market platforms such as Booking.com and Expedia Group which feature sustainability labeling. Cross-sector dialogues have occurred at forums including COP, World Economic Forum, and industry conferences like ITB Berlin and WTM London.
Category:Tourism standards