The document discusses the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), which establishes global standards for sustainable tourism and promotes their adoption. The GSTC has developed criteria for hotels/tour operators, destinations, and the tourism industry, covering environmental, social, economic, and cultural issues. Destinations can pursue a GSTC assessment to evaluate their sustainability practices across four pillars. The GSTC also offers training and certification to build capacity in sustainable tourism.

1. www.gstcouncil.org
Global Criteria for Sustainable
Tourism
Luigi Cabrini
Chair, Global Sustainable Tourism Council
Advisor UNWTO
PM4SD Summer School _
October 2017- Parco della Sila

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The GSTC
“Promoting the adoption of universal sustainable tourism
principles and building demand for sustainable travel.”

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The GSTC
“Establishing and managing global sustainable tourism
standards to ensure the tourism industry continues to drive
conservation and poverty alleviation.”

4. Some Members

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GSTC Criteria
Each set has 41 criteria ( and 105 indicators) in 4 pillars:
Sustainability
Management
Social &
Economic
Cultural Environmental
To date, three sets of GSTC Criteria have been developed:
Criteria for Hotels and Tour Operators (2008, revised 2012, 2017)
Criteria for Destinations (Nov 2013)
Criteria for Industry (Jan 2017)

6. Of public domain... in 20 different languages

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GSTC-D
GSTC Criteria for Destinations
( relevant to manage “overtourism”)

8. A1 – Sustainable Destination Strategy
The destination has established and is
implementing a multi-year destination
strategy that is publicly available, is suited
to its scale; that considers environmental,
economic, social, cultural, quality, health
and safety, and aesthetic issues, and was
developed with public participation.
________________________________

9. A2 – Destination Management Organization
The destination has an effective organization,
department, group, or committee responsible for a
coordinated approach to sustainable tourism, with
involvement by the private sector and public sector. The
group is suited to the size and scale of the destination,
and has defined
responsibilities, oversight, and implementation capability
for the management of environmental, economic, social,
and cultural issues. The group’s activities are
appropriately funded.
________________________________

10. A3 – Monitoring
The destination has a system to
monitor, publicly report, and
respond to environmental,
economic, social, cultural tourism,
and human rights issues. The
monitoring system is reviewed
and evaluated periodically.

11. A4 – Tourism Seasonality Management
The destination dedicates resources
to mitigate seasonal variability of
tourism where appropriate, working
to balance the needs of the local
economy, community, cultures and
environment, to identify year-round
tourism opportunities.
________________________________

12. C2 – Visitor Management
The destination has a visitor
management system for attraction
sites that includes measures to
preserve, protect, and enhance
natural and cultural sites.
______________________________
__

13. C3 – Visitor Behavior
The destination has published and
provided guidelines for proper visitor
behavior at sensitive sites. Such
guidelines are designed to minimize
adverse impacts on sensitive sites
and strengthen positive visitor
behaviors.
________________________________

14. Work Areas
Integrity programme
Destinations
Education and training
Market access
Communication
Areas

15. Many labels…much confusion

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GSTC Integrity Program
• GSTC Recognized means that standards comply with
the GSTC Criteria.
• GSTC Accredited mean that certification programs
meet requirements for independence, transparency,
and competency. (Not just the standard, but the
process in which the standard is used).

17. X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X Certification Bodies
Codes for sustainable standards, certification, accreditation
in all sectors
Accreditation Bodies

18. Certification Bodies
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
is built into each level
Accreditation Bodies

19. Paper towels in Korea with the FSC logo
Eco-labeling is on the rise
Novotel amenities
Rainforest Alliance
fair trade coffee at
McDonalds

20. Travel products have very little consumer-facing
ecolabeling
Travel & Tourism offers services
…these are more difficult to label than are tangible
commodity products
However…
The GSTC framework is now applied to making supply
chains more sustainable…two leading cases

21. To demonstratetheir commitment to social and environmental
good practice, weexpect our own hotelsand our hotel partners
to implement crediblesustainability certifica tions. Our ambition
isto increasethenumber of hotelsachievingcertifica tion so
that by 2020 we can takemorethan 10 million customersto
hotelswith crediblecertifica tions up from 5.6 million in 2015.
GSTCisaglobal initiativededicated to promotingsustainable
tourism practicesaround theworld. At thecore of their efforts
aretheGlobal SustainableTourism Criteria, aset of voluntary
principlescoveringall aspectsof sustainability – environmental,
social and economic– that provideaframeworkfor assessing
thesustainability of tourismbusinesses.
TUI focuseson certifica tionsthat arealigned with theGlobal
SustainableTourism riteria. urrently 25 standardshave
achieved GSTCrecognition or approval, includingTravelife,
Earthcheck, Green Key and Green Globe.
www.gstcouncil.org
We arestrongadvocatesof theTravelifesustainability
certific
a
tion scheme.TUI isTravelife’slargest supporter, with
morethan 450 certified ho telsfeatured in our product offering
in 2015. Weplay an activeroleon theTravelife Board and
SteeringCommitteeand helped to develop new, stricter criteria
launched in June2014.Thenewcriteriaadhereto international
standards(includingGST and EU Ecolabel) and cover areas
such asreducingwaste, useof water, energy and harmful
chemicals, supportinglocal communitiesand protecting
employees,wildlife and human rights.
www.travelife.org
sustainability certifica tions
50 of our hotels(representingnearly
5. million customers) weresubscribed
or certifie
d
t oTravelifeor awarded aGST
certific
a
tion in 2015.

22. Royal Caribbean & WWF Set Sustainability Goals
Sustainable Seafood Target
Responsibly source 90 percent of its wild-caught
seafood by volume from MSC certified
sustainable fisheries by 2020
Global Tour Operations Target
By the end of 2019, all “sustainable tours” offered
by RCL will be provided by GSTC certified
operators

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1. Desktop Scoping;
Stakeholder and
Document Mapping
2. Onsite: Opening
Stakeholder Workshop
3. Stakeholder
Consultation and Site
Visits
4. Preliminary Results
Validation Workshop
5. GSTC Assessment
Report
GSTC Destination Assessment Process

24. www.gstcouncil.org
1. Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA
2. Mt. Huangshan, China
3. St. Kitts & Nevis, West Indies
4. Fjords Norway
5. Lanzarote, Spain
6. Okavango Delta, Botswana
7. Cuzco & Sacred Valley, Peru
8. Lago Llanquihue, Chile
9. Southern Sardinia, Italy
10. Mara Naboisho Conservancy,
Kenya
11. St. Croix, USVI
12. Sierra Gorda, Mexico
13. Samoa, South Pacific
14. Riviera Maya, Mexico
15. Lombok, Indonesia*
16. Sieman, Indonesia*
17. Pangandaran, Indonesia*
18. Wakatobi, Indonesia*
19. Cayman Islands, West Indies
20. Sinaloa Sur, Mexico
21. Sedona, Arizona, USA
22. Hwaseong Fortress, Suwon
City, Republic of Korea*

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Analysis of Sustainability Practices
N/A 0 1 2 3
Not
applicable to
the
destination
No
documented
policy exists
Documented
policy,
however no
evidence of
enforcement
Documented
policy, plus
evidence of
enforcement
Documented
policy, plus
evidence of
enforcement,
plus rises to
the level of
good practice

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Assessment: Analysis per Pillar
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
A B C D
0
1
2
3
N/A

27. Presential and online courses on criteria content and application aimed at
different groups: tourism and environmental officials, national and regional level;
destination managers, private sector, certification auditors, NGOs
Opportunity to take the official GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program
(STTP) Exam, and upon successful completion, receive a Certificate in Sustainable
Tourism by the GSTC to demonstrate your knowledge of sustainable tourism
standards and practices.
Capacity Building

28. Thank you!
chair@gstcouncil.org
www.gstcouncil.org