The GSTC Knowledge Hub provides a curated collection of practical resources designed to support professionals working in sustainable tourism. It brings together technical documentation, tools, and explanatory content to help destinations, tourism businesses, and sector stakeholders better understand sustainability practices and apply them in their daily work. The Hub is intended as a reference space for those seeking clear, reliable, and structured information to support responsible tourism planning, management, and continuous improvement.
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The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC) establishes and manages global standards for sustainable travel and tourism, known as the GSTC Standards.
The GSTC Standards form the foundation Accreditation for Certification Bodies that certify hotels/accommodations, tour operators/transport providers, and destinations as having sustainable policies and practices in place. GSTC does not directly certify any products or services; but provides an accreditation program to accredit Certification Bodies.
The GSTC is an independent and neutral organization, legally registered in the USA as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that represents a diverse and global membership, including national and provincial governments, leading travel companies, hotels, tour operators, NGO’s, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism. It is a virtual organization without a main office, with staff and volunteers working from all six populated continents. Financial support from donations, sponsorship, and membership fees allows us to provide services at low costs and to create, revise, and make available the GSTC Standards. The GSTC is an ISEAL Community Member, a global membership organization for ambitious, collaborative, and transparent sustainability systems; as well as an Association Member of The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and an Associate Member with the InterAmerican Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC).
Membership is open to all interested parties and does not by itself imply endorsement by the GSTC of the policies and practices of the member organization.
There are five sets of standards:
- GSTC Destination Standard for public policy-makers and destination managers
- GSTC Hotel Standard for hotels and accommodations
- GSTC Tour Operator Standard
- GSTC MICE Standard for Venues, Event Organizers, and Events & Exhibitions
- GSTC Attraction Standard for tourist attractions such as theme parks, museums, and national parks
They are the result of a worldwide effort to develop a common language about sustainability in tourism. They are arranged in four pillars: (A) Sustainable management; (B) Socioeconomic impacts; (C) Cultural impacts; and (D) Environmental impacts. Since tourism destinations each have their own culture, environment, customs, and laws, the Criteria are designed to be adapted to local conditions and supplemented by additional criteria for the specific location and activity.
GSTC defines certification as a voluntary, third-party assessment, through an audit, of a tourism enterprise or destination for conformity to the GSTC Standards. GSTC does not conduct certification but rather accredits those bodies that do certify.
GSTC Accreditation is a designation of certification bodies who demonstrate their capability to issue certifications based on merit and neutrality. Being GSTC-Accredited means that the certification body conducts certification in accordance with processes compliant with international standards and best practices.
GSTC Recognized Standards is a status GSTC designates to a set of standards that are equivalent to the GSTC Standards. This means that the GSTC has verified that the standard aligns with the GSTC Standards and that any additional clauses do not contradict GSTC Standards requirements. GSTC recognition does not ensure the certification process is reliable, only that the set of standards used to certify includes the minimum elements to ensure sustainability.
GSTC-Committed is a pledge that organizations can make declaring a commitment to fully implement the GSTC Standards into its policies and operations. Gaining GSTC-Committed status requires a review by GSTC of evidence confirming an organization has adopted the GSTC Standards with a clearly documented plan for implementation.