The mission of the GSTC is “To improve tourism’s potential to be a driver of positive conservation and economic development for communities and businesses around the world and a tool for poverty alleviation”.

The GSTC aims to promote sustainability in tourism by (i) fostering the increased knowledge and understanding of sustainable tourism practices, (ii) promoting the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles and (iii) building demand for sustainable travel.

Year of Establishment 2008

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) establishes and manages globally recognized baseline standards founded on the four pillars of sustainable tourism: effective sustainability planning, maximizing social and economic benefits to the local community, reduction of negative impacts to cultural heritage and reduction of negative impacts to environmental heritage.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria are organized around four main themes

- effective sustainability planning

- maximizing social and economic benefits for the local community

- enhancing cultural heritage

-reducing negative impacts to the environment.

Although the criteria are initially intended for use by the accommodation and tour operation sectors, they have applicability to the entire tourism industry.

*GSTC offers 3 options for standard owners and CBs to gain GSTC endorsement: GSTC recognized Standard, GSTC Approved and GSTC Accredited.

Facts and Figures

108 organizations certified and accredited worldwide

14 destinations certified and accredited worldwide

*15 standards have been Recognized as aligned with the Global Sustainable Tourism

Criteria for hotels and tour operators

*37 criteria organized around 4 main themes.

可持续网站对该标准进行了环境、社会、管理、质量和伦理五个维度的分析，该标准在社会维度占比30%，环境维度占比47%，管理维度占比19%，质量维度占比3%，伦理维度占比1%。具体数据及分析请点击以下链接进行查看： Click to see the standards analysis on ITC Sustainability website.

http://cpvss.org.cn/index.php?r=site%2Fstand-detail&sid=47