“We are pleased that the CED is joining in our efforts. The tourism industry is growing and we have a responsibility to that growth is done in a responsible way,” said Erika Harms, Executive Director of the GSTC. “We look forward to working with the CED to help implement and explain sustainable tourism so that it becomes as ubiquitous as travel itself.”
The GSTC is made up of members of the tourism and travel industry, including UN agencies, tour operators, travel companies, individual hotels and government tourism councils. Members include: Adventure Travel and Trade Association; American Society of Travel Agents; Audubon International; Belize Tourism Board; Big Five Tours and Expeditions, Inc.; Blackstone Valley Tourism Council; Center for Responsible Travel; Certificaciones de Centroamerica; S.A. Sustainable Tourism; Consorcio Cooperativa Red Eco turística Nacional; Destination Ventures; Earthcheck; European Centre for Ecological and Agricultural Tourism; Eco and Sustainable Tourism Israel; Ecosustainability; Ecotourism Australia; ECOTRANS; Enclave Rising, LLC; Fairmont Hotels and Resorts; Federación Colombiana De Ecoparques; Fundacion Plan 21; GAP Adventures/Planeterra; Green Globe Certification; Green Seal; HM Design; Hostelling International; Instituto de Turismo Responsable; InterContinental Barclay New York; Mexico Tourism Board; Nordic World Heritage Foundation; Our Native Village; Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd; Pronatura Sur, A.C.; Rainforest Alliance; Rara Avis Rainforest Lodge & Reserve; Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd; Sabre Holdings and World Centre of Excellence for Destinations.
The GSTC includes partners from around the globe, and is currently active in Africa, the Americas, Middle East, and East Asia. More than 170 US cities have already adopted the GSTC’s criteria, including San Francisco, CA; Miami, FL; Maui, HI; and Los Angeles, CA.
Information about membership can be found at www.gstcouncil.org.
Over the next three years, the GSTC will work with the members in each region to promote sustainable tourism principles, as well as encourage the adoption of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria. As part of the initiative, each member is committing to promote the GSTC to its customers, vendors and peers. Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee long-term sustainability
For more information about the GSTC, please visit www.gstcouncil.org.
About the GSTC
The GSTC is a global initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism practices around the world. We work to: expand understanding of and access to sustainable tourism practices; educate about - and advocate for - a set of universal principles that define sustainable tourism; and generate markets for sustainable tourism. At the core of our efforts are the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC), a set of voluntary principles that provide a framework for the sustainability of tourism businesses across the globe. For more information, please visit www.gstcouncil.org.
About the CED
The CED is a non-profit organization dedicated to the research and creation of tools to support the development of sustainable tourism for destinations around the world. With its headquarters located in Montréal, the CED began operations in February 2007. The CED has signed partnership agreements with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the National Geographic Society (NGS), George Washington University (GWU), the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), atmosfair gGmbH, Canada Economic Development for the Quebec regions, the Ministère du Tourisme du Québec and the Ministère des Affaires Municipales, des Régions et de l’Occupation du territoire. For further information, please visit the CED website at www.ced.travel.
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Source: World Centre of Excellence for Destinations (CED)
Information: Nathalie Laberinto, CED Executive Secretary
(+1) 514-871-1115 (ext. 226)
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