GSTC Certification
for the MICE Industry

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is the leading international organization dedicated to the promotion of sustainable tourism.

Founded in 2007 by UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and UNWTO (World Tourism Organization), the GSTC defines global sustainability standards for tourism and ensures their application through an internationally recognized certification system.

The GSTC MICE certification is an international scheme developed by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) to define sustainability criteria applicable to the MICE sector (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions), including:

• Event venues, meaning indoor or outdoor spaces designed or equipped to host events and exhibitions;

• Event organizers, understood as entities that organize events on behalf of a client or event owner;

• Events and exhibitions, meaning temporary occasions (such as meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), organized for a specific purpose and under the responsibility of an identifiable entity.

The GSTC standard for the MICE sector is based on four fundamental principles that guide sustainability in tourism:

• Sustainable management (Governance): adoption of responsible and transparent management systems;

• Socio-economic sustainability: creation of benefits for local communities and protection of the rights of workers and involved stakeholders;

• Cultural sustainability: respect for and enhancement of the cultural and social contexts in which events take place;

• Environmental sustainability: reduction of environmental impacts related to the organization and delivery of events.

The GSTC MICE certification aims to ensure that activities related to the organization and management of events, exhibitions, and MICE venues are carried out in compliance with internationally recognized sustainability criteria, applicable to different geographical, operational, and organizational contexts.

In particular, the standard is designed to:

• provide a global framework for the sustainable management of event venues, event organizers and MICE events;

• ensure that adopted practices are consistent with the environmental, social and economic principles defined by the GSTC throughout the entire event value chain;

• promote the reduction of negative impacts associated with the planning, organization and delivery of events and exhibitions;

• strengthen the credibility, transparency and reliability of MICE organizations towards clients, participants, public authorities and other stakeholders;

• promote a structured and verifiable approach to sustainability, based on clear, comparable and internationally recognized criteria.

Please note

The GSTC MICE certification service is still in the accreditation phase.

At this stage, certification bodies are not yet authorized to conduct verification audits or issue certifications under the GSTC MICE scheme.

However, the GSTC standards already represent a clearly defined international reference that organizations operating in the MICE sector can consult to become familiar with sustainability requirements and begin a path toward alignment with the established criteria. This enables organizations to prepare in a structured and informed manner, in view of the future availability of accreditation and the related certification processes.

For any further information or clarification on the GSTC MICE Standard for your preparation ahead of certification and on the status of Vireo's accreditation process, please feel free to contact us.