GSTC Certification
for Tour Operators
The international standard that guides tour operators in adopting sustainable environmental, social, and management practices.
What is the GSTC
Tour Operator
Certification?
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is the international reference organization for promoting sustainable tourism. Through the GSTC certification, tour operators can tangibly demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and gain credible recognition that is valued globally by customers, partners, and industry operators.
The GSTC standards for tour operators are globally recognized and are based on four fundamental pillars that guide sustainable tourism:
Sustainable Management (Governance): adoption of effective and responsible governance;
Socio-economic Sustainability: creating benefits for the local community and reducing negative impacts;
Cultural Sustainability: enhancement and protection of cultural heritage;
Environmental Sustainability: protecting the environment and reducing impacts on the territory.
Vireo is accredited by Accredia under the ISO 17065 standard for the GSTC scheme worldwide, in compliance with European Regulation EC 765/2008. The accreditation certificate is available at the following link.
Vireo’s GSTC accreditation can also be verified directly on the official GSTC website, confirming the full transparency and reliability of our operations.
Why choose the GSTC certification?
International standard with third-party verification | Self declared eco labelsProprietary standards and verification | ||
|---|---|---|---|
International recognition |  | | |
Specific to tourism | | | |
Covers social, environmental, cultural, and governance aspects | |
| |
Stakeholder involvement in standard development | |
| |
Not a private scheme | |
| |
Third-party certification by an accredited body | |
| |
Recognized for access to public funding calls | | Depends |
Frequently
Asked
Questions
Being GSTC certified means ensuring transparency, credibility, and a concrete commitment to sustainability. Certification helps improve operational processes, attract customers who are attentive to environmental and social responsibility, and strengthen reputation in the international market.
The GSTC label is obtained through the certification service offered by Vireo, an organization accredited by Accredia for the certification of hotels and tour operators.
The GSTC certification process with Vireo involves a number of key steps:
• Pre-audit activities: the tour operator gathers the data related to its tours and involved suppliers;
• Certification audit (Main Assessment): a team of qualified auditors verifies compliance with GSTC standard requirements on the field;
• Issuance of the certificate: if the audit is successful, the GSTC certificate is issued within a few weeks, confirming international recognition of the tour operator's sustainability.
This process guarantees transparency, independence and credibility, allowing the company to demonstrate its commitment to certified sustainable tourism in concrete terms.
The time required varies depending on the tour operator's preparation, but on average it takes two to three months from the submission of documentation to the audit, until the certification is issued.
The certification is valid for three years, with annual maintenance checks to ensure that standards are maintained over time. Costs depend on the size and complexity of the business (type of tours offered, number and type of suppliers involved, geographical areas in which the tour operator organises its activities).
To obtain certification, the organisation must demonstrate compliance with the four pillars of the GSTC criteria: sustainable management, benefits for the local community, enhancement of cultural heritage and reduction of environmental impacts.
The audits are conducted by qualified Vireo auditors with specific experience in the sustainable tourism sector.
The GSTC Industry Criteria contain all the requirements that tourism operators (tour operators, agencies, MICE organizations) must comply with. The standard is available for free in various languages on the official GSTC website, on the page dedicated to the Industry Criteria.
An updated copy of the standard is also available in the download area of this page.
