Hotel in Sóller

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is a non-profit organization that establishes and manages global sustainability standards in the Travel and Tourism Sector known as the GSTC Criteria. Likewise, it offers international accreditation for sustainable tourism Certification Organizations.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council was created in 2007 by the following organizations: the United Nations Foundation, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Organization government Rainforest Alliance, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The GSTC Criteria were created to reach a common understanding in the world of sustainable tourism, and represent the minimum that a tourism company should aim to achieve. The GSTC defines sustainable tourism through four fundamental pillars namely: effective planning and management for sustainability, maximization of social and economic benefits for the local community; strengthening cultural heritage and minimizing negative impacts, maximizing environmental benefits and minimizing negative impacts.