(6.4.2011)
Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) announces that we with our Blue Flag and Green Key programmes have joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), an international initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism practices around the world.
“We are pleased to join the GSTC. It is important to have a common understanding of what sustainable tourism is so that travelers can break through the clutter and make informed decisions,” said Finn Bolding Thomsen, Director of FEE. “We are pleased that FEE is joining in our efforts. The tourism industry is growing and we have a responsibility to ensure that growth is done in a responsible way,” said Erika Harms, Executive Director of the GSTC.
GSTC is a global initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism efforts around the world. The GSTC works to expand understanding of and access to sustainable tourism practices; helps identify and generate markets for sustainable tourism; educates about and advocates for a set of universal principles, as defined by the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria. The Criteria, a set of voluntary principles that provide a framework for the sustainability of tourism businesses across the globe, is the cornerstone of the initiative.
The GSTC was founded in partnership by the World Tourism Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, UN Foundation, Rainforest Alliance, Sabre/Travelocity and others. GSTC membership is open to all travel and tourism companies, organizations or individuals interested in sustainable travel.
The GSTC includes partners from around the globe. The organisation is currently active in Africa, the Americas, Middle East, and East Asia. More than 170 US cities have already adopted the GSTC Criteria including San Francisco, Miami, Maui, and Los Angeles.
As a new member, FEE will work with the GSTC in its 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 commits to promoting the GSTC to its customers, vendors and peers. Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development. A suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee lasting sustainability.
More information about GSTC can be found at
www.gstcouncil.org.
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