Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria

Challenge

How can we establish a globally accepted framework for sustainable tourism that is adaptable across diverse destinations and embraced by all industry stakeholders?

Solution

Solimar partnered with the UN Foundation, Expedia, and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism Criteria to create the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. The GSTC criteria is a universally applicable set of sustainable tourism standards. Solimar co-led a global initiative to embed sustainable tourism best practices across the tourism industry. Solimar contributed thought leadership, created an open-source self-assessment tool, led global awareness efforts, and built the capacity of destinations and businesses to measure and improve their sustainability practices. By aligning industry actors behind a shared vision of sustainability, the project helped launch the criteria and position GSTC as the global authority in the space.

Results and Impact

40+

Organizations engaged to develop globally accepted GSTC Criteria

34

Criteria developed around four main domains

100k+

Users accessed educational and assessment tools via the GSTC website

Lessons Learned

1.

Universal Frameworks Must Be Locally Grounded – The GSTC Criteria gained traction because they provided a flexible global framework that respected local context. Solimar ensured tools were adaptable and relevant across cultures and geographies.

2.

Partnerships Amplify Impact – By forming a coalition of over 40 organizations—from UN agencies to large travel companies —Solimar helped turn a niche idea into a global movement. Collaboration was key to adoption and credibility.

3.

Education Enables Implementation – Sustainable tourism requires understanding. Solimar’s development of educational materials and awareness campaigns empowered tourism actors to translate principles into action.

4.

Tools Drive Behavior Change – The self-assessment tool provided destinations and businesses with a practical way to measure and improve performance, turning theory into progress.

5.

Sustainability is an Ongoing Journey – Sustainability is not a one-time achievement—it’s a continuous process. Solimar’s technical support and ongoing engagement helped GSTC ensure the Criteria remained relevant and actionable over time.

  • author

    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow‑mindedness“

    Mark Twain | American Writer

  • author

    “Travel shows that all people cry, laugh, eat and die; by demonstrating this shared humanity, travel introduces the idea that if we try to understand each other, we might become friends“

    Maya Angelou | American Poet

  • author

    “We initially travel to lose ourselves and then to find ourselves. Travel opens our hearts and eyes and teaches us more than newspapers ever will.“

    Pico Iyer | British Novelist

  • author

    “Move. as far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in somebody else’s shoes–or at least eat their food–it’s a plus for everybody. Open your mind. Get up off the couch. Move.“

    Anthony Bourdain | American Chef

  • author

    “One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things“

    Henry Miller | American Novelist

  • author

    “There is no future for travel and tourism if you’re not welcomed and embraced by the local community.“

    Talib Rifai | Jordanian Businessman

  • author

    “Tourism does not go to a city that has lost its soul.“

    Arthur Frommer | American Writer

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