The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) is excited to declare that the “Preferred by Nature Standard for Sustainable Travel Activities v1.0” available in both English and Spanish, has been officially acknowledged as a GSTC-Recognized Standard. This designation confirms its alignment with the GSTC Industry Criteria.
Preferred by Nature, a global non-profit focused on sustainable land management and ethical business strategies, offers certification, consulting, and advisory services to enhance environmental sustainability across organizations and businesses.
The Preferred by Nature Standard for Sustainable Travel Activities provides a detailed framework that supports travel organizations in implementing sustainable practices. It focuses on preserving biodiversity and ecosystems in travel locales and furthers the socioeconomic and cultural progress of local communities by involving them in economic activities and bolstering regional cultural and heritage values. By embedding sustainability in its operations, the Standard seeks to foster beneficial outcomes for people, nature, and the climate within the travel sector.
The GSTC-Recognized status is given to standards that have undergone a thorough evaluation by GSTC technical experts and the GSTC Assurance Panel and have been found to meet the GSTC Criteria for sustainable tourism. This recognition is based on adherence to four key principles of the GSTC Criteria: Sustainable Management, Socioeconomic impacts, Cultural factors, and Environmental sustainability.
The recognition of a standard by GSTC does not pertain to the certification process, which involves a third-party evaluation to ensure adherence to these standards, nor does it relate to accreditation, which is the formal verification that a certification body is competent and neutral according to international certification standards.
The standard applies globally to hotels and tour operators and will remain valid until there are changes to either the standard itself or the GSTC Industry Criteria. It includes a deadline for Preferred by Nature to seek accreditation by December 31, 2024.
“We are delighted to receive the news that the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has officially recognized our Preferred by Nature Standard for Sustainable Travel Activities V1.0, and soon plan to continue on this path by formally applying for full GSTC-accreditation. This recognition marks a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to promoting sustainable travel practices globally, further reinforcing our mission to drive positive environmental and social impact in the travel industry,” says Saúl Blanco Sosa, Director of the Sustainable Travel Programme at Preferred by Nature.
“Preferred by Nature demonstrates its dedication to a broad and global strategy by aligning with the principles of the Four Pillars of the GSTC Criteria, proving its commitment to a more sustainable future,” says Randy Durband, CEO of GSTC.
As of now, 73 standards have received the GSTC-Recognized status. This status provides evidence that these standards comply with international guidelines. Although GSTC Recognition does not verify the reliability of the certification process itself, it does confirm that the standards used for certification match the GSTC Criteria. Owners of GSTC-Recognized standards are urged to undergo and complete the accreditation process to ensure their certification practices are transparent, rigorous, and meet international best practices.
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