Organization Committed to Educating Travelers on Sustainable Tourism

St. Petersburg, FL and Washington, D.C. April 11, 2011) – Waves of Change , a campaign of the International Ocean Institute, announced today that they have joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), an international initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism practices around the world. 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.

“We are pleased to join the GSTC: The Waves of Change has long been concerned with the issues of coastal communities and the positive role that sustainable tourism can play for both disaster reduction and economic development. Through our Blue Community program we look forward to promoting the worthy goals and work of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council” said Dr. David Randle, Waves of Change Managing Director www.wavesofchange.org

“Tourism is one of the few institutions that bring people together in search of both discovery and delight.  As such it a major vehicle to promote international cooperation and understanding.   Waves of Change is premised on these values and endeavoring to give them the widest circulation and engagement. We are honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the vision of sustainability in tourism on a global scale.” said Dr. Noel J. Brown, Waves of Change Director General.

“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. XX of XXX. “As part of this global partnership, we’re dedicating ourselves to helping make sure that businesses thrive and travelers can continue to have special experiences, for generations to come.”

“We are pleased that Waves of Change 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. “We look forward to working with Waves of Change to help implement and explain sustainable tourism through its programs such as the Blue Community conference so that sustainable tourism becomes as ubiquitous as travel itself.”

The GSTC includes partners from around the globe. The organization 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, Waves of Change 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.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council is made up of tourism and travel industry professionals, UN agencies, tour operators, travel companies, individual hotels and government tourism councils. Members include: Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA);AGEG Consultants ;American Hotel and Lodging Association  (AH&LA);American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA);asr - alliance of independent travel traders registered federal association,;Audobon International;Belize Tourism Board (BTB);Big Five Tours & Expeditions;Blackstone Valley Tourism Council- Sustainable Tourism Planning and Development Laboratory;Botswana Tourism Organisation;Cathy Parsons; Caesars Entertainment; Center for Responsible Travel  (CREST);Consorcio Cooperativo Red Ecoturística Nacional (COOPRENA R.L.);Department of Tourism-Leisure- Hotel and Sport Management-Griffith University;Destination Ventures;Earth Check (EC3 Global); EcoBrasil; EcoSustainability; Ecotourism Australia;Ecotourism Israel;ECOTRANS; Enclave Rising; European Centre for Ecological  (ECEAT) and Agricultural Tourism; Evolución Empresarial, S.A.; Fabrizio Antognelli; Fairmont Hotels & Resorts; FEDEC- Federación Colombiana de Eco Parques; Ecoturismo y Turismo de Aventura; Fundación Ecoturismo Argentina, Fundación Natura; Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE); Fundación Plan 21; GAP Adventures /Planeterra  Foundation; Geoff Penrose; Global Center of Excellence for Destination; GREAT Green Deal; Green Globe Certification; Green Leaf Foundation; Green Seal; Gretchen Anderson; HM Design; Honey Guide Foundation; Hostelling International (HI); Hotel Association of Canada; Hotel Manatus; Hotel Villa del Arco; Huab Lodge & BushSPA; Instituto de Turismo Responsible (ITR); International Community Foundation (ICF); Janice Lichtenwaldt; Jeff Cozart; Jorge de Vicente; Joseph Rath; Journey Mexico; M/s. Wood Certification Pvt. Ltd.; Mexico Tourism Board; Mt. Huangshan Scenic Area; National Geographic;Nordic World Heritage Foundation; NepCon Denmark; Our Native Village; Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd; Professor Francois J Odendaal; Pronatura Sur; Q Certification H&R; Rara Avis; Rosemary Black; Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL); Sabre Holdings; Salvanatura Fundacion Ecologica de El Salvador; San Francisco Department of the Environment; School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management University of North Texas; Shrinking Foot; Snow Leopard Adventures; Solimar International; Spenceley Tourism and Development; TourCert; Travel Operators for Tigers (TOFT); STA Travel International Limited; Sustainable Travel International  (STI); The Travel Foundation; Tourism Concern; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); United Nations Foundation; Waves of Change; World Tourism Organization  (UNWTO); University of Utah; VNT Verband neue Touristik e.V.; Wild Asia, Wild China

Information about membership can be found at www.gstcouncil.org.


About the GSTC
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (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 our initiative. For more information visit www.gstcouncil.org.
 

Organization Committed to Educating Travelers on Sustainable Tourism

St. Petersburg, FL and Washington, D.C. April 11, 2011) – Waves of Change , a campaign of the International Ocean Institute, announced today that they have joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), an international initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism practices around the world. 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.

“We are pleased to join the GSTC: The Waves of Change has long been concerned with the issues of coastal communities and the positive role that sustainable tourism can play for both disaster reduction and economic development. Through our Blue Community program we look forward to promoting the worthy goals and work of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council” said Dr. David Randle, Waves of Change Managing Director www.wavesofchange.org

“Tourism is one of the few institutions that bring people together in search of both discovery and delight.  As such it a major vehicle to promote international cooperation and understanding.   Waves of Change is premised on these values and endeavoring to give them the widest circulation and engagement. We are honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the vision of sustainability in tourism on a global scale.” said Dr. Noel J. Brown, Waves of Change Director General.

“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. XX of XXX. “As part of this global partnership, we’re dedicating ourselves to helping make sure that businesses thrive and travelers can continue to have special experiences, for generations to come.”

“We are pleased that Waves of Change 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. “We look forward to working with Waves of Change to help implement and explain sustainable tourism through its programs such as the Blue Community conference so that sustainable tourism becomes as ubiquitous as travel itself.”

The GSTC includes partners from around the globe. The organization 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, Waves of Change 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.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council is made up of tourism and travel industry professionals, UN agencies, tour operators, travel companies, individual hotels and government tourism councils. Members include: Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA);AGEG Consultants ;American Hotel and Lodging Association  (AH&LA);American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA);asr - alliance of independent travel traders registered federal association,;Audobon International;Belize Tourism Board (BTB);Big Five Tours & Expeditions;Blackstone Valley Tourism Council- Sustainable Tourism Planning and Development Laboratory;Botswana Tourism Organisation;Cathy Parsons; Caesars Entertainment; Center for Responsible Travel  (CREST);Consorcio Cooperativo Red Ecoturística Nacional (COOPRENA R.L.);Department of Tourism-Leisure- Hotel and Sport Management-Griffith University;Destination Ventures;Earth Check (EC3 Global); EcoBrasil; EcoSustainability; Ecotourism Australia;Ecotourism Israel;ECOTRANS; Enclave Rising; European Centre for Ecological  (ECEAT) and Agricultural Tourism; Evolución Empresarial, S.A.; Fabrizio Antognelli; Fairmont Hotels & Resorts; FEDEC- Federación Colombiana de Eco Parques; Ecoturismo y Turismo de Aventura; Fundación Ecoturismo Argentina, Fundación Natura; Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE); Fundación Plan 21; GAP Adventures /Planeterra  Foundation; Geoff Penrose; Global Center of Excellence for Destination; GREAT Green Deal; Green Globe Certification; Green Leaf Foundation; Green Seal; Gretchen Anderson; HM Design; Honey Guide Foundation; Hostelling International (HI); Hotel Association of Canada; Hotel Manatus; Hotel Villa del Arco; Huab Lodge & BushSPA; Instituto de Turismo Responsible (ITR); International Community Foundation (ICF); Janice Lichtenwaldt; Jeff Cozart; Jorge de Vicente; Joseph Rath; Journey Mexico; M/s. Wood Certification Pvt. Ltd.; Mexico Tourism Board; Mt. Huangshan Scenic Area; National Geographic;Nordic World Heritage Foundation; NepCon Denmark; Our Native Village; Pacific Asia Tourism Pty Ltd; Professor Francois J Odendaal; Pronatura Sur; Q Certification H&R; Rara Avis; Rosemary Black; Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL); Sabre Holdings; Salvanatura Fundacion Ecologica de El Salvador; San Francisco Department of the Environment; School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management University of North Texas; Shrinking Foot; Snow Leopard Adventures; Solimar International; Spenceley Tourism and Development; TourCert; Travel Operators for Tigers (TOFT); STA Travel International Limited; Sustainable Travel International  (STI); The Travel Foundation; Tourism Concern; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); United Nations Foundation; Waves of Change; World Tourism Organization  (UNWTO); University of Utah; VNT Verband neue Touristik e.V.; Wild Asia, Wild China

Information about membership can be found at www.gstcouncil.org.


About the GSTC
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (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 our initiative. For more information visit www.gstcouncil.org.