The GSTC Criteria will allow tourism-related food service providers to manage their kitchens, dining facilities and services more sustainably. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/suwanphoto
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), with support from the
Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), is advancing its
global sustainability standards by developing a new set of criteria
specifically for tourism-related food service providers.
New criteria for sustainable food services
As gastronomy tourism continues to grow, there is a rising demand for
sustainable practices within the industry. Recognising this need, the
GSTC is creating global guidelines that will help restaurants and other
food service providers manage their operations more sustainably. These
guidelines will focus on reducing costs through sustainability
initiatives, protecting ecosystems and biodiversity, preserving local
cultures, and supporting local economies.
The GSTC's commitment to sustainable tourism
extends to ensuring that best practices are adopted by industry
players, destinations, and travellers alike. With the introduction of
these new criteria, the GSTC will also launch a training programme
tailored for restaurants and tourism food service providers, building on
its Sustainable Tourism Training Program.
“All of the specific sets of GSTC Criteria are widely regarded as
‘the global standards for sustainable tourism’ due to our highly
inclusive process of developing them and because their foundation is
UN-developed and compatible with the SDGs,” says GSTC CEO Randy Durband.
The implementation of the new GSTC Criteria is expected to have a
significant and lasting impact. By adhering to these standards, food
service providers can greatly reduce their environmental footprint,
preserve local culinary traditions, and promote sustainable consumption
and production patterns.
Collaborative development process
While the name of the new criteria has yet to be determined, its
development will involve a Criteria Development Advisory Group. This
group will consist of up to 10 organisations from both the public and
private sectors, providing insights and recommendations to the GSTC
technical team. Additionally, the advisory group will encourage active
participation from the restaurant industry during the public
consultation and feasibility assessment phases.
This also includes online and in-person public consultations, of which one public consultation workshop will be held at the upcoming GSTC2024 Conference in Singapore in November.
Following Türkiye’s successful implementation of its National
Sustainable Tourism Program in collaboration with the GSTC, the TGA is
set to launch a pilot certification program under the National
Sustainable Tourism Program, applying the newly developed GSTC criteria
and revised indicators to assess the feasibility of certifying
restaurants in Türkiye.