Mainstreaming Sustainable Tourism Certifications through Collaborations with OTAs

GSTC promotes market access for certified sustainable businesses to travelers and travel providers of hotels/accommodations, with a strong preference for those businesses certified by accredited Certification Bodies. Online Travel Agencies (OTA’s) are responding to market demand for sustainable product and to their internal CSR and sustainability goals by seeking methods to provide easy and clear access to sustainable products and services to the marketplace of travelers. OTAs wish to highlight with a mark and provide their users a filter to identify “sustainable” hotels based on a reliable source of information. The GSTC promotes the development of broad market adoption and application of the GSTC Criteria. With the ultimate goal of increasing demand for sustainable travel and tourism offerings and building trust amongst travelers, the GSTC works to identify opportunities and solutions for alignment greater market potential. For this, we work closely with prominent Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) on marking hotels that are certified in search results. We also work as with large travel providers for preferred contracting of certified hotels and tour operators.