Wednesday, August 14, 2024 The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), with support from the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), is developing a new set of GSTC Criteria tailored specifically for tourism food service providers. This set will establish global standards for sustainability within the tourism food service sector, though its official name will be determined during the development process. Food and beverages are crucial elements of a destination’s intangible heritage and tourism appeal.
As gastronomy tourism grows, it generates significant revenue and employment but can also impact the environment, local communities, and cultural heritage negatively. To address these challenges, the GSTC Criteria will provide global guidelines for sustainable practices in food service. These criteria will help industry players manage their operations more sustainably, reduce costs through sustainability measures, and protect ecosystems, biodiversity, and local economies.
The GSTC is dedicated to promoting and implementing best practices for sustainable tourism. Alongside the new criteria, the GSTC will introduce a training program focused on sustainability for restaurants and food service providers, expanding its well-regarded 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 fo.