The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) introduces a new traceability requirement for sustainable tourism certification certificates issued by GSTC-accredited certification bodies.
Each certificate issued to a GSTC-certified entity now includes a unique QR code provided by GSTC. The measure strengthens certificate traceability, supports greater market transparency, and enables stakeholders to verify an entity’s certification status through the relevant platform, such as the GSTC website.
GSTC-accredited certification bodies are independent organizations authorized to certify hotels, accommodations, and other eligible tourism businesses and destinations in accordance with the GSTC Standards. They are responsible for conducting the certification process and issuing the corresponding sustainable tourism certification certificates.
GSTC does not certify individual tourism businesses directly. Its role includes establishing and managing the GSTC Standards and providing accreditation to certification bodies, which supports the integrity and credibility of the certification system.
Accreditation is a mark of quality that GSTC places on the certification bodies that opt for GSTC’s independent and impartial process to ensure they certify tourism destinations or businesses, such as hotels, tour operators, MICE venues, event organizers, or events/exhibitions, in a competent and unbiased manner.
Each QR code is uniquely assigned to the certified entity named on the certificate and links directly to its listing in the relevant directory, including the GSTC Certified Hotels Directory (currently covering certified hotels only, with all GSTC Certification scopes to be added soon).
By scanning the QR code, travelers, tourism businesses, corporate buyers, tour operators, public authorities, destination organizations, and other interested parties can access the entity’s listing on the GSTC website and confirm its certification status through an official source. The QR code creates a direct connection between the sustainable tourism certification certificate issued by the accredited certification body and the information published by GSTC. This additional verification mechanism helps stakeholders confirm that the certificate corresponds to the correct entity and provides clearer access to reliable certification information.
“Strengthening traceability is essential for maintaining trust across the entire tourism ecosystem. By linking each certificate directly to official GSTC records via a unique QR code, we offer corporate buyers, public authorities, and travelers an instant and reliable way to verify legitimate certification. This initiative reinforces the integrity of GSTC-accredited certification and provides market participants with verifiable confidence in authentic sustainability claims,” said Dr. Mihee Kang, Chief Assurance Officer at GSTC.
Strengthening Certification Traceability
As of September 1, 2026, all new sustainable tourism certification certificates issued by GSTC-accredited Certification Bodies include the corresponding GSTC-issued QR code.
For entities that already hold a valid certificate, the QR code is added when the certificate is next renewed, revised, replaced, or otherwise reissued. Existing certificates do not need to be replaced solely to incorporate the QR code. Certificates issued under the Türkiye Sustainable Tourism Program continue to use the program’s established certificate template.
Each QR code is assigned to one certified entity and may only be used on the certificate issued to that entity. Accredited certification bodies are responsible for ensuring that the correct QR code is included on each certificate.
The introduction of unique QR codes provides a clearer and more accessible way to verify sustainable tourism certification claims. It also supports the integrity of certification amongst the GSTC Standards by strengthening traceability between the certified entity, the certificate issued by the GSTC-accredited certification body, and the information available through GSTC.
Janice Alyosius is a travel and MICE journalist focusing on business travel, destination marketing, aviation and industry policy. She leads editorial content at MICEtalk and also writes for TravTalk, covering global trends, trade developments and key industry conversations. With regular reporting from tourism forums, conventions and on-ground industry events, her work blends news-led analysis with strong industry voices, offering clear context and relevance for travel trade professionals and decision-makers.