The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has just announced that SOCOTEC Certification International, the Certification-specialized subsidiary of the SOCOTEC group, uses a standard that has achieved Recognition status for its Sustainability Management System Certification for Hotels.
The Sustainability Management System provided by SOCOTEC Certification International helps organizations and tourism businesses (travel companies, hotels, tour operators, NGOs, and communities) to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism.
The Certification scheme of SOCOTEC Certification International improves its performance by documenting the processes necessary to achieve its goals and objectives and to create a culture focusing on the continuous cycle of self-evaluation, correction, and improvement of operations and processes, through heightened employee awareness and management leadership, and commitment.
GSTC-Recognized status
The GSTC Criteria are global standards for sustainability in travel and tourism
The GSTC-Recognized status refers to the standard itself, indicating that a sustainable tourism standard or system has been reviewed by GSTC technical experts and the GSTC Assurance Panel and deemed the standard or system equivalent to the GSTC Criteria for sustainable tourism.
The GSTC Criteria are global standards for sustainability in travel and tourism. It provides a comprehensive definition of sustainable travel and tourism, arranged to support four pillars of sustainability: Ethics and Governance, Social principles, Culture and Communities, and Environment.
Third-party certification body
For Xavier Daniel, SOCOTEC Certification International General Manager: “As an internationally recognized and independent third-party certification body, we are very pleased to achieve this important pillar in our mission to build a safer and more sustainable world.”
He adds, “Result of few months of workshops preparation and on-the-field research with hotel groups, our standard is fully designed and adapted to elevate and recognize the significant efforts of the Hotel sector to contribute to the CSR and Sustainability challenges of today.”
“Based on our worldwide auditing 25-year experience in various sectors for more than 15,000 clients on 40 different accredited certifications, we are convinced that our teams of experts and accredited auditors will bring a real added value to the Hotel sector on sustainability challenges.”
Limiting impact on the environment
“We all have a role to play in limiting impact on environment and in ensuring social responsibility,” continued Xavier, adding “Adopting a sustainable approach in the hotel industry can bring many benefits to the hotels: improved visibility on travel platforms and credibility towards customers looking for better qualified hotels on sustainable goals, develop recruitment attractiveness of the sector and staff retention on values commitment, obtain better aids, subsidies and loans conditions as sustainability goals are clearly achieved and the hotel’s sustainability management system is clearly certified by an independent trusted third-party, and last but not least, get a better hotel’s ranking at the end.”
“There is today no sector that can avoid sustainability challenges. It’s just a long-term commitment that every hotel shall embrace. The study below shows the gap and we are here to support the transition towards a more sustainable world.”