GSTC Publishes Revised GSTC Accreditation Manual v5.0 for Certification Bodies – Industry

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has published a revised version 5.0 of the GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification Bodies – Hotel/Accommodation, Tour Operator, MICE, and Attraction.

GSTC Accreditation Manual v5.0
- Publisher: Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)
- Approval date: March 1, 2026
- Effective date: March 5, 2026, with a six-month transition period
- Scope expansion: Now includes accreditation for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) and Attractions, alongside Hotels/Accommodation and Tour Operators.

Key Updates
- New certification scopes: Accreditation requirements for MICE venues, event organizers, exhibitions, and attractions.
- Indicator-based compliance: Certification assessments must verify compliance at the indicator level of GSTC Standards, ensuring consistency.
- Audit execution clarified: Clearer rules on audit duration, surveillance audits, and multi-site arrangements.
- Auditor qualifications refined: Extended competence requirements tailored to the new industry scopes.
- Editorial improvements: Structural adjustments for clarity, consistency, and better cross-referencing.

Transition Details
- Certification for Hotels and Tour Operators using GSTC Standard v4.0 (Dec 2025) has a separate three-year transition period.
- A detailed Change Report will be published soon to explain the rationale behind updates.

Industry Collaboration
The revision process included a 100-day public consultation (Aug–Nov 2025) with input from certification bodies and stakeholders in MICE and Attractions. Final comments were received in January 2026. GSTC emphasized that stakeholder collaboration is vital to maintaining credibility and integrity in sustainable tourism certification worldwide.