Travellers all over the world increasingly demand verified sustainability, not marketing claims. CB Ramkumar, Vice Chair, Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), said, “If a consumer sees GSTC certification, they know the hotel has been independently audited. Many are willing to pay more.” Certified hotels also report stronger repeat and referral business. Hotels applying GSTC criteria consistently notice lower operational expenditure. “Even a 1 per cent reduction in operational costs goes directly to the bottom line,” Ramkumar said.
