Why it matters: GSTC certification is the gold standard, recognized by major tour operators, OTAs, and corporate travel programs. It provides a credible, third-party signal that your hotel operates sustainably across four pillars: Sustainable Management, Socio-economic, Cultural, and Environmental.

From Compliance Chore to Commercial Advantage

Hotel sustainability programs are no longer about intent; they are about proof. Tour operators, investors, and corporate buyers now expect independently verified evidence of sustainable management. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) provides the framework for this proof.

This guide demystifies the GSTC certification process. We break it down into six clear steps, linking each stage to the required evidence and showing how to use the Elia Go platform to keep your team on track, on time, and ready for your audit.

The 6-Step GSTC Certification Process

The journey to GSTC certification follows a structured path from initial research to final certification and annual surveillance. The certificate is valid for three years, with yearly checks to ensure ongoing compliance.

1. Research & Selection: Choose a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body (CB) like Control Union, UCSL, Vireo, or TÜV. Review their specific processes and pricing.
2. Gap Analysis: Use the official GSTC Industry Criteria for Hotels to assess your current performance. Identify gaps in policies, procedures, and documentation.
3. Preparation & Implementation: Develop missing policies, implement new operational controls (e.g., energy tracking, waste sorting), and train staff. Collect all documentary evidence.
4. Application & Documentary Evidence: Submit your formal application and supporting documents to your chosen CB.
5. Audit Phase: Undergo a remote desk assessment followed by a comprehensive on-site audit to verify your practices against the criteria.
6. Certification & Corrective Actions: If compliant, you receive certification. If minor or major non-conformities are found, you will have a set period to implement and submit a corrective action plan.

Timeline: While this process can take 6-12 months, a focused team using a platform like Elia Go can achieve audit-readiness in as little as 90 days.

Managing Evidence & Annual Surveillance

GSTC certification isn’t a one-time project; it’s a continuous cycle. The key to success is a centralized system for managing your proofs.

• Centralize Your Documents: Use a tool like Elia Go to house all policies, action logs, KPIs, and audit results. This becomes your single source of truth for annual surveillance audits and recertification.
• Automate KPI Tracking: Log quarterly data on energy, water, and waste to not only meet GSTC requirements but also to feed into other reports like CSRD or different hospitality labels.
• Stay Audit-Ready: With organized, date-stamped evidence and clear ownership, the annual surveillance audit becomes a simple check-in, not a frantic scramble.

Authority & Internal Resources

Base your preparation on these official and internal guides:

• Official GSTC Industry Criteria for Hotels
• UN Tourism Sustainability Dashboard
• Elia Go Guide: Hospitality ESG & Carbon Footprint Guide

Conclusion: Your Path to Credibility

The GSTC Hotel Certification process stops being a compliance burden once you run it as a continuous loop where evidence, narrative, and improvement feed each other. Teams that rely on Elia Go turn that loop into commercial leverage: faster certifications, confident sales teams, and data that unlocks new opportunities.

Elia Go orchestrates the GSTC certification process for Mediterranean hotels and proves your impact to procurement.