The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has published a new Food and Beverage Standard, providing tourism businesses with a global framework to improve sustainability across food and beverage operations.
The standard is the sixth in GSTC’s suite of sustainability standards, joining those for hotels, tour operators, destinations, MICE and attractions. It is intended to help food and beverage service providers adopt more sustainable practices in areas such as resource use, waste management, local sourcing, supply chains, cultural heritage and community well-being.
The GSTC Standards are used globally as a reference for sustainability in travel and tourism, supporting education, policy development, performance measurement and certification. They are structured around four pillars: sustainable management, socioeconomic impacts, cultural impacts and environmental impacts.
The new standard is designed to provide a common reference for businesses seeking to strengthen sustainability management, improve operational practices and support more consistent application of sustainability principles across tourism-related food and beverage services.
Development of the standard took 24 months, from June 2024 to June 2026, and included public consultations, a feasibility assessment and input from an advisory group representing public and private sector organisations. The Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency was a key contributor to the project.
GSTC said the standard also supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by providing practical guidance for organisations seeking to improve environmental, social and economic sustainability.
GSTC CEO Randy Durband said: “The food and beverage service sector is everywhere in the tourism value chain, and the development of the GSTC Food and Beverage Standard marks another meaningful step in expanding the application of global sustainability standards across the tourism industry.
“This progress reflects the valuable collaboration and commitment of the many contributors involved and reinforces GSTC’s continued dedication to advancing sustainability throughout the sector, which now includes six sets of GSTC Standards.”
