The Tourism Sustainability Certifications Alliance (TSCA) has introduced new global standards for sustainable tourism certification. The framework is intended to create a common baseline for the industry.
The standards cover both tourism businesses and destinations. Certification bodies can continue using their own programmes while following the new minimum requirements.
For tourism businesses, the framework covers sustainability management. It also looks at working conditions and the impact of tourism on local communities.
Environmental protection is another part of the standard. Biodiversity is included as well.
The destination standard takes a broader approach. It covers how tourism is managed within a destination and how its economic and environmental effects are addressed.
TSCA was established in January 2025. Its members include certification organisations such as Ecotourism Australia and Green Globe.
The alliance’s members collectively cover more than 19,000 certified tourism entities around the world. Their certification programmes have been operating across different markets for more than 30 years.
The new standard does not replace these existing programmes. Instead, it sets a shared minimum level that members can build into their own certification systems.
This could make different sustainability certifications easier to compare. It also gives tourism businesses a clearer set of requirements when working towards certification.
The framework was developed with input from tourism certification bodies. Industry participants and sustainability specialists were also involved.
The move comes as tourism faces greater pressure to demonstrate real progress on sustainability. Businesses are increasingly expected to provide evidence behind environmental claims.
TSCA’s new standard gives certification bodies a common starting point. It also gives tourism businesses and destinations a clearer way to measure their sustainability efforts.
