JTBGMT Achieved Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Tour Operator Certification
On March 31, 2025, JTB Global Marketing & Travel achieved the GSTC Tour Operator Certification after undergoing an audit by Bureau Veritas (Head Office: France)—a third-party international certification body accredited by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (“GSTC”) which establishes and manages international standards for sustainable tourism.
GSTC was established in 2007 at the initiative of several United Nations agencies as an international non-profit organization with members including national and local governments and tour operators. The GSTC criteria are arranged in four pillars: (1) Sustainable management; (2) Socioeconomic impacts; (3) Cultural impacts; and (4) Environmental impacts. JTBGMT obtained the GSTC Tour Operator Certification in recognition of several proactive measures including: developing a Sustainability Policy to realize sustainable tourism; creating environmentally, locally, and culturally friendly tours in collaboration with business partners; launching carbon offset plans as part of its “Sunrise Tour” package tours for foreign visitors to Japan; and releasing videos explaining the “Responsible Traveler” concept (i.e., a traveler who acts in a responsible manner while respecting the environment and local communities) to customers.
JTBGMT began efforts to promote sustainable tourism in 2018 and was awarded Travelife Certified* status in 2022. Currently, JTBGMT is the only company in Japan to have acquired both GSTC and Travelife Certified accreditation.
*Travelife is an international certification body headquartered in the Netherlands that audits the sustainability of tour operators based on international standards including ISO 26000 standards. The Travelife certification programme follows a three-stage approach: Engaged (first stage), Partner (second stage), and Certified (highest stage).
JTBGMT will leverage the occasion of its GSTC certification to reaffirm the importance of sustainable tourism among its employees, and will work with its business partners to continue leading the way in the area of sustainable tourism.
【Comment from Mr. NG of Bureau Veritas】
I am very pleased that JTBGMT got certified for GSTC Tour Operator Certificate. Before certification JTBGMT already arranged certain types of sustainable tours using the brand name of Sunrise tours. In this audit, such practice extended to include all of the inbound tours and it is able to see from the tour audits that during the time of planning, implementation of the tours, sustainable elements is able to be seen. Congratulation to JTBGMT on achieving this milestone and looking forward the continual improvement and contribution from the company toward sustainable tourism.
【Message from President & CEO Tsuneo Ishida】
It is truly an honor to have acquired the GSTC Tour Operator Certification. We are elated that GSTC has recognized our company-wide efforts in accordance with our sustainability philosophy. At the same time, this recognition has imbued us with an even greater sense of responsibility and humility. In fact, we view this certification not as a goal but rather as a new starting line. In order for broad-based tourism to grow, it is essential that we protect the earth’s irreplaceable environment, that we respect nature, culture, history, and human rights, and that we contribute to social sustainability and development. As a leading company in Japan inbound tourism, we will continue to pursue the philosophy of “goho-yoshi” (literally “five-way win”) incorporating the environment, society, our customers, our business partners, and our employees, while also cooperating closely with our business partners. We will do our utmost to realize an enriching, sustainable society. I look forward to your continued support and cooperation.
JTBGMT Sustainability Policy
https://www.jtbgmt.com/en/whoweare/sustainable/responsible/
Sunrise Tours “+ Action to be a responsible traveler” movie