UCSL and Murillo & Partners Strengthen Access to GSTC Certification Across
Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin America and the Caribbean
UCSL has entered into a Referral and Market Awareness Partnership with Murillo & Partners | Asesus Consultores, strengthening UCSL’s regional network and making direct access to GSTC Certification expertise more convenient for tourism businesses across Latin America and the Caribbean.
The partnership combines Murillo & Partners’ long-standing knowledge of the regional tourism and hospitality market with UCSL’s international experience as an independent GSTC-accredited Certification Body.
For hotels, tour operators and tourism organisations considering GSTC Certification, Murillo & Partners will provide an additional regional point of contact: introducing the certification pathway, supporting general market awareness through its professional network and industry activities, and connecting interested organisations directly with the UCSL certification team.
More importantly, the partnership creates a practical bridge between the region’s tourism sector and independent international certification. Murillo & Partners brings almost two decades of market knowledge, industry relationships, and an understanding of how tourism businesses operate across Chile and Latin America, while UCSL brings an international certification framework, accredited assurance, and experience across very different tourism markets.
For businesses exploring certification, this means easier access to relevant information at the first stage and a regional connection that understands local realities of the market.
The partnership combines Murillo & Partners’ long-standing knowledge of the regional tourism and hospitality market with UCSL’s international experience as an independent GSTC-accredited Certification Body.
For hotels, tour operators and tourism organisations considering GSTC Certification, Murillo & Partners will provide an additional regional point of contact: introducing the certification pathway, supporting general market awareness through its professional network and industry activities, and connecting interested organisations directly with the UCSL certification team.
More importantly, the partnership creates a practical bridge between the region’s tourism sector and independent international certification. Murillo & Partners brings almost two decades of market knowledge, industry relationships, and an understanding of how tourism businesses operate across Chile and Latin America, while UCSL brings an international certification framework, accredited assurance, and experience across very different tourism markets.
For businesses exploring certification, this means easier access to relevant information at the first stage and a regional connection that understands local realities of the market.
Building on UCSL’s work across the region
The partnership builds on UCSL’s established and growing certification activity across Latin America and the Caribbean. Our work currently spans hotels and tour operators, with MICE and Attraction certification scopes to follow, and is supported by an expanding network of auditors and tourism professionals across the region.
UCSL’s regional portfolio reflects the remarkable diversity of tourism businesses we work with. It ranges from global luxury hospitality brands – including Mandarin Oriental, Santiago, the first hotel in Chile to achieve GSTC Certification, and Mandarin Oriental, Canouan in the Caribbean – to large DMCs such as Aviomar Adventours in Mexico, adventure tourism businesses such as Excalibur Adventure Park in Belize, and micro tour operators and shore excursion providers such as We Tour in Sint Maarten.
These businesses differ significantly in scale, structure, market, and operating environment – and this diversity is precisely why regional knowledge matters. By strengthening its regional network, UCSL combines central, internationally consistent assurance with a closer understanding of local markets and more accessible communication.
UCSL’s regional portfolio reflects the remarkable diversity of tourism businesses we work with. It ranges from global luxury hospitality brands – including Mandarin Oriental, Santiago, the first hotel in Chile to achieve GSTC Certification, and Mandarin Oriental, Canouan in the Caribbean – to large DMCs such as Aviomar Adventours in Mexico, adventure tourism businesses such as Excalibur Adventure Park in Belize, and micro tour operators and shore excursion providers such as We Tour in Sint Maarten.
These businesses differ significantly in scale, structure, market, and operating environment – and this diversity is precisely why regional knowledge matters. By strengthening its regional network, UCSL combines central, internationally consistent assurance with a closer understanding of local markets and more accessible communication.
What the partnership means for
tourism businesses
tourism businesses
The partnership is designed to make the first stages of the certification process more accessible to organisations across the region, while keeping certification itself entirely independent.
Through the partnership, Murillo & Partners can:
The value of the model lies precisely in this combination: strong regional access and market understanding at the point of engagement, with full independence and impartiality of the certification process.
Murillo & Partners does not participate in UCSL audits, technical reviews or certification decisions, and a referral does not influence certification requirements, audit scope, findings or outcome. Where Murillo & Partners provides consulting, training or technical assistance independently to a tourism organisation, those services remain separate from UCSL’s certification activities.
Through the partnership, Murillo & Partners can:
- introduce hotels, tour operators and other eligible tourism organisations to GSTC Certification and the UCSL certification pathway;
- provide UCSL-approved general information about the certification process;
- facilitate direct introductions to the UCSL team;
- support regional awareness through industry communication, events, and other activities.
The value of the model lies precisely in this combination: strong regional access and market understanding at the point of engagement, with full independence and impartiality of the certification process.
Murillo & Partners does not participate in UCSL audits, technical reviews or certification decisions, and a referral does not influence certification requirements, audit scope, findings or outcome. Where Murillo & Partners provides consulting, training or technical assistance independently to a tourism organisation, those services remain separate from UCSL’s certification activities.
About Murillo & Partners | Asesus Consultores
Murillo & Partners is a Chilean organisation and brand bringing together specialised companies working in sustainable tourism, hospitality management and organisational development. For almost 20 years, its team has worked with hotels, tourism businesses, destinations, public institutions and industry organisations.
Its activities include consulting, training and technical assistance in sustainable management, environmental and social management, service quality, operational improvement, staff development, capacity building and sustainability strategy.
Murillo & Partners has particular experience supporting hotels and tourism organisations in aligning their operations with recognised national and international sustainability frameworks, and brings strong knowledge of the operating realities of the Chilean and wider Latin American tourism sector.
This combination of sector expertise, established regional relationships and practical knowledge of tourism operations is central to its role in the partnership with UCSL.
Murillo & Partners: murilloypartners.cl
About UCSL
United Certification Systems Limited (UCSL) is an independent Certification Body headquartered in the European Union and operating internationally.
As a GSTC-accredited Certification Body, UCSL provides independent GSTC Certification for hotels/accommodation providers and tour operators, working with international hospitality groups, independent properties and tourism businesses across multiple regions.
UCSL combines central certification programme oversight with an expanding international network of qualified auditors and regional professionals.
Learn more about UCSL in the Americas: ucsl.eu/americas
About GSTC Certification
GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) Certification is independent third-party certification against the GSTC Standards conducted by a GSTC-accredited Certification Body. The GSTC Standards are widely acknowledged as the global benchmark for sustainability in travel and tourism, providing a comprehensive framework covering environmental, social, cultural, and management performance.
Why choose GSTC-accredited certification? Read why GSTC-accredited certification is the premier choice
Murillo & Partners is a Chilean organisation and brand bringing together specialised companies working in sustainable tourism, hospitality management and organisational development. For almost 20 years, its team has worked with hotels, tourism businesses, destinations, public institutions and industry organisations.
Its activities include consulting, training and technical assistance in sustainable management, environmental and social management, service quality, operational improvement, staff development, capacity building and sustainability strategy.
Murillo & Partners has particular experience supporting hotels and tourism organisations in aligning their operations with recognised national and international sustainability frameworks, and brings strong knowledge of the operating realities of the Chilean and wider Latin American tourism sector.
This combination of sector expertise, established regional relationships and practical knowledge of tourism operations is central to its role in the partnership with UCSL.
Murillo & Partners: murilloypartners.cl
About UCSL
United Certification Systems Limited (UCSL) is an independent Certification Body headquartered in the European Union and operating internationally.
As a GSTC-accredited Certification Body, UCSL provides independent GSTC Certification for hotels/accommodation providers and tour operators, working with international hospitality groups, independent properties and tourism businesses across multiple regions.
UCSL combines central certification programme oversight with an expanding international network of qualified auditors and regional professionals.
Learn more about UCSL in the Americas: ucsl.eu/americas
About GSTC Certification
GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) Certification is independent third-party certification against the GSTC Standards conducted by a GSTC-accredited Certification Body. The GSTC Standards are widely acknowledged as the global benchmark for sustainability in travel and tourism, providing a comprehensive framework covering environmental, social, cultural, and management performance.
Why choose GSTC-accredited certification? Read why GSTC-accredited certification is the premier choice