UCSL at the 4th GSTC Japan Members Meeting
& Workshop in Sapporo
& Workshop in Sapporo
On 24 September 2025, UCSL participated in the 4th GSTC Japan Members Meeting & Workshop in Sapporo, Japan. The event, hosted at the historic Former Hokkaido Government Office (Akarenga), brought together more than 95 participants onsite and online to strengthen collaboration and exchange on promoting sustainable tourism in Japan.
With representatives from over twenty leading organizations such as Trip.com Group, JTB Corp., Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Nippon Travel Agency, Tricolage, Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Intrepid Travel, the program combined plenary sessions with smaller working groups, allowing members to exchange on global GSTC updates, regional initiatives, and practical challenges and solutions.
The meeting opened the day before with a warm networking evening, where members gathered informally to connect ahead of the workshop. The main sessions on the 24th featured activity reports from members, updates from The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC) CEO Randy Durband on global initiatives and the GSTC2025 Global Conference in Fiji, and presentations on GSTC’s activities within Japan. GSTC also presented new roundtables focused on Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) Certification and animal welfare in tourism. In the afternoon, Sapporo City and JaSCA (Japan Sustainability Coordinator Association) shared current initiatives before members moved into group discussions to compare experiences, challenges and practical solutions for implementation.
UCSL was represented on site by our East-Asia & Pacific lead, Martin Neumann, continuing our ongoing work in Japan and engaging directly with peers across hospitality and travel. As a new participant, UCSL was glad to share our experience in Japan, where we have already GSTC-certified Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo and Eco Guide Café, and to engage in discussions that confirmed both the growing regional interest in GSTC Certification and the need for continued guidance for the GSTC Standards implementation. UCSL remains actively present on the ground to support that work with credible, GSTC-accredited certification services.
We extend our thanks to GSTC, Sapporo City, and the Japan Sustainability Coordinator Association (JaSCA) for organizing such a dynamic and productive event.
With representatives from over twenty leading organizations such as Trip.com Group, JTB Corp., Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Nippon Travel Agency, Tricolage, Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Intrepid Travel, the program combined plenary sessions with smaller working groups, allowing members to exchange on global GSTC updates, regional initiatives, and practical challenges and solutions.
The meeting opened the day before with a warm networking evening, where members gathered informally to connect ahead of the workshop. The main sessions on the 24th featured activity reports from members, updates from The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC) CEO Randy Durband on global initiatives and the GSTC2025 Global Conference in Fiji, and presentations on GSTC’s activities within Japan. GSTC also presented new roundtables focused on Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) Certification and animal welfare in tourism. In the afternoon, Sapporo City and JaSCA (Japan Sustainability Coordinator Association) shared current initiatives before members moved into group discussions to compare experiences, challenges and practical solutions for implementation.
UCSL was represented on site by our East-Asia & Pacific lead, Martin Neumann, continuing our ongoing work in Japan and engaging directly with peers across hospitality and travel. As a new participant, UCSL was glad to share our experience in Japan, where we have already GSTC-certified Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo and Eco Guide Café, and to engage in discussions that confirmed both the growing regional interest in GSTC Certification and the need for continued guidance for the GSTC Standards implementation. UCSL remains actively present on the ground to support that work with credible, GSTC-accredited certification services.
We extend our thanks to GSTC, Sapporo City, and the Japan Sustainability Coordinator Association (JaSCA) for organizing such a dynamic and productive event.
October 7, 2025