The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), with support from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), is developing a new Criteria for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) and Attractions. The GSTC MICE Criteria and GSTC Attraction Criteria will serve as the global sustainability standards for both industries.
Development of the GSTC MICE Criteria
The GSTC MICE Criteria will be developed with the input of relevant stakeholders in the field of MICE and will provide clear sustainability outcomes that the standard seeks to achieve.
The development of the GSTC MICE Criteria is vital to meet the increasing demand for sustainable practices in the tourism sector. The MICE industry must prioritize sustainability to meet the growing demand for sustainable travel options. With more business travelers seeking sustainable options, it makes business sense for tourism companies to prioritize sustainability to meet the evolving demands of their customers. The GSTC MICE Criteria can also guide the industry to make supply chains more sustainable and increase residents’ involvement in local events and exhibitions.
Randy Durband, chief executive officer, GSTC said, “The development of GSTC MICE Criteria will provide a globally-created and globally-applicable set of sustainability standards that serves as a platform for universal approaches to measurement, monitoring, reporting, and various forms of external verification needed to drive positive impacts from good practices.”
The application of the GSTC MICE Criteria has long-term impact, as its continued use can significantly reduce negative environmental impacts, preserve local cultures and cuisines, and support sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Criteria Development Process
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has formed a MICE Criteria Development Advisory Group*1, which comprises up to ten organizations from both the public and private sectors with established track record in hosting MICE events. The main objective of this group is to offer their expert opinion and comments to the GSTC Technical Team while GSTC will retain full oversight and control of the Criteria development process. The Advisory Group will also encourage the MICE industry to take part in the Public Consultation and Feasibility Assessment phases of the Criteria Development process.
The whole process of development and revision will be overseen by the International Standards Committee (ISC) of the GSTC. The development and content of the ‘Terms of Reference’ (TOR) endeavor to comply with the requirements of the ISEAL Standard- Setting Code of Good Practice.
More detailed information about the process is available in the GSTC MICE Criteria Development Terms of Reference (TOR) document.
GSTC Attraction Criteria
Later this year, GSTC will begin developing another set of criteria, the GSTC Attraction Criteria, to enhance the common language of sustainability in attractions. The development of the GSTC Attraction Criteria comes also with the support of the STB, and a specific plan such as TOR will be shared later this year.
Key Contributor – Role of STB
Following Singapore’s recent certification as a sustainable destination based on the GSTC’s Destination Criteria, STB is demonstrating its commitment by bringing together Singapore’s tourism associations and stakeholders to contribute to GSTC’s global efforts in driving sustainable tourism. This is in line with Singapore’s vision to become a sustainable urban destination, where large experiences come with small footprints.
Keith Tan, Chief Executive, Singapore Tourism Board said, “The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is pleased to support GSTC in the development of their industry criteria for MICE and attractions. Such internationally-recognised standards are important, as they help destinations and tourism businesses understand if their sustainability efforts are on the right track. We look forward to working closely with GSTC and our industry associations to provide a Singapore perspective and help the tourism sector contribute to a greener world.”
STB, together with Singapore’s industry associations, the Singapore Associationof Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) and the Association of Singapore Attractions (ASA), will provide feedback, consultation, and industry expertise for the draft Criteria, as well as to encourage industry adoption of the developed Criteria when ready.
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