GSTC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Tourism Researcher and Consultant
Job Titles:
- Director of Sustainability for Airbnb, Inc
- Sustainability Director, Airbnb
Ameet Konkar is the Director of Sustainability for Airbnb, Inc. Starting in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, Airbnb has since grown to 4 million Hosts who have welcomed more than 900 million guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Ameet spearheads Airbnb's sustainability strategy and execution, helping embed sustainable practices into every home, experience and trip. Before Airbnb, Ameet spent a number of years in the renewable energy sector helping build new businesses, including most recently one providing solar in Sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to that he spent 8 years with the premier strategy consulting firm Bain and Co. Ameet has an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business and an MS in Industrial Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Job Titles:
- Training Director
- Co - Founder and Director of Training Strategies & Development at TrainingAid
Ayako Ezaki is Co-Founder and Director of Training Strategies & Development at TrainingAid, an international tourism and training company offering training and skills development opportunities for tourism industry professionals. Having worked for more than a decade in tourism professional training and education, Ayako specializes in content building, educational program design, training facilitation and project planning. She also brings many years of experience in online communications and content marketing. Through TrainingAid's partnership with the GSTC, Ayako serves as Training Director to develop, manage and market the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program, and over the last few years has worked with hundreds of tourism industry professionals from around the world supporting sustainability practices for tourism businesses and destinations. In addition, Ayako serves as the Expert Coordinator for Tourism Declares Climate Emergency, a global network of tourism industry stakeholders coming together to make tourism more climate positive.
Job Titles:
- CEO and Founder of Sustainable Riviera Maya
Beatriz Barreal Danel is the CEO and Founder of Sustainable Riviera Maya. Since 2009, Beatriz has dedicated her time with Sustainable Riviera Maya to making Sustainable Tourism the primary engine for development, wealth and the engine of peace; preserving at the same time, natural treasures, local culture and society, as providing a linking platform that encourages seminars, congresses, encounters, processes, training and certifications, in sustainable strategies, solutions and actions in the Riviera Maya. Beginning in 2012, Beatriz led the alignment of Riviera Maya as a GSTC Destination Criteria Early Adopter, and now leading the process towards certification of Playa del Carmen as a sustainable destination through GSTC-Accredited certification bodies. She is also responsible for developing marketing strategies, branding and communication in the corporate field, first as a consultant (Beatriz Barreal Consultancy 1989-2013) and from 1993-2000 the Founder and CEO of Neographika Inc. During 1995-2009 Beatriz supported local NGO's in the State of Quintana Roo. She dedicated her time to support environmental conservation, empowering women and indigenous groups, and addressing issues concerning teenagers in risk categories due to domestic conditions and health.
Job Titles:
- Canopy Consulting Inc [USA]
Job Titles:
- Millennium Destinations Founder and CEO
For over 20 years, Catherine has gained international experience in marketing, communications and business development, in various fields such as tourism, hospitality, education, environment, water and power utilities, etc. With a growing commitment to global issues and sustainable development,she has undertaken several assignments, either as Consultant or Project Director, within theframework of international cooperation and technical assistance projects, mostly in developingcountries. Expatriated in South Korea since 2005, she has dedicated the past ten years to sustainabletourism, particularly as Director of Global Programs at the UNWTO ST-EP Foundation, established inSeoul within the framework of the Sustainable Tourism - Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) initiative of theWorld Tourism Organization, and then as Founder and CEO of Millennium Destinations. Catherine isCountry delegate of AMFORTHT - World Association for Hospitality and Tourism Education andTraining - for South Korea since 2015.
Job Titles:
- Accreditation Panel Chair
- Assurance Panel Chair
Cathy has been Chair of the Accreditation Panel - now Assurance Panel, since October 2010. She has been actively involved in the evolution to the present day of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. From 2001 to 2006, Cathy was the Executive Director and then CEO of the worldwide tourism certification program, Green Globe. She was responsible for all aspects of delivering the program to tourism operations in over 50 countries with the objective of achieving a more sustainable tourism industry. During her time in the mid-90s as a senior executive with the Australian Government's Department of Tourism, she managed the government's environmental tourism programs. She assisted industry to develop the world's first ecotourism certification program as well as several other tourism certification programs for different industry sectors.
Job Titles:
- Board Member & South Asia Director
- Board Member & South Asia Director ( Chair )
- Director of Green Dreams for the Planet
- Member of the GSTC Board of Directors
- Program Director - South Asia
CB Ramkumar is a Member of the GSTC Board of Directors, Chair of the GSTC India Working Group, and was influential in the adoption in 2014 by the government of India of national sustainable tourism standards which drew heavily from the GSTC Criteria. Ram is an author, speaker, trainer, consultant, an entrepreneur and an expert in applied sustainability. He developed a model for sustainable living when he built the first 100% eco resort - Our Native Village in Bangalore, India. Over the last decade, he has extended his expertise to sustainable living - sustainable food, sustainable health, sustainable service, marketing & branding. Ram had been an advertising and marketing professional for two decades. His long career in the advertising & marketing took him to global companies like Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy & Mather, Publicis and Standard Chartered Bank.
Job Titles:
- Group Sustainability Director, TUI Group
- TUI Group Sustainability Director
As TUI Group Sustainability Director, Charlotte is in charge of implementing TUI Group's new Sustainability Strategy 2030 with the mission to strengthen TUI's leading position in sustainability and shape the future of sustainable travel. She previously held the function of HR director and member of the management board at TUI Nordic, where she had been driving change at one of TUI's centers of excellence for innovation since 2010. In 2019 she was named "Swedish HR Director of the Year", a tribute honoring her contribution to the successful transformation of TUI Nordic into one of TUI Group's digitalization and innovation hubs. Prior to her role within HR Charlotte gained experience in various operational functions including the hotel sector.
Job Titles:
- Administrator
- Assurance Manager
Claudia Bustinza is a tourism administrator passionate about cultural heritage issues, particularly on building synergies between tourism and culture to foster local development. Before joining GSTC, Claudia provided consultancy services in Spain, UK, and Peru leading collaborative projects in multicultural environments. Claudia has in-depth experience of the tourism sector specializing in tourism product and destination development, air connectivity, promotion of public and private investment, research, marketing and cultural management. She has worked for national and local authorities such as Plan COPESCO Nacional - Peru's National Agency in charge of tourism public investment, The Metropolitan Municipality of Lima and The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Peru. Claudia holds a Master on Responsible Tourism Management from Leeds Beckett University, and an International Master in Innovative Hospitality Management from the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi at Ramon Llull University, Spain. Claudia is currently based in Surrey, UK.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Technical Director
David's experience on sustainability include his work as Sustainability Corporate Director at Karisma Hotels & Resorts in México, Jamaica and Dominican Republic, the development of the SM@RT Manager program, created to integrate Project Management, International Quality Standards (The Leading Hotels of the World - AAA) Innovation and CSR under a Sustainable approach into the daily operation of Hotels & Accommodations, and the development of the Sustainable Tourism Model for the State of Guanajuato, México. David is General Director and Owner of KAI Sustainable Coaching, a company based in México and Dominican Republic, created to assist tourism businesses in Latin America and The Caribbean to integrate Sustainability into their Management Systems and use it as a key element to optimize the use of its resources and its competitiveness on the market. David holds a Master on Leadership & Environmental Management from the UCI Costa Rica and an International Master in Local/Rural Development from the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
Dr. Anna Spenceley is an independent consultant based in Papua New Guinea. She works on sustainable tourism issues for a wide range of international agencies, including recently the EU, the World Bank group, the World Trade Organization, UNDP, IUCN and WWF. This year she has been analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector in protected areas for the EU, and has compiled a blog post of over 600 materials on tourism and the pandemic for public use. She is a signatory to both the "Future of Tourism" and "Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency". Anna is Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Tourism and Protected Areas Specialist Group (TAPAS Group), and sits on the Independent Advisory Panel of Travalyst. She is on the editorial boards of the Journal for Sustainable Tourism, the Journal of Ecotourism and Koedoe. Her book publications include "Private sector tourism in conservation areas in Africa", "Tourism and Poverty Reduction", and "Responsible Tourism: Critical issues for Conservation and Development". She is currently editing a new "Handbook for sustainable tourism practitioners" for Edward Elgar. Anna was a founding board member of the GSTC, sits on the GSTC Destination Working Group, and is a GSTC trainer.
Job Titles:
- Treasurer
- Program Director - Mediterranean Region
Dr. Ioannis Pappas sits on the GSTC Board of Directors and acts as the Treasurer of GSTC. He is the GSTC Representative in the Mediterranean Region, and a GSTC authorized Trainer. Dr. Pappas is the CEO of Green Evolution SA, an experienced professional engineer, with over 25 years of work in several fields of science, focusing on sustainability and tourism, energy and environmental efficiency in infrastructure and buildings. He is also auditing and advising on standardization of companies and technological implementation of climate adaptation and mitigation methodologies. Dr. Pappas is Co-founder and a Board Member in a number of organizations (Sustainable Building Council of Greece, Hellenic Passive House Institute, Hellenic Start Up Association) as well as Co-founder of the Hellenic Ecotourism Society. He worked with the Joint Research Center-IE of European Commission and was a Greek representative as the expert for ITL at UNFCCC.
Job Titles:
- Vice - Chair
- Co - Chair ), Arizona State University, GSTC Board of Directors [USA]
- Professor and Director of the Hainan - Arizona State International Tourism College
Dr. Bricker is Professor and Director of the Hainan-Arizona State International Tourism College (HAITC), located in Phoenix, Arizona. She completed her Ph.D. research with the Pennsylvania State University, where she specialized in sustainable tourism and protected area management. She has research and teaching interests in ecotourism, sense of place, community development, natural resource management, value of nature-based experiences, and the impacts of tourism. She has authored and edited books on sustainability, which highlight case studies in tourism meeting environmental and societal issues in Sustainable Tourism & the Millennium Development Goals: Effecting Positive Change; educational texts focused on adventure education in Adventure Programing and Travel for the 21st Century and graduate education in De-Mystifying Theories in Tourism Research; and most recently, relevant to current projects, co-edited This Land Is Your Land: Toward a Better Understanding of Nature's Resiliency-Building and Restorative Power for Armed Forces Personnel, Veterans, and Their Families (Sagamore Publishing, LLC). Dr. Bricker serves the boards of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, the Tourism and Protected Area Specialist Group of the IUCN, and Tourism Unity. With partners in OARS and her husband, she developed an ecotourism operation called Rivers Fiji.
Job Titles:
- Assurance Program Director & Asia - Pacific Program Director
- Director for the Asia Pacific
- Program Director - Asia - Pacific Region
Dr. Mihee Kang is the GSTC Director for the Asia Pacific region, as well as an authorized trainer and destination assessor. She has taught and researched ecotourism and sustainable tourism at several universities since receiving her Ph.D. degree in 1999 from Seoul National University. As the first Ph.D. in ecotourism in S. Korea and a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve (MAB) Young Scientists Awards 2000 winner, she has been involved in sustainable tourism policy development and sustainability assessments of various types of destinations in S. Korea and other countries over 20 years. She has served in both domestic and international organizations such as Korean Geopark Committee, Korea Islands Foundation, Korea Trails and Culture, Jeju World Heritage Committee, Korea Forest Education Committee, Asian Ecotourism Network, etc. She has actively participated in numerous research projects and ODA projects in Korea and abroad. Dr. Kang has published many articles and books including a recent book about ecotourism in Asian countries.
Dr. Soyoung Lee has a passion for human behaviour against nature. Her master research on local community's perception on protected areas and world heritage sites has led on to further research on qualitative assessments in development projects and sustainable management. With her Ph.D research on ‘Enhancing Interactive Innovation in the Rural Areas of Europe through Evaluation: Quantitative Network Analysis and Qualitative Self-Evaluation Tools' she is interested in how stakeholders can bring in innovative solutions to their programs/projects through self-evaluation and qualitative assessments. At GSTC she is responsible for data inventory management, such as filing of successful case studies according to the GSTC criteria. She also supports other GSTC initiatives.
Job Titles:
- Fellow
- Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Yoonjeong Jeong is a postdoctoral fellow at the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. She holds a Masters and PhD degree in Forest Environmental Science from Seoul National University. Her research focused on sustainable tourism and ecotourism. She has also conducted research on community-based tourism and tourism governance. Currently she is focusing on tourism big-data as well. She has actively participated in Korean government-funded research projects which are related to the aforementioned research areas. To date, she (co-)authored many refereed papers including the recent article about factors influencing community-based tourism in developing and developed countries.
Job Titles:
- Membership Coordinator
- Manager, Asia Pacific
- Membership Coordinator [Japan
Emi Kaiwa specializes in tourism and hospitality, sustainable tourism, project management and administration, and is experienced in the regions of Europe, Africa, and Asia. Working in different industries and countries have given Emi a varied skillset and the ability to multitask and handle multiple projects simultaneously. Prior to joining GSTC, Emi worked with the leading sustainability organizations, such as University of Cagliari, South Sardinia, SWITCH-Asia, and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). Emi holds an MBA in Tourism from University in Thailand, with a concentration in sustainable tourism in Asia. She is currently based in Tokyo, Japan.
Since founding Greenview in 2008, Eric has helped several global hospitality organizations measure and report on sustainability and ESG, in addition to his 10 years of experience in operations and consulting in diverse nature and cultural tourism projects globally. Eric earned a B.S. from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and a M.S. in Tourism & Travel Management from New York University. Eric is a member of the UFI Committee on Sustainable Development and the International Standards Working Group of the GSTC. He has held a research fellowship at the Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research and is adjunct instructor at the NYU University Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism.
Job Titles:
- Founder and Head, Darti [India]
- Founder and Head, Dharthi
Geoff established www.WorldClassTourism.com in 2010 as an international consultancy that improves the quality, safety, authenticity, and sustainability of the tourism experience. Geoff was the CEO of Qualmark New Zealand from 2004 to 2009, an organization that developed and assessed the quality standards for all types of tourism businesses including hotel chains, luxury boutique resorts, land and sea adventure activities and cultural tourist attractions. Geoff was responsible for introducing an integrated quality and environmental star rating system in 2008. Geoff works with tourism companies, governments, and donor agencies across Europe, Asia and the Pacific to improve tourism standards and is a part-time lecturer in tourism.
Job Titles:
- President and CEO of Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association ( TOTA )
- President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Region
Glenn Mandziuk is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Region which has over a $3 million budget; involves over 4,200 industry stakeholders and 90 communities and hamlets; and undertakes consumer marketing, travel trade, media relations, research, industry and community services. Prior to his arrival in his current position he was Chief Executive Officer for Destination Osoyoos - Tourism and Community Economic Development which is contracted to undertake economic development, community development, tourism marketing, visitor information, special events, and business revitalization programs. Glenn has over 25 years' experience in tourism marketing and community development, and has successfully administered and/or coordinated several community and product development projects, business retention programs,local, regional, and provincial partnership development, and marketing initiatives and assisted in attracting over $300 million in investment to the South Okanagan region. Further, Glenn has acted as a consultant on Community Recreation Master Planning, Economic Development Planning, and Strategic facilitation projects across British Columbia and Alberta and has ten (10) years experience in the Hospitality Industry in a family owned and operated hotels and resorts. He holds a Master of Environmental Design Degree majoring in Community Planning and Development and a Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in Leisure and Tourism Management. He has been published in a number of journals including Plan Canada on his work in the eco-tourism industry.
Job Titles:
- TravelHorst ( Chair ) [Germany
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Jeonbuk Culture and Tourism Organization ( JBCT )
Hyun (Hugh) Kim has worked for over 25 years in the tourism, MICE and nature conservation at national, regional and international level. He enjoyed long and successful careers with the Korea National Park Service (KNPS), International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Asia, Gyeonggi Tourism Organization (GTO) and Incheon Tourism Organization (ITO) in several managerial & directorial positions focusing on all facets of sustainable tourism, MICE, and transboundary protected areas management in terms of the Demilitarized Zone tourism as well as the Hanbando Peace Park Initiative between South and North Korea. Hyun, as an Executive Director of Jeonbuk Culture and Tourism Organization (JBCT), provides strategic leadership covering a wide spectrum of thematic programmes in MICE and tourism. He holds BAs in Tourism and is a graduate of the Seoul National University with qualifications in Forest Environment (Outdoor Recreation).
Job Titles:
- Special Adviser, Innovation Norway
For the past two decades, Ingunn Sørnes has been with Innovation Norway, the Norwegian Governmental organization for innovation and development in industries in Norway, including tourism. She was earlier employed in the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture, then the State Bank of Agriculture before entering the Norwegian Industrial and Regional Development Fund (SND). From a position in rural development and diversification in agriculture in the Ministry she moved to funding, research coordination and training in the State Bank and the SND before being appointed to Innovation Norway to lead the work towards a more sustainable tourism. Her work includes policy development, measures and incentives to increase sustainability within tourism in Norway. This includes developing and implementing a national standard for sustainable tourism at destination level (GSTC-Recognized Standard) with all assisting tools and instruments.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Technical Director
Jackie studied maths and geography at Cambridge University and has been an Associate of The Tourism Company since its inception in 1991. Jackie has a long held and special interest in the interface between people, place and the environment and has specialised in sustainable tourism and tourism in rural and protected areas. She has worked on destination management plans and on product development strategy and evaluation. She has co-authored publications for the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), IUCN and the Secretariat for the Convention on Biological Diversity. In 2009, Jackie was awarded with distinction an MSc in Sustainable Development (Environmental Management) with Imperial College, London; she is an Environmental Partner of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management.
Job Titles:
- Sustainability Director
- Sustainability Director of EasyJet
Jane Ashton is Sustainability Director of easyJet plc, the 4th largest airline in Europe, flying over 90 million passengers a year, and operator of easyJet Holidays. In this role Ashton is responsible for developing and implementing easyJet's pan-European sustainability strategy, working across the business and also with NGOs, industry peers and international bodies to drive sustainability in travel and tourism. Since 2001 she has pioneered sustainable tourism, first at First Choice Holidays plc, and as Director of Sustainability at TUI Group plc from 2011-2019, driving TUI's ‘Greener & Fairer' holidays commitment to support all contracted hotels to achieve GSTC-recognised sustainability certification standards. Jane has a degree from Bristol University, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Sustainable Business from Cambridge University Program for Industry, and in 2018 was awarded an Hon. Doctorate of Science by the University of Bedfordshire for outstanding services to tourism.
Jisun Kim is the GSTC Training Coordinator for the Asia Pacific Region. She has received her BA in English Literature, MA in English Education, and a teacher certificate from Inha University. She is currently completing her PhD in Business Administration at Inha University, focusing on leadership, work values, self-efficacy and quality of Life and teaching a course on Peter Drucker's Managing Oneself. She completed the Global MBA and Leadership certificate program that included intensive training in France (University of Le Havre Normandy), Germany (Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg), China (University of Xiamen) and Korea (Inha university). She worked as an intern for a marketing project for CJ Cheil Jedang and as a HR Coordinator for Dongsung Corporation, developing an integrated job profile that included job description, role and responsibility, competence and KPI.
Job Titles:
- Program Director - Latin America
- Sustainable Tourism Expert
Jorge Moller is a sustainable tourism expert with nearly 40 years of leadership and hands-on experience in Chile and throughout Latin America. Currently, Jorge is the Director of Regenera ONG, which is a GSTC Training Partner that delivers training courses in Spanish online and in Latin America. Through Regenera, Jorge builds bridges with indigenous communities to create authentic experiences for tourists by sharing their culture and beliefs while generating income to sustain their way of life. Jorge has been involved with the GSTC since 2013, when he participated in the GSTC Early Adopter Program in Chile. He aslso served on the GSTC Board of Directors for a number of years. Jorge was instrumental in the cofounding and development of the South American Sustainable Tourism Network (SAST Network). Also co-founder of LACEN (Latin American and Caribbean Ecotourism Network) and on the board of GEN (Global Ecotourism Network). He regularly shares his expertise as trainer, consultant and speaker, lecturing on tourism and sustainable development in events throughout the region. Jorge is especially passionate about his work with the Mapuche and other indigenous peoples in Chile.
During the last 25 years, José Augusto Abreu had the opportunity to work with standards and conformity assessment programs, both in the operational and strategic level and at international and national level. José Augusto's experience comprises quality and safety and also the environment, ecolabelling, and sustainability. During these years he worked on several projects and initiatives, including many in the tourism sector. José Augusto worked for standards bodies, certification bodies, accreditation bodies, NGOs, governments and private enterprises. He is a civil engineer and holds a master in civil engineering. He lives in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Job Titles:
- Events & Membership Coordinator
- Specialist
Julieta Battilana is a tourism specialist whose focus has been on the communication and planning of tourism and has a particular interest in regenerative tourism. She has held different positions in this sector, from product development to marketing specialist, focusing primarily on the communication aspects of tourism. Julieta is currently completing her MSc in Sustainable Development at the University of Sussex, which engages with interdisciplinary perspectives of today's most pressing issues. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Tourism, Planning and Management from the University of Westminster in London. She is currently based in London, United Kingdom.
Job Titles:
- Program Director - Caribbean
- Program Director - Caribbean, and Special Projects
- Technical Expert
Kathleen Pittman is a leading technical expert on the application of the GSTC Criteria by businesses and government, supporting specific partnerships, special projects, and as a Destination Assessor and a GSTC Trainer. Kathleen is an attorney and international practitioner at the intersection of tourism and sustainable development. Kathleen especially enjoys working with partners devising strategies to deepen community benefits from tourism, including building capacity and market access for local entrepreneurs and other suppliers. Kathleen previously served as an attorney for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and the law firm O'Melveny & Myers LLP. Before law school, Kathleen helped the Center for International Private Enterprise advance private sector development in Latin America & the Caribbean.
Lisa has been involved with various sustainable tourism standards in Africa over the past decade such as national standards for South Africa (SANS1162:2011) and Mauritius (MS165:2014), Eco Awards Namibia, Egypt's Green Star Hotel Standard, and Fair Trade Tourism including the development of their specific criteria for responsible volunteering and captive wildlife ‘attractions'. She also participated in the GSTC criteria pilot from 2010-2011 and facilitated a related workshop for African sustainable tourism certification schemes. Lisa is well known for her role in capacity building and technical training in the implementation of more sustainable operations and management systems with the private sector, DMOs, and various levels of government. She consults through Utopia Africa and is a recognized auditor/advisor for Green Destinations, Travelife for Tour Operators and Fair Trade Tourism. She holds an MA Distinction in Environment, Development & Policy from the University of Sussex and calls Namibia "home".
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Directors
Mr. Luigi Cabrini is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Mr. Cabrini led several initiatives on sustainable tourism at global level, focusing his activities on tourism and climate change, tourism and biodiversity, observatories for sustainable tourism, the green economy, tourism and heritage and global partnerships. He was the Director of the UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) Sustainable Tourism Programme until 2014 and previously held the positions of UNWTO Director for Europe and Secretary of the General Assembly and Executive Council. From 2014 to 2018 he was an Advisor to the Secretary-General of the UNWTO. Before joining the UNWTO he has been engaged during 20 years in United Nations programmes for development and for protection of refugees, in Guatemala, Mexico, Somalia, Pakistan, Poland and Spain. Luigi Cabrini is fluent in Italian, English, French and Spanish and has basic knowledge of Russian and Polish. He is the author of various articles, speeches and papers.
Job Titles:
- Japan Ecolodge Association and Asian Ecotourism Network Founder
Mr. Masaru Takayama founded Japan Ecolodge Association (ECOLA) and Asian Ecotourism Network (AEN), to promote true ecotourism and ecolodge in the region by creating a platform for ecotourism fraternity. The environmentally-friendly accommodations standard developed by EOLA is recognized by the GSTC to bottom up the industry standards in the Japaneses marketplace. Working as a global community-based ecotourism consultant, ecolodge advisor, and eco travel agency ‘Spirit of Japan Travel' in Kyoto, Masaru serves a number of key positions in the organizations both home and abroad pertinent to ecotourism and protected areas. Mr. Takayama has served as a Tourism for Tomorrow Awards on-site evaluation judge 2013, 2014, 2015, on the World Travel and Tourism Council World Legacy Awards for 2016, and the Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards for 2012 and 2015.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder and CEO of Vinetree Tourism
Ms. Koko Tang is the co-founder and CEO of Vinetree Tourism, a Chinese ecological tourism company, operating the world's most unique and luxurious wild tent camps and ecological tourist trails. Vinetree has been promoting responsible travel and sustainable tourism in China while committed to immersing people in a culture experience in nature and making high quality ecological tourism experiences. Its projects are showcases in china in terms of small business's engagement in sustainability practice. Ms. Tang is also the Deputy Secretary General of China Adventure Association (CAA). She was awarded as the 2017 TOP 10 China Tourism Industry Innovative Leader and also be granted as the tourism expert consultant of Shanghai Chongming government think tank in 2018. Ms. Tang graduated from the University of Birmingham, UK with a Master degree of Commercial Law. She has extensive experiences in mergers and acquisitions and cross-border transactions during her 7 years services at King & Wood LLP and Sidley Austin LLP, both are renowned international law firms. She was the founder of Invest in Africa Club during her stay in Zambia between 2014 and 2015.
Job Titles:
- Executive Officer
- Chief Communication Officer, JTB Group
Ms. Kuniko Takasaki is the executive officer leading JTB Group's corporate communications, and is responsible for driving sustainability and diversity across the group. At the JTB Group, the commitment to upstanding corporate citizenry is reflected in its Mission: ‘We strive to foster peace and global interconnectedness through the creation of opportunities for meaningful human interaction'. By accelerating diversity, which is the foundation of sustainability, and strengthening internal and external communication regarding sustainability, she strives to ensure that our management policies and commercial activity contribute to the long-term health and viability of our industry, our society and the planet as a whole.
Natalie Kidd is the Chief People and Purpose Office of Intrepid Travel, the world's largest provider of adventure travel experiences. Globally recognised as a leader in responsible travel, Intrepid's portfolio of three specialist tour operators and 25 Destination Management companies take travellers to more than 120 countries on all seven continents. Intrepid supports eight SDG goals, has advocated on issues such as climate action, animal welfare, child protect and gender equality, is a certified B-Corp and has been carbon-neutral since 2010. Natalie joined Intrepid in 2005 as the founding General Manager of the first vertically integrated DMC, based in Hanoi Vietnam. Over the years she grew this one DMC into a global network of 25 inbound tour operators. In 2020 she moved from the role of Chief Operating Officer to her current role, responsible for the development and implementation of the company's sustainability strategy. Natalie holds a Masters of Business Administration (AGSM), a Master of Asian Studies (UNSW) and a Bachelor of Arts/Asian Studies (USyd). In 2018 she completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors' (AICD) director program and remains a member of the AICD.
Job Titles:
- Programme Manager of the Kavango Zambezi ( KAZA ) Transfrontier Conservation Area Secretariat
- Programme Manager, Kavango Zambezi ( KAZA ) Transfrontier Conservation Area Secretariat
Netsai is the Programme Manager of the Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area Secretariat based in Kasane, Botswana, where she is responsible for providing strategic leadership across the spectrum of KAZA operations i.e., biodiversity conservation, tourism business and regional development, stakeholder networking, and partnerships. Before joining the KAZA Secretariat Netsai worked for 14 years in Southern African sustainable development, working for organisations including the Hillside Dams Conservancy Trust, ResourceAfrica, Fair Trade Tourism, and a SADC and GIZ partnership programme as a long-term sustainable tourism expert and team leader. Netsai has extensive experience in Southern African partnership development with civil society, public and private sector organisations including the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat, various SADC Transfrontier Conservation Area Structures, Tourism Ministries, Tourism Boards, national parks agencies and some of the region's leading private sector tourism associations and sustainable tourism certification organisations. Netsai Bollmann holds an MBA from the University of Southern Queensland and a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a specialisation in Law from London Metropolitan University.
Nicola Koschel serves on the Accreditation Panel on behalf of WWF. She is an independent tourism consultant based in Germany with a focus on the sustainable development and environmental management of tourism. After graduating from a BBA in Tourism Management and Consultancy (NHTV-NL) she obtained a Master in Sustainable Tourism Management (HNEE-DE). Since 2007 Nicola has worked with and for NGOs, specialist researchers, federal ministries, the German Development Cooperation, the European Commission as well as by order of renowned consultancy firms. Her work portfolio involves product and destination development, feasibility studies, project evaluation, consumer market research, design of appropriate marketing strategies and the organization of study trips, tourism awards, and conferences. She is also a member of GSTC's International Standards Working Group.
Job Titles:
- Professor at the Faculty of Tourism / Graduate School of Tourism
- Professor, Faculty of Tourism, Wakayama University
Dr. Kumi Kato is a Professor at the Faculty of Tourism/Graduate School of Tourism, Wakayama University and a special appointed professor at Musashino University, Japan. She also has a visiting professorship at Asian Institute of Tourism, University of the Philippines, and advisory roles in the Sustainable Tourism Promotion Center, APTEC (UNWTO Japan), Osaka University and Global Himalayan Expeditions. Kumi has been leading the national project to implement the Japan Sustainable Tourism Standard for Destinations (JSTS-D), a standard that was developed during 2019 based on the GSTC Criteria and a global research project she chaired. She also served as a site auditor for the WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Award. Kumi is a passionate advocate for sustainability in community development, education and research, working with a wide range of stakeholders. Major works include disaster recovery and community resilience (community heritage restoration in Fukushima evacuation zones); traditional ecological knowledge of women (women divers' ecological knowledge); slow and wellness-focused tourism (pilgrimage tourism). Besides academic publications, her work includes creative outputs such as public art installation, documentaries, and performances. She believes in creative inspirations and community power in promoting sustainability. Prior to her return to Japan in 2008, Kumi taught in Australia for 24 years in various capacities including a lecturer at the University of Queensland and Griffith University. Based in Japan, she is committed to promoting sustainable tourism locally, regionally, and globally.
Job Titles:
- CEO and Chief Consultant, Provork
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- CEO ( Co - Chair ) [Korea]
- Chief Executive Officer of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council ( GSTC )
Randy Durband has had two careers in travel and tourism - twenty-plus years in senior leadership positions at some of the finest U.S. tour operators, having served as President for Travcoa, INTRAV, and Clipper Cruise Lines, (brands within TUI Travel plc), plus Executive Vice President of Tauck World Discovery. Following that, in his second travel and tourism career, Randy advanced the work of Sustainable Tourism as an advisor, consultant, and speaker. He brings his knowledge of the business of travel, his global network of travel professionals, and a passion for sustainability to support the GSTC and the general sustainable tourism movement. He has held several board positions and committee memberships in travel and tourism organizations, and is a frequent speaker on sustainable tourism issues.
Job Titles:
- Managing Director of Echos Consulting Limited
Richard May is the Managing Director of Echos Consulting Limited with extensive experience with designing management systems for sustainability in energy, environmental risk management, safety (general, facilities, occupational, and food), risk & emergency management, and other areas related to environmental sustainability and operations risk management.
As a trained lead auditor for standards including; EarthCheck, Cristal International Standards, ISO9001, and ISO14001 certification processes, Richard has worked through commercial and hospitality sectors across the Caribbean and over the past years since 1996 has made significant inroads in the field. His focus and tenacity with sustainability and risk management and efficiency is evident in the number of clients who engage his company's services in the areas of energy, sustainability and risk management including varied levels of energy audits, renewable energy solutions, and alternative energy recommendations.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Technical Director
- Co - Chair ) [UK]
Richard is Director of The Tourism Company, a small specialist tourism consultancy based on the UK. Following a degree in Economics from Cambridge University and a doctorate based on tourism research, Richard worked for ten years as development and marketing director for the tourist board in central England. He has been a consultant since 1990 and has worked in over fifty countries. In 2005 he wrote the policy guide Making Tourism More Sustainable for UNEP and UNWTO, and has continued to work with them and a number of international agencies on sustainability issues, including the preparation of various good practice guides. Richard has worked at a local level with many destinations round the world and has a particular interest in tourism in protected areas. In 2009/10 he undertook the initial work on developing the accreditation process for the predecessor body to the GSTC. Richard is a former Board Director of The International Ecotourism Society and serves on the Advisory Committee of the Travel Foundation.
Job Titles:
- CSR Commissioner, ITB Berlin
Rika Jean-François holds a Master Degree in Social Anthropology and Iranian Studies with an expertise on ethnic identities, sustainable development and diversity issues from the Free University of Berlin, Germany. She started to work in tourism as a tour guide in Greece, while studying at the University of Crete and as an incoming agent in Athens. Back in Germany she became counselor at the University's International Academic Exchange Office and travelled as a researcher to Iran, Malawi and Haiti. Ms. Jean-François obtained an additional qualification in Quality Management, working on the evaluation of development aid workers' education for the German Development Service. Since 2004 she has been with Messe Berlin and vitally developed ITB's Corporate Social Responsibility. As ITB's head of CSR she is a passionate speaker at sustainable tourism events internationally. Putting an emphasis on human rights and diversity, she has spearheaded ITB's implementation of the LGBT+ travel segment and was member of the board of directors of the IGLTA (International Gay&Lesbian Travel Association) for 5 consecutive years - currently she serves on the board of the IGLTA Foundation. She is also a board member of PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) and supports many international sustainability committees and is a jury member at several global responsible tourism contests.
Job Titles:
- General Manager
- Media, OTAs, Business Travel
Roi Ariel has been focusing on responsible travel and sustainable tourism over the past decade. In his role at GSTC, Roi manages the organization's memberships, communications, events and operations. He previously worked with UN-ESCAP researching sustainable development and green growth in Southeast Asia, and on sustainability issues with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). Prior to his move to Asia, Roi worked with Friends of the Middle East in Israel as the Green Economy Initiative Advisor. Roi holds a master degree in Applied Economic and Social Development from the National Chengchi University in Taipei, and a bachelor degree in International Relations and Comparative Religion from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. With his master thesis titled "Common Pool Resource Management and Benefit Distribution in Community Based Tourism", he speaks as a guest lecturer at universities and presents at academic conferences.
A native of Costa Rica, Ronald Sanabria has worked with the tourism industry on certification, productivity, quality assurance and sustainability since 1992. From 1992 to 2015, he taught at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Costa Rica. In 1998, he joined the Rainforest Alliance, first working with the Sustainable Agriculture Division; two years later, he began leading the development of its Sustainable Tourism program. At the Rainforest Alliance, Ronald coordinated projects in a dozen Latin American countries, supporting sustainable tourism training and technical assistance for hundreds of tourism businesses and community-based operations while also connecting them with the marketplace. He led the creation of the Sustainable Tourism Certification Network of the Americas and chaired its secretariat from 2003 to 2010. He assisted the creation of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and sat on its board of directors from 2010 to 2012. Currently, as an independent consultant, he supports governmental and UN agencies, NGOs like Fundecooperación and companies in sustainability-related projects. In 2020, Ronald joined IDH - The Sustainable Trade Initiative as senior program manager on living wages. A Fulbright scholar, Ronald holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Costa Rica and an M.A. in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University.
Job Titles:
- Pacific Asia Tourism Founder
In early 2009, Steve Noakes was active in the process to link the Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council (hosted by Rainforest Alliance) and the Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (coordinated by the UN Foundation). He served on the Interim Advisory Committee of the Tourism Sustainability Council which evolved out of that process. The TSC went on to become the Global Sustainable Tourism Council where he served on the Board during its first 3 years. During that time he was a member of the Membership Committee, the Finance Committee and the Education & Training Committee of the GSTC Board and represented the GSTC at numerous high-level forums around the Pacific Asia region. He retired from the GSTC Board in 2012, continuing for a few years as CoChair of the Knowledge Networking, Education & Training Working Group (KNET WG). In 2013, he became a member of the GSTC Elections Committee and in 2017 became active as a GSTC Trainer. Based in Australia, Steve has been active in the industry, NGOs, and academia for some 40 years - with a focus on the Pacific Asia region.
Job Titles:
- Communications Coordinator
- Communications & Destinations Coordinator
Tiffany's focus is on sustainable tourism, particularly in destination stewardship, responsible recreation, and nature-based tourism. Her role at GSTC includes communications and Destination program support. Prior to joining GSTC, Tiffany held various positions in tourism, from business development and marketing to client services. She is a jury member for two international tourism film festivals and a volunteer at the Destination Stewardship Center. Tiffany holds a master's degree in Sustainable Tourism Management from the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria in Portugal and an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in International Development Studies, Economics, and Psychology from the University of Toronto in Canada.
Job Titles:
- Director of Mt. Huangshan Scenic Area Administrative Committee ( HSAC )
- Executive Director of Mt. Huangshan Administrative Committee
Wu Wenda serves as Executive Director of Mt. Huangshan Administrative Committee (HSAC), Vice-Chair of China Association of National Parks and Scenic Sites and Chairman of China Mountain Tourism Alliance. Prior to these important leadership roles in tourism, he served as the Deputy Mayor and Secretary of the Political and Judiciary Commission of Huangshan City from 2012 to 2018. From 2001 to 2012, he served for the governments of two famous cultural and tourist counties (Shexian County and Yixian County) in Huangshan. From 1996 to 2001, he served as the Deputy Director of Huangshan Environment Protection Bureau. Majored in Chemistry and Economic Management, he worked for college youth association and student management after graduation from Huangshan University in 1985.