Prestigious global acknowledgment for commitment to responsible travel practices

　JTB Corp., Japan's leading travel agency, has achieved the Global Sustainable Tourism Council🄬 (GSTC) Tour Operator certification for the scope of the domestic tour operation. The certification, issued by Bureau Veritas, a GSTC-Accredited certification body, was awarded on November 1, 2024. This achievement aligns with JTB's mission to "foster peace and global interconnectedness through the creation of opportunities for meaningful human interaction," reinforcing the company's dedication to sustainable tourism practices that enhance cultural exchange and social enrichment.

■ GSTC Criteria and Certification

The GSTC Criteria are the result of a worldwide effort to develop a common language about sustainability in tourism. There are currently two sets of Global Criteria for GSTC Certification -- Destination Criteria for public policymakers and destination managers and Industry Criteria for hotels/accommodations, and tour operators. JTB was certified against GSTC Industry Criteria for Tour Operators which are made up of the four pillars of sustainable management, socioeconomic sustainability, cultural sustainability, and environmental sustainability. The GSTC Tour Operator certification by the GSTC-Accredited Certification Body guarantees that the operator has a sustainable tourism management system and takes sustainable operations following the GSTC Criteria.

Executive Officer（CSuO）NISHIMATSU Chizuko
Bureau Veritas　Area Manager　Mr.Marvin Ng

Executive Officer（CSuO）NISHIMATSU Chizuko
GSTC CEO　Mr.Randy Durband
GSTC Board Member (JTB Managing Executive Officer
CDEIBO) TAKASAKI Kuniko
Sustainability Team Manager HOSONO Yasunori
GSTC Asia Pacific Manager　Mｓ.Emi Kaiwa

■Comment from Mr. NG of Third-Party Certification Body Bureau Veritas

I was pleased to be involved in the certification process and able to audit JTB Corp toward GSTC certification. During the audit, it is able to see the momentum building in sustainability within the tour operator sector from JTB. The certification obtained by JTB is not only able to show what has been done by JTB as a pioneer in this field but also serves as a catalyst for other Japanese companies to pursue the same path.

■Comment from Chizuko Nishimatsu, Executive Officer & Chief Sustainability Officer, JTB

We are very honored and pleased to have received the GSTC certification.

This certification has not only objectively evaluated our current initiatives but also identified future issues and presented us with the path to take for solving those issues, as well as achieving further improvements. We recognize that obtaining this certification is not the goal but rather the first step towards starting full-fledged measures for sustainable tourism. We will prepare concrete plans for the issues that have been identified and, along with their progress, will publish information through sustainability reports and other means.

We will contribute to the development of tourism based on sustainability, both domestic and international, through communication and co-creation with as many stakeholders as possible.

Conceptual diagram of JTB's sustainable tourism initiatives

Click link below for JTB's sustainability report.

URL：jtbcorp.jp/jp/sustainability/pdf/report_2024_en.pdf