GSTC Launches International Online Training on "Animal Welfare in Tourism"

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has launched a new online training program, "GSTC Animal Welfare in Tourism Training."

In recent years, with changing traveler values, there has been growing interest in how animals are involved in tourism. For experiences involving interaction with wild animals and tourism content utilizing animals, the perspective of whether animals are treated appropriately and their welfare is ensured, not just the experience itself, is gaining global importance.

Against this backdrop, GSTC developed this training to enable all stakeholders involved in tourism to correctly understand animal welfare and promote responsible tourism.

This training is an on-demand online course jointly developed by GSTC, ANIMONDIAL, and Animal Wise, based on discussions and recommendations from the "Roundtable for Animal Welfare in Tourism" established by GSTC. It incorporates the knowledge of experts in animal welfare, tourism, and certification, and contains content that can be practiced in tourism settings.

The training covers a wide range of topics, from basic knowledge of animal welfare and international perspectives to risk assessment in tourism settings and practical aspects of auditing and evaluation. In particular, by utilizing the scientifically based "Five Domains Model," participants will learn a comprehensive approach to evaluating the physical and mental condition of animals. This will equip them with the knowledge to make appropriate judgments from an animal welfare perspective in tourism facilities, tours, and attractions. The training is aimed at a broad range of stakeholders involved in tourism, including hotels, tour operators, tourist facilities, DMOs, government agencies, and certification/auditing bodies, and is offered in an on-demand format that allows participants to learn at their own pace.

Training Overview

Training Name: GSTC Animal Welfare in Tourism Training

Format: Online (On-demand)

Language: English

Structure: 6 Modules

Target Audience: Hotels, tour operators, tourist facilities, DMOs, government agencies, certification/auditing stakeholders, etc.

For details and registration, please visit the official GSTC website.

Details and Registration Page (English)

Animal welfare is a theme that will become increasingly important in the tourism industry. Through this training, GSTC aims to support all stakeholders involved in tourism in having a common understanding and making responsible decisions based on scientific evidence, while also working to further promote sustainable and responsible tourism.

About the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is an international non-profit organization that develops and manages the international standards for sustainable travel and tourism, the "GSTC Standards." Established in 2007 with the support of organizations such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, now UN Tourism), it currently has diverse stakeholders from around the world as members, including national governments, tourism boards, hotels, travel agencies, certification bodies, and NGOs.

GSTC is not an organization that directly certifies tourism businesses. Instead, it supports the promotion of sustainable tourism through the accreditation of third-party organizations that provide sustainable tourism certification, the dissemination of international standards, and human resource development and training.

GSTC Website (Japanese):

https://www.gstc.org/?lang=ja

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