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Randy Durband

CEO

Global Sustainable Tourism Council

POSITION

CEO

COMPANY

Global Sustainable Tourism Council

COUNTRY

United States

SCENE

Social

SOCIAL

LinkedIn

Facebook

Twitter

What makes Randy Durband a Global Shaker?

Randy Durban is CEO of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, an organisation jointly set up by UN Environment, the Rainforest Alliance, and UN Agency the World Tourism Organisation (See Zurab Pololikasvili profile).

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) manages global sustainable standards, which are aimed at public policy makers and destination managers, and at hotel and tour operators. GSTC says these are the minimum requirements that any such business should aspire to reach “in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources, while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for conservation and poverty alleviation.”

These serve as the basic guidelines for businesses and destinations of all sizes all over the world to become more sustainable, and the certification is then used for non-governmental and private sector training programmes. GSTC aims to make destinations sustainable, promote market access, and increase knowledge.

Durband has had over twenty years in senior leadership positions at large US tour operators, having served as President for Travcoa, INTRAV, and Clipper Cruise Lines. He then promoted sustainable tourism as an advisor, consultant and speaker. He’s been GSTC CEO since 2014, having previously been a Board Member and Chair of the Market Access Working Group at the organisation.

He’s also President of GSTC Asia Pacific, and spent 4 and a half years as a Tourism Development Specialist with UNESCO, ILO, TRIP Foundation.

He holds a degree in political science from Hope College, and an MA in East European Studies from the University of Michigan. These experiences initially lead him to a career in TV, working as a production Assistant for ABC TV / Radio.

Tags: Responsible Tourism, Sustainable Travel, tourism

Last updated: September 25, 2020