Global Sustainable Tourism Council Signs Landmark Memorandum of Understanding with Netherlands Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 17, 2013 /3BL Media/ - The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce a partner association with The Netherlands Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (ANVR). ANVR Director Frank Oostdam and GSTC CEO Mauro Marrocu recently formalized the alliance through a joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

According to the MoU, the two organizations will establish a working relationship and collaborate on projects for a period of two years. The agreement details the partners’ joint advocacy and mutual support of the GSTC’s mission to promote sustainable tourism development and the ANVR’s mission to combine the strength of its members in pursuit of their common and social interests to become a prominent representative of the Dutch travel industry.

"The GSTC is actively pursuing its strategy to reach out to the most influential, long-established and well-known travel and tourism associations in the world to form new partnerships,” Marrocu said. “The ANVR, founded in 1966, is most certainly one of them, and we are honored and delighted to announce a MoU with this great association. With this act we take another extremely important step in our mission to foster sustainable tourism, by partnering with one of the most important trade associations in the world. The ANVR clearly shows its commitment to a sustainable future by sharing a common path with the GSTC, endorsing the GSTC global sustainable tourism criteria and indicators, as well as the GSTC recognized and approved certification bodies," he said.

“The ANVR is very active in the field of sustainable tourism,” Oostdam added. “Apart from rising consumer expectations on ethical and environmental issues, we are conscious of our role to reduce the negative impacts of tourism and enhance the positive impact of tourism. Because the GSTC is one of the most important global initiatives of sustainable tourism, we are happy to cooperate in the promotion of sustainability practices and criteria,” he said.

About GSTC

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council is a global initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism efforts around the world. The GSTC works to expand understanding of and access to sustainable tourism practices; helps identify and generate markets for sustainable tourism; educates about and advocates for a set of universal principles, as defined by the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria. The Criteria, a set of voluntary principles that provide a framework for the sustainability of tourism businesses across the globe, are the keystone of this initiative. For more information visit www.gstcouncil.org.

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About ANVR

The Netherland Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operations is the only travel trade association in the Netherlands representing 180 tour operators and 1500 retail agencies. The ANVR created a policy that requires all members to meet a minimum of sustainable practices by completing the established criteria. It organizes training, workshops, events, and offers Travelife online tools to improve the sustainability performances of its members and their suppliers. Through pro-active and future-oriented policy, the ANVR stimulates, motivates and supports the development of more sustainable tourism products and services. For more information about ANVR, visit http://www.anvr.nl/sustainable-tourism/ or Facebook.