Sustainable Tourism Academy celebrates milestone of 3,000 users in first year | News
Digital travel platform agoda and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) are celebrating the first anniversary of the Sustainable Tourism Academy, a joint effort to drive more sustainable practices across Asia. Marking its first full year since its inception, the Academy continues to support hospitality professionals across the region in building practical knowledge of sustainable tourism, based on the GSTC Hotel Standard.
Since its launch, the Academy has surpassed 3,000 registered users. Together with the personal training programs that GSTC and Agoda have been offering since 2022, the partnership has collectively reached more than 3,500 industry professionals.
Randy Durband, CEO of GSTC, said: “Education and training are one of the most powerful ways to create meaningful change in tourism. One year after launch, the Sustainable Tourism Academy reminds us that when knowledge is made accessible, more people are empowered to take practical steps towards sustainability. We are proud to celebrate this milestone with agoda and all the students who are part of this journey.”
The majority of registered users are located in the Asian markets, with India, Thailand and Malaysia representing the largest user bases. Other major markets include Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Users of the Academy represent a diverse cross-section of the region’s hospitality sector, from professionals at leading global hotel groups such as Accor Group, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and ONYX Hospitality Group, to independent entrepreneurs and hospitality students from institutions such as the Asian Institute of Hospitality Management.
Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President of Supply, Agoda, said: “At Agoda, we strive to be a trusted partner that our hotel partners turn to on their sustainability journey. By making high-quality, localized resources like the Sustainable Tourism Academy freely accessible, we are proud to equip our partners and the wider industry with the practical tools and knowledge aligned to international standards.”
To mark its anniversary, the Sustainable Tourism Academy was also recognized by ASEAN as a key regional resource for capacity building. Going forward, Agoda and GSTC will work with ASEAN member states to expand the Academy’s reach and drive more sustainable practices across the region.
Philippine Undersecretary for Tourism Verna C. Buensuceso, Chairman of the ASEAN National Tourism Organizations (NTOs), congratulated both organizations on this milestone and emphasized the alignment between the Academy’s mission and the region’s long-term economic and environmental goals: “The ASEAN National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) welcome the continued growth of the Sustainable Tourism Academy and its contribution to strengthening sustainability knowledge and capacity among tourism stakeholders in the region. As ASEAN promotes the implementation of the ASEAN Tourism Sectoral Plan. (ATSP) 2026-2030, initiatives like these help equip tourism professionals with practical tools and knowledge to support the development of sustainable, resilient and quality tourism. We commend agoda and GSTC for this achievement and look forward to continued collaboration in promoting sustainable tourism practices across the region.
The Academy now supports seven languages: English, Vietnamese, Malay, Thai and Indonesian, as well as the recent additions of Japanese and Korean. The Academy’s most popular courses include GSTC Standards & Performance Indicators, GSTC Certification and Developing a Sustainable Policy and Strategy, highlighting the industry’s interest in both fundamental sustainability knowledge and practical implementation.
