Trip.com Group becomes a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council

SINGAPORE, Oct. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Trip.com Group has officially joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council's (GSTC) global network as a member. Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services.

Trip.com Group's mission to 'pursue the perfect trip for a better world' focuses the Group's efforts on improving the communities and lives of the people they serve, and drives their commitment to being a more responsible industry leader.

To fulfill this mission, earlier this year Trip.com Group announced its green tourism goals, covering three key areas: to launch over 10,000 low-carbon travel products; to promote sustainable travel and engage 100 million travellers in low-carbon practices; and aim to further reduce carbon emissions across its own operations.

In order to delve into consumer sentiment on sustainable travel and share findings with the industry, Trip.com Group conducted a survey that gathered responses from over 7,700 travellers from 11 markets. Trip.com Group's Sustainable Travel Consumer Report 2022 revealed that almost eight in 10 (78.7%) travellers recognise the importance of sustainable travel. The Report also found that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a major driver behind increased consumer awareness of their travels' impact on the planet, with 67.7% of travellers now open to paying more for sustainable options.

To meet increased demand for sustainable travel options, the Group's consumer brand Trip.com launched its CHOOOSE carbon offsetting option for travellers to offset their flights' Co2 emissions. This program allows customers to address their flight emissions by supporting a portfolio of trusted high-impact climate projects in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

As a member of the GSTC, Trip.com Group will support the GSTC mission to promote sustainable tourism standards in the travel & tourism sector. Being a GSTC member allows Trip.com Group to participate in GSTC's global network, contributing to the important work of the GSTC in promoting the widespread adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles.

"At Trip.com Group, we believe we can only solve big issues by working with our peers from across the industry. This is why we are very excited to become a member of the GSTC, joining their global community to collaborate on sustainable travel initiatives that contribute towards a more sustainable future," said Jane Sun, Chief Executive Officer of Trip.com Group.

"We at GSTC are delighted to welcome Trip.com Group and all its powerful brands as a member of our growing community of members. Their power in the marketplace can deliver much in the way of more sustainable forms of tourism being made available to more travelers throughout the world, and we look forward to partnering in those efforts," said Randy Durband, Chief Executive Officer of GSTC.

About Trip.com Group

Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar with the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world".

Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services. Trip.com Group technology enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centers.

Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known travel groups in the world, with the vision "to be the world's leading and most trusted family of online travel brands that aspires to deliver the perfect trip at the best price for every traveler".

About the GSTC

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) establishes and manages global sustainable standards, known as the GSTC Criteria. There are two sets: Destination Criteria for public policy-makers and destination managers, and Industry Criteria for hotels and tour operators. They are arranged in four pillars: (A) Sustainable management; (B) Socioeconomic impacts; (C) Cultural impacts; and (D) Environmental impacts (including consumption of resources, reducing pollution, and conserving biodiversity and landscapes). Since tourism destinations each have their own culture, environment, customs, and laws, the Criteria are designed to be adapted to local conditions and supplemented by additional criteria for the specific location and activity.

The GSTC Criteria form the foundation for GSTC's assurance role for Certification Bodies that certify hotels/accommodations, tour operators, and destinations as having sustainable policies and practices in place. GSTC does not directly certify any products or services, but provides accreditation to those that do. The GSTC is an independent and neutral USA-registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that represents a diverse and global membership, including national and provincial governments, leading travel companies, hotels, tour operators, NGOs, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism.

Information for media and the press: https://www.gstcouncil.org/about/for-the-press/

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