The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce that Control Union Türkiye has gained GSTC-accredited certification body status with the scope of certifying Hotels/accommodations to the GSTC-Recognized Standard (Türkiye Sustainable Tourism Industry Criteria (TR-I)), with Türkiye as the geographic scope.

Control Union Türkiye (legal name: CONTROL UNİON GÖZETİM VE BELGELENDİRME LTD. ŞTİ.) is part of Control Union’s global network, it combines international expertise with strong local knowledge of the Turkish market. Its work supports organizations in strengthening quality, compliance, transparency, and sustainability performance.

Since 2016, Control Union has held GSTC-accredited Certification Body status, certifying hotels, accommodations, and tour operators to the GSTC Hotel Standard and GSTC Tour Operator Standard. 

Currently, Control Union Singapore manages GSTC Certifications for hotels/accommodations and tour operators globally, while Control Union Türkiye is responsible for GSTC Certification for hotels/accommodations under the Türkiye Environmental and Cultural Sustainability Program within Türkiye.

Achieving the GSTC-accredited status means that a certification body has been verified to conduct proper certification of businesses in a competent and neutral manner, following processes and procedures detailed in the GSTC Accreditation Manual. Some of the requirements in the GSTC Accreditation Manual include: Legislation; Transparent and impartial certification procedure; Competent personnel capable of conformity assessment in the sustainable tourism field; Compliance with the ‘ISO/IEC 17065:2012 Conformity Assessment Requirements for Bodies Certifying Products, Processes, and Services’; and more.

Businesses certified by a GSTC-accredited certification body, meeting the full relevant GSTC Standard, have the highest level of assurance* and credibility available. With an accredited certification, customers and buyers are assured that the business or destination was certified in a credibly verified procedure in a transparent, impartial, and competent manner.

Certification by an Accredited Certification Body can be referred to as “accredited certification”.

Attesting to that, those businesses certified by a GSTC-accredited certification body can display a unique GSTC logo with a traceable code. The purpose of the GSTC Accreditation is to provide a higher level of assurance and reward genuine practitioners of sustainable tourism, which builds confidence and credibility with consumers.

As a newly GSTC-accredited certification body, Control Union in Türkiye joins the global network of GSTC-accredited certification bodies, further strengthening the credibility of sustainable tourism certification.

“We are pleased to see Control Union Türkiye take on this important role within the Türkiye Environmental and Cultural Sustainability Program. Building on Control Union’s long-standing experience as a GSTC-accredited Certification Body, this strengthens the delivery of credible GSTC Certification for hotels and accommodations across Türkiye,” said Randy Durband, CEO of GSTC.

“Achieving GSTC Accreditation marks an important milestone for Control Union Türkiye and represents a significant extension of Control Union’s more than 100 years of international experience and long-standing expertise in sustainability into Türkiye’s tourism sector.

By combining Control Union’s global knowledge and extensive experience in independent auditing and certification with the local expertise of our team in Türkiye, we are bringing this strong foundation to the tourism industry. Through GSTC Accreditation, we aim to provide credible, impartial, and competent certification services that support tourism businesses in strengthening their sustainability performance, managing their environmental and social impacts more effectively, and aligning with internationally recognized sustainable tourism standards.

We see this achievement not simply as an accreditation, but as part of our long-term commitment to the future of sustainable tourism. Backed by Control Union’s global strength and sustainability expertise, we are proud to contribute to strengthening Türkiye’s position as a more responsible, credible, and sustainable destination in global tourism,” says Fahrettin Söner, General Manager, Control Union Türkiye.

The GSTC Accreditation Manual for Certification Bodies – Industry Hotel/ Accommodation, Tour Operator, MICE, and Attraction provides detailed technical requirements for certification of the listed businesses. Certification Bodies are required to comply with ISO 17065 (Conformity Assessment -Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services) and GSTC specific requirements. These requirements are impartial and competent certification procedures, auditor experience and qualifications, certification decision-making, rigorous surveillance of certified businesses, and proper promotion of their services.

Hotels that follow sustainability standards and wish to stand out with a reputable certification as a sustainable hotel should seek sustainable hotel certification by a GSTC-accredited Certification Body.

Tour Operators that want to demonstrate their adherence to sustainability standards are encouraged to seek sustainable tour operator certification by a GSTC-accredited Certification Body.

MICE venues and event/exhibition organizers that follow sustainability standards and wish to demonstrate their commitment to responsible MICE practices are encouraged to seek sustainable MICE certification from a GSTC-accredited Certification Body.

Attractions that want to demonstrate their adherence to sustainability standards and stand out as responsibly managed visitor attractions are encouraged to seek sustainable attraction certification by a GSTC-accredited Certification Body.

Control Union Türkiye is part of Control Union’s global network, which has more than 100 years of experience in inspection, certification and assurance services. Established in Türkiye in 2001, the company today operates with a team of approximately 300 specialists across an 8,000 m² facility. Its services span inspection, certification, laboratory testing and sustainability, supporting organizations across sectors including tourism, agriculture, textiles and food. Control Union Türkiye combines international expertise with local market knowledge to provide independent, reliable and impartial services that help organizations strengthen quality, compliance and sustainability performance.

For more information, visit: https://www.controlunion.com.tr/ 

To be certified by Control Union in Türkiye, please contact: [email protected]

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, MICE, attractions, and F&B, NGOs, individuals, and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism.

GSTC is also the dedicated accreditation body providing specialized accreditation services to sustainable tourism certification schemes. Operating as an independent unit, the GSTC Accreditation Division offers formal accreditation to these schemes in strict compliance with ISO/IEC 17065 (Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes, and services) and sustainable tourism-specific requirements. The GSTC is an ISEAL Community Member, as well as a Stakeholder Member of the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated and an Associate Member of the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC). 

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

*Note of General assurance levels:

3rd-party certification by an Accredited Certification Body (impartiality is certain)

3rd-party verification (impartiality is not certain)

2nd-party verification (not impartial)

1st-party self-assessment

No verification at all