I’m very late to the party, but having had time to sit with my reflections on attending as a speaker for the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) conference in Thailand in April, I wanted to share some thoughts.

First of all, it was incredible to join so many amazing industry peers on the stage. I made some truly beautiful connections and had some fantastic conversations. It really felt like a very special moment in my career.

So here are some of my key takeaways now that the conference is over:

🌿 We’ve moved from a data gap to an implementation gap. The industry is collecting more data than ever, but there’s still uncertainty around which data matters, how to interpret it, and how to turn insight into action. I think we can achieve more if we move beyond organisational reporting towards shared baselines, industry collaboration and collective action.

🌿 Carbon emissions seem to be getting prioritised as the most important data points to measure, but focusing on isolated metrics risks missing wider system dynamics like economic leakage, community outcomes and destination resilience.

🌿 We need more diversity in voices. It was encouraging to see stronger local representation this year, particularly from Thai speakers. At the same time, there’s still room to widen participation, especially for people whose livelihoods are directly shaped by tourism. More accessible pathways into these spaces could expand perspectives and drive innovation.

🌿 Progressive conversations deserve equally intentional experiences.
The quality of discussion was genuinely inspiring and the industry feels increasingly thoughtful, curious and committed to impact. At the same time, sustainability events themselves are an opportunity to model what good looks like. Food, procurement, place and cultural connection all shape the experience. GSTC relies heavily on local partners and there are real challenges in delivering events at this scale, but I’d love to see future conferences continue exploring how the event experience itself can tell a stronger destination story, from local food systems to more visible connections with culture and place.

🌿 One of my highlights was the academic symposium and the opportunity to engage with emerging research on tourism and sustainability. I’d love to see this become even more integrated into the core conference programme in future. Academia brings different methods, perspectives and often greater diversity of voices, so creating more space between research, industry and lived experience feels like one of the most exciting opportunities for tourism right now.

Overall it was a really great experience and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend.

Natalie Lyall-Grant : Head of Positive Impact at Jacada Travel | Co-founder of Kynd Period | winner of Unltd award for social enterprise | Featured in Forbes , London, England, United Kingdom

Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) 

Managing the GSTC Criteria, global sustainability standards in travel and tourism. Travel Arrangements, Washington, DC

M.Z.I. Dalton Zahir | Editor  +351938707061, PRESS NEWS: travellertimesinfo@gmail.com,editor@travellertimes.net