Brisbane, Australia – 2 September 2026. The Tourism Sustainability Certifications Alliance (TSCA) has announced the release of its new TSCA Minimum Standards, establishing a globally aligned baseline for sustainable tourism certification and marking a major milestone in the evolution of credible sustainability assurance for the travel and tourism sector.
The new standards have been developed collaboratively by TSCA member organisations, which collectively represent more than 30 years of leadership in sustainable tourism certification and have certified over 19,000 tourism businesses, organisations and destinations worldwide, including those certified by Ecotourism Australia. The standards are designed to provide a common framework for sustainability certification while allowing certification bodies to maintain their own unique methodologies and additional requirements.
The release includes two distinct minimum standards: one for tourism businesses, including accommodation providers and tour operators, and another for destinations. Together, these standards establish the baseline requirements that must be met to achieve credible sustainability certification through TSCA member certification schemes.
“The release of these minimum standards represents an important step towards greater consistency, transparency and trust in sustainable tourism certification,” said TSCA Chairperson Elissa Keenan.“By aligning around a common set of minimum requirements, we are strengthening confidence in sustainability certification while continuing to support innovation and diversity among certification programs.”
Developed through global collaboration
The TSCA Minimum Standards were developed through a comprehensive collaborative process involving member organisations and extensive stakeholder consultation. The standards were informed by two consultation rounds involving certification bodies, tourism businesses, industry associations, non-government organisations and sustainability experts. Feedback received throughout the process was reviewed and incorporated to ensure the standards are practical, globally relevant and aligned with internationally recognised sustainability principles.
The development process reflects TSCA’s commitment to transparency, consensus-building and continuous improvement. By drawing on decades of collective expertise from leading certification organisations, the TSCA has created standards that provide both global consistency and flexibility for implementation across diverse tourism markets and destinations.
Strengthening confidence in certification
The TSCA Minimum Standards are intended to provide a common foundation for tourism sustainability certification worldwide. Member certification organisations have committed to incorporating these minimum requirements into their own certification programs, ensuring a shared baseline across the Alliance while retaining the ability to apply additional criteria and requirements where appropriate.
Certification delivered through TSCA members using the minimum standards will help tourism businesses and destinations better manage their environmental, social and economic impacts, improve transparency and accountability, and create lasting benefits for communities, visitors and natural environments. The standards also support greater consistency between certification schemes and strengthen confidence in sustainability claims made across the tourism industry.
The release comes at a time when tourism businesses face increasing expectations from consumers, governments and regulators regarding sustainability performance and environmental claims. TSCA has identified emerging regulatory frameworks, including consumer protection and green claims legislation, as key drivers for greater alignment and credibility in sustainability certification.
As sustainable tourism continues to grow in importance, the release of the TSCA Minimum Standards represents a significant step toward a more transparent, consistent and trusted certification landscape for the global tourism industry.
Ecotourism Australia plays leading role in shaping the future of sustainable tourism certification globally
Ecotourism Australia, the nation’s peak body for ecotourism and sustainable tourism is a founding member of TSCA, with CEO, Elissa Keenan, also holding the inaugural chairperson role of the global coalition.
Ms Keenan said the membership and leadership of the TSCA strengthened the global credibility and recognition of Ecotourism Australia’s programs.
“While Ecotourism Australia’s certification programs already meet and exceed global standards, this collaboration ensures our programs remain aligned internationally and continue to be recognised by regulators, booking platforms and consumers around the world,” she said.
As a founding member of the TSCA, Ms Keenan said Ecotourism Australia also played a key role in developing the new TSCA sustainability criteria and standards.
“Our Head of Sustainability, Assurance and Operations, Nadine Schramm, also worked collaboratively with our partner organisations, providing her deep expertise and leadership in sustainability and certification to develop TSCA’s Minimum Standards for tourism businesses and destinations,” Ms Keenan said.
“Ecotourism Australia’s founding role and ongoing dedication reinforces our commitment to transparency, credibility, and continuous improvement in tourism certification standards, which in turn, supports Australian certified tourism businesses in global markets.”
A global alliance for sustainable tourism
Formed in 2024, the Tourism Sustainability Certifications Alliance is a collaboration of leading sustainable travel and tourism certification organisations from around the world.
For over 30 years, this group of leading internationally recognised certification organisations has been responsible for developing the industry’s best practice standard for accepted criteria in sustainable tourism. Together, these organisations have certified more than 19,000 of the world’s leading travel and tourism companies, organisations and destinations.
TSCA’s mission is to harmonise sustainability criteria and standards, creating a common internationally recognised language for sustainable tourism certification. Through collaboration and knowledge sharing, the TSCA works to ensure that certification remains credible, accessible and responsive to evolving consumer expectations, industry needs and regulatory requirements.
Web: tourismsustainability.org
For more information about the TSCA Minimum Standards, visit: TSCA Standards
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Media contacts:
Ecotourism Australia – Emily Flanagan, Communications and Engagement Specialist
e: communications@ecotourism.org.au
ph: (07) 3256 6777
About Ecotourism Australia
Ecotourism Australia is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation, established in 1991, that promotes and supports Australia’s visitor economy through building capacity and actively promoting sustainable tourism operations and systems. Our legacy program – ECO Certification – was the world’s first national ecotourism certification program and the Sustainable Tourism Certification, launched in 2022 supports non-nature based businesses achieve global best-practice. Today there are some 2500 accommodation, tours and attractions certified by Ecotourism Australia. Ecotourism Australia is also a founding member of the Tourism Sustainability Certifications Alliance (TSCA), a global association for sustainable tourism established in January 2025. TSCA members are responsible for certifying more than 19,000 travel and tourism enterprises, organisations, and destinations across the globe – representing the largest cohort of certified operators worldwide.