SINGAPORE - The push to make Singapore a green destination will get another boost when it hosts the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) global conference for the first time in November 2024.
It will be another notch in the nation’s belt in hosting major sustainability-related events, as part of the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) strategy to promote the Republic’s green credentials.
The conference will take place from Nov 13 to 15 in 2024. The GSTC sets and manages the global standards for sustainable travel and tourism, which are used by businesses, government agencies and other organisations, and as a basis for certification.
The 2022 edition of the GSTC global conference, which was held in Seville, Spain, ended on Thursday.
Dr Edward Koh, executive director for conventions, meetings and incentive travel at STB, said: “GSTC’s decision to hold their 2024 global conference in Singapore reflects our growing appeal as a global-Asia node for quality events with sustainability as a focus.
“Sustainability is a national priority for Singapore and our tourism sector. We are excited to see influential tourism stakeholders globally and in Singapore forge new partnerships and address critical issues in sustainable tourism at the event,” said Dr Koh, who is also co-chair of the Mice Sustainability Committee.
Mice refers to meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions.
It is not yet known how many participants are expected to attend the 2024 conference.
Earlier in December, the Mice Sustainability Committee, formed by STB and the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers, unveiled a sustainability road map to green the events sector by covering areas such as waste and emissions tracking.
Mice events have gradually returned to Singapore since October, when vaccination-differentiated safe management measures for events with more than 500 participants were lifted. These rules were among the last of Singapore’s Covid-19 restrictions to go, after the bulk of them, including the need to mask up in most settings, was dropped in late August.
Singapore has hosted at least six significant sustainability-related events in 2022, including the CleanEnviro Summit Singapore and World Cities Summit.
Besides the GSTC global conference, at least five other events, including the Asia Climate Forum, have been confirmed for 2023 and beyond.
