Sustainability in tourism and the customer experience -
an introductory training course for tour guides & travel agents

This course aims to enhance the competencies of tour guides and agents that will allow them to expand their tours with innovative, sustainable tourism customer service that aligns with current market trends for nature-based and alternative tourism.

Developed and presented by

Course details

Duration: 4 hours, in four sections of about an hour each
Format: Online and self-paced
Language: English
Audience: Tour guides, travel agents, anybody wanting to start as guides, and SME travel operators who want to offer the course to their staff
Assessment: An activity and a 5-question quiz at the end of each section; quiz pass mark 4 out of 5
Award: Certificate of attendance, available to View and Print once all four activities have been completed and quizzes passed
References: Links to sources and references mentioned in the training are provided at the end of the course material. This provides an extensive source of additional information.
Accessibility: Designed to run smoothly across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
Enrollment: The link to the course will be valid until December 31, 2026, after which the course content will be updated. A new link can be requested if the participant wants the benefit of the revised learning material.
Sustainability credentials: This course is free, but you can support a unique local experience by making a voluntary donation. This period's chosen initiative is a Greek animal sanctuary that also offers guest accommodation.

Contact details: info@travelsenseconsulting.com

Sustainability in tourism and the customer experience -
an introductory training course for tour guides & travel agents

Enrolled as . Front page and enrollment details

Welcome!

Welcome, and thank you for joining this course. It is written for tour guides who want to deliver excellent customer service while looking after the places and people that make their tours possible. Over four sections you will move from the foundations of sustainable tourism, to the service expectations and pitfalls every guide faces, to the ways sustainability improves what guests feel, and finally to practical actions for each touch point on a tour. Each section combines a short lesson, a practical activity and a closing quiz that will take about an hour. You can work at your own pace, but it is important to follow the structure of the course.

Course map

Section 1Introduction to sustainable tourism
Section 2Customer service: expectations and pitfalls
Section 3Sustainability and the customer experience
Section 4Practical examples for every touch point

Bracketed numbers such as [5] point to the source list at the end of this document. If you want to check a reference while working through the material, just click on the number and then use the Back to where you were button (or your browser's Back button) to return to the section you were on.

Section	Core question	You will be able to	Assessment
1.Introduction to sustainable tourism	What is it, and why are guests asking about it now?	Define it, name its dimensions and quote current evidence	Activity Quiz 1 (5 questions)
2.Customer service in tourism	What do guests expect, and where do guides lose them?	Spot service pitfalls and recover from a complaint	Activity Quiz 2 (5 questions)
3.Sustainability and the customer experience	Where does sustainability show up in what the guest feels?	Map nine touch points to guest benefits	Activity Quiz 3 (5 questions)
4.Practical examples	What do I actually do and say on tour?	Apply tested actions and wording to each touch point	Activity Quiz 4 (5 questions)

How the certificate works

Work through the four sections. Each section ends with an activity and a quiz. Submit all 4 activities (there is no right or wrong here) and pass the quizzes. You need 4 out of 5 to pass and can retake a quiz as often as you like.
View and Print your certificate. Once all four activities have been completed and quizzes passed, the View and Print certificate button at the end of Section 4 unlocks. The certificate shows your name/surname, location of operation and the date.

Section 1 of 4, 60 minutes

Introduction to sustainable tourism

By the end of this section you can

Explain what sustainable tourism is and how it differs from ecotourism, responsible travel and regenerative tourism.
Quote current evidence of the impact tourism has on the climate and changing traveler behavior.
Describe the guide's role as the most visible face of a sustainable operation.

Activity
1.1 What sustainable tourism means
1.2 Why it matters now: the numbers
1.3 Trends shaping guest expectations
1.4 The guide and agent's role
Activity: impact map of your own tour
Quiz 1

1.1 What sustainable tourism means

The core principles of tourism development center on balancing economic growth with environmental protection, social equity, and community well-being. The widely used UN Tourism and UN Environment definition describes tourism that takes its present and future economic, social and environmental effects fully into account, and serves visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities together [12]. Three points matter for guides:

It is not a type of tour. It is a standard that any tour, from a city walk to a mountain trek, can aim at.
Guests are part of the definition. UN Tourism's guidelines say sustainable tourism should keep tourist satisfaction high and give guests a meaningful experience that raises their awareness [12]. Sustainability and good service are meant to travel together.
It has an international standard. ISO 23405:2022 sets out principles, vocabulary and a model for sustainable tourism [13]. Certification bodies such as the Global Sustainable Tourism Council organize their criteria around sustainable management plus socioeconomic, cultural and environmental impacts [14]. You can read the criteria for tour operators in the GSTC Tour Operator Standards [23].

The terminology that causes confusion

Sustainable tourism	An aspiration for every form of tourism to manage its impacts well for the long term [14]
Responsible travel	The choices and behavior of travelers and operators in pursuit of that aspiration
Ecotourism	A niche segment based in natural areas [14]
Regenerative tourism	Aiming to leave a place better than it was found; presented in 2026 trend commentary as replacing "leave no trace" as the benchmark [11]
Slow travel	Longer stays, fewer journeys, deeper immersion [11]

1.2 Why it matters now: the numbers

1.52 billioninternational tourist arrivals in 2025, up 4% and a post-pandemic record [1]

8.8%of global greenhouse gas emissions came from tourism in 2019, about 5.2 Gt CO2-e [2]

3.5% vs 1.5%yearly growth of tourism emissions versus global emissions, 2009 to 2019 [3]

85%of travelers say more sustainable travel is important or very important (survey of 32,500 travelers in 35 markets) [5] [7]

100 millionroom nights booked in 2025 at Booking.com properties with a third-party sustainability certification; 28,000 certified properties, up 22% [5] [8]

74%consider extreme-weather risk when choosing destination and timing; 31% have canceled a trip because of it [6]

Demand keeps growing, and the research behind the emissions figure finds that rising demand is outpacing the decarbonization of tourism technology [4]. Estimates differ with the method used: the World Travel & Tourism Council puts the sector's share at 7.3% in 2024, down from 8.3% in 2019, as its emissions per unit of economic output fell by 15% [22]. A guide cannot fix aviation, but a guide controls the part of the trip the guest remembers most.

1.3 Trends shaping guest expectations

From stated intent to visible action. Booking.com's 2026 report is framed around travelers moving from intention to action [8], yet trend commentary notes behavior still lags what people say [11]. Guests care, but need practical, easy ways to act.
Climate-aware planning. 42% plan to travel out of peak season and 25% are looking at cooler destinations [5]. Weather is now part of the service conversation.
Crowd avoidance and community awareness. 43% plan to avoid crowded destinations. Among those choosing quieter places, 44% want to avoid contributing to overtourism; among off-peak travelers, 37% want to reduce pressure on destinations [5].
Generational differences. In a US survey, 42% of Gen Z and 38% of millennials take sustainability-related steps when planning, roughly double the rate of ‘boomers’ [9]. Booking.com finds younger travelers lean toward cultural, community and conservation experiences, while older travelers are more consistent with everyday practical choices [8].
Quiet, slow and local. Booking.com's travel predictions (about 30,000 travelers, 33 countries) found strong interest in gentle nature pursuits: 74% would try fishing or birdwatching and 60% are interested in foraging stays. A quarter say edible souvenirs help them relive a trip [10].
An information gap. 36% of travelers do not know where to find more sustainable options [7]. Guides are well placed to close it.
Anti-greenwashing law. Directive (EU) 2024/825 has applied since September 27, 2026 and bans vague claims such as "green" or "eco-friendly" without proof, and offset-only carbon-neutral claims [15] [16] [17]. This is covered in practice in Sections 2 and 4.

What is a touch point?

A touch point is any moment or place where a guest comes into contact with your tour, the destination or the people and businesses involved, from the first message before the trip to the farewell after it. Every touch point shapes how the guest feels, and it can be positive (a quiet viewpoint, a warm welcome at a family-run café) or negative (a crowded stop, litter on the trail, a promise that is not kept). In the activity at the end of this section you will map the touch points on your own tour and mark each one as positive, negative or unknown.

1.4 The guide and agent's role

Tour operators and travel agencies act as central intermediaries who connect travelers with a network of transportation, lodging, and local service providers. But although operators write the policies, agents plan the tours and guides deliver them. The guide chooses the route, sets the pace, tells the story, recommends the café and answers the question about the plastic bottle. The message of this section is: you are the sustainability experience.

Key Roles in Sustainable Tourism Planning

Curation of Green Transport
Vetting Eco-Certified Accommodation
Promoting Off-the-Beaten-Path Itineraries
Educating and Sensitizing Travelers
Enforcing Supplier Standards
Supporting Local Economies

Activity: impact map of your own tour

Pick one tour you guide regularly and enter its name. For each of the four areas below, write the main ways your tour touches it and give it an overall mark: positive, negative or unknown. You will draw on this map in Sections 3 and 4.

Section 2 of 4, 60 minutes

Introduction to customer service in tourism: expectations and pitfalls

By the end of this section you can

Describe what guests expect from a guide, including the newer expectations around sustainability.
Recognise the moments in a tour where service is won or lost.
Identify ten common pitfalls and apply a four-step recovery sequence to a complaint.

Activity
2.1 What guests expect from a guide
2.2 The guest journey and its moments of truth
2.3 Ten pitfalls and how to avoid them
2.4 Recovering from a complaint
Activity: three complaint cases
Quiz 2

2.1 What guests expect from a guide

Research on guided tours consistently links guide performance to satisfaction and loyalty. A 2025 bibliometric review reports that strong guide performance can even compensate for weaknesses elsewhere in the destination experience [19]. In a survey of 530 international visitors in Istanbul, the guide's service quality was significantly related to satisfaction and to intention to return [18].

Satisfaction is a gap measure: it depends on how the experience compares with what the guest expected [20]. Studies also find that meeting guests' expectations and motivations raises perceived tour quality, which in turn lifts satisfaction [21]. So the first job is to find out, and shape, what the guest expects.

Classic expectations

Accurate, well-organized knowledge told as stories rather than lists.
Clear communication in a language and level the guest can follow.
Reliability: punctual, prepared, safe and in control of the group.
Responsiveness to questions, needs and changing conditions.
Personal attention: the sense that the tour was run for this group.

Newer expectations (from the evidence in Section 1)

Honest, specific information about sustainability, with a clear way to act on it.
Less crowding and a calmer pace, including out of peak season.
Support for local food, enterprises and stories.
A plan for weather and heat, since extreme weather now affects how travelers book and cancel [6].

2.2 The guest journey and its moments of truth

A "moment of truth" is a short interaction where the guest forms a lasting judgment. On a guided tour they are predictable:

Before arrival. Booking confirmation and pre-trip message: what to bring, accessibility, weather, group size.
The meeting point. First five minutes: greeting, name, a quick check of needs and interests.
The opening briefing. Expectations, safety and the simple "how we do things here" for places and people.
The stops. Pace, crowd management, storytelling quality, local spending.
The problem moment. Delay, weather, complaint, a guest who does not follow the briefing.
The farewell and after. Recommendations, thanks, invitation to review, follow-up message.

Suggestion: As part of your welcome briefing you can hand out a 1 page leaflet (printed on recycled paper) as not all guests are eager, or able, to have it in a digital format. The leaflet can explain your efforts to make tours as sustainable as possible. Since not all tours have the same sustainability credentials, you can provide a selection of examples from different tours. It can also contain other important information about expectations, safety, conduct etc. Guests are often distracted and might not follow the whole welcome briefing. The leaflet will then serve as a reminder during the tour and for later reference. If you work for a tour operator, and this is not already part of the standard procedure, you can maybe suggest it.

2.3 Ten pitfalls and how to avoid them

Pitfall	What it looks like	Better practice
Over-promising	"No crowds", "guaranteed sunset", "completely eco-friendly"	Promise what you control; give honest ranges and a plan B
One-size-fits-all script	The same patter for every group	Ask two interest questions in the first five minutes and adapt
Information overload	Facts without a story; no pauses for questions	Short stories, a question at each stop
Preaching about sustainability	Guilt, lectures or "you should" language	Invite and show: explain the benefit, model the behavior
Vague green claims	"Eco-friendly tour", "carbon neutral"	Say exactly what you do; only use broad terms backed by recognized certification [15] [17]
Ignoring individual needs	Mobility, diet, language, children overlooked	Pre-tour check and a quiet word at the start
Rushing the schedule	Stops squeezed, guests herded through crowds	Build buffers; have quieter alternatives ready
Saying one thing, doing another	Talking about plastic while handing out single-use bottles	Align the kit, the stops and the talk
Poor complaint handling	Defensiveness, explaining before listening	Use the recovery sequence below
Overlooking residents	Blocking doorways, loud groups, unasked photos	Brief guests on local etiquette and keep groups small

2.4 Recovering from a complaint

Listen. Let the guest finish. Do not explain yet.
Acknowledge. Name the problem and the feeling in plain words.
Fix or offer choices. Do what you can now; if you cannot, offer two options and say who will follow up.
Follow up. Check the guest is satisfied before the tour ends and note the issue for your operator.

Activity: three complaint cases

Write a two-sentence response to each case below, using the four steps above: listen, acknowledge, fix or offer choices, and follow up.

Section 3 of 4, 60 minutes

How sustainable tourism benefits the customer experience

By the end of this section you can

Explain six ways sustainable practice improves what the guest feels and remembers.
Name nine touch points where sustainability meets the guest, and the guide's lever at each.
Use current data to back each benefit.

Activity
3.1 Why sustainability improves the experience
3.2 The nine touch points
3.3 What it means for reviews, loyalty and reputation
Activity: add touch points to your impact map
Quiz 3

3.1 Why sustainability improves the experience

Sustainability is easy to treat as a cost or a compliance task. The evidence points the other way: it is increasingly what guests are choosing when they think of a good experience. Six benefits recur:

Comfort. Quieter stops, off-peak timing and heat-aware plans make the day physically more pleasant. Booking.com's 2026 findings show crowd and weather avoidance are now norms at all ages [7].
Authenticity. Local food, makers and voices replace generic content. Booking.com's predictions describe a shift from imported trinkets toward locally made goods and slower, quieter pursuits [10].
Meaning. Guests who understand a place's pressures and the people behind it leave with a story, not just photos. UN Tourism's guidelines explicitly link a meaningful experience with raising awareness [12].
Trust. Specific, honest claims are more credible than slogans, and from September 2026 the law requires it for EU-facing marketing [15].
Value and fairness. Spending in locally owned businesses keeps benefits in the community, which a growing share of travelers say they care about [5].
Loyalty. Guide quality already drives satisfaction and return intention [18] [19]; adding visible care for place and people strengthens the story guests tell afterwards.

3.2 The nine touch points

Touch point	What the guest feels	What the data says	The guide's lever
1.Environment and nature	Cleaner, quieter, more beautiful places; confidence that the visit is not damaging them	Tourism's footprint is large (8.8% of global emissions in 2019) [2]; 85% say sustainable travel matters [5]	Route choice, group size, leave-no-trace briefing, wildlife distance
2.Crowds and timing	Space to see and think; shorter lines	43% plan to avoid crowds; 42% travel out of peak season [5]	Off-peak departures, alternative viewpoints, staggered stops
3.Local destination experience	A real sense of place: food, craft, language, stories	74% would try fishing or birdwatching; 60% like foraging stays; 25% value edible souvenirs [10]	Locally owned stops, seasonal food, local makers
4.Community involvement	Warm, respectful contact; knowing the money reaches local people	44% of quiet-destination choosers and 37% of off-peak travelers want to ease pressure on places [5]	Community-run partners, fair pricing, local co-guides, resident-friendly behavior
5.Culture and heritage	Depth and respect rather than spectacle	Guidelines call for a meaningful experience that raises awareness [12]	Local voices in the storytelling, etiquette and photography briefing
6.Transport and mobility	Comfort, flexibility, a lighter footprint	Transport is the largest source of travel and tourism's emissions, about 40% of the sector's total in 2024 [22]	Walking and cycling routes, public transport, efficient logistics
7.Food, lodging and supplies	Good, fresh, healthy; a stay that reflects the place	100 million room nights were booked at certified properties in 2025 [5]	Recommend third-party-certified stays, seasonal menus, refill points
8.Information and honest communication	Clarity, credibility, an easy way to act	36% do not know where to find sustainable options [7]; vague green claims restricted from September 27, 2026 [15]	Specific, verifiable statements; signpost certified partners
9.Safety, health and climate resilience	Feeling looked after when conditions change	26% experienced extreme weather or a disaster on a trip in the past year; 55% find weather risk stressful [6]	Weather plan, hydration and shade guidance, flexible itinerary

3.3 What it means for reviews, loyalty and reputation

Booking.com reports certified properties on its platform growing 22% in a year to 28,000 [8], which signals that credible third-party recognition is becoming a mainstream selection filter. Guides who can talk specifically about the practices behind a certification, and who make guests feel the benefit, give them something concrete to mention in a review. Guests rarely praise "sustainability" in the abstract; they praise the quiet morning, the family restaurant, the guide who handled the rain well.

Activity: add touch points to your impact map

Return to your Section 1 answers. For each of the nine touch points, write one sentence on what the guest currently feels on your tour and score it: strong, adequate or weak. Then choose your two weakest touch points. These become your focus in Section 4.

Section 4 of 4, 60 minutes

Practical examples for every touch point

By the end of this section you can

Apply at least one before, during and after action to each touch point.
Replace vague sustainability slogans with specific, compliant wording.
Handle three realistic situations and leave with a personal action plan.

Activity
4.1 Practical playbook by touch point
4.2 Words that work
4.3 Three scenarios
Activity: personal action plan
Quiz 4
Close, voluntary donation and certificate

4.1 Practical playbook by touch point

The examples below are starting points. Adapt them to your own destination and group type.

Touch point	Before the tour	During the tour	After the tour
Environment and nature	Send a short note on footwear, refillable bottle and the route's sensitive areas	Give a 30-second "how we walk here" briefing; keep to paths; keep a respectful distance from wildlife	Share a nature-friendly tip list; log any litter or damage you noticed for the operator
Crowds and timing	Offer the quieter departure time and say why it is better	Reach busy sites before or after peak; use a second viewpoint when the main one is packed	Suggest the best off-peak return times
Local destination experience	Tell guests which locally owned stops are included	Stop at a family-run bakery or market stall; introduce the maker; point out seasonal food	Send a short list of local makers and edible souvenirs
Community involvement	Agree fair prices and arrangements with community partners in advance	Let local people tell their own stories; ask permission before photographing residents; keep voices low in residential streets	Pass on guest feedback to partners; thank them by name
Culture and heritage	Include dress and etiquette notes in the confirmation	Explain why a custom matters before guests enter a site; credit local historians and sources	Recommend a local book, museum or event
Transport and mobility	Share public transport options to the meeting point	Choose walking, cycling or shared transport for transfers; plan stops to avoid backtracking	Offer onward public transport tips
Food, lodging and supplies	Ask about dietary needs; list refill points	Recommend seasonal, locally produced dishes and certified accommodation when asked	Share the names of places that suited the group
Information and honest communication	Describe the tour factually: group size, mode of travel, who benefits	Answer sustainability questions with specifics, and say so when you do not know	Invite feedback on what worked and what did not
Safety, health and climate resilience	Message the forecast, what to wear and the wet or hot weather plan	Schedule shade and water breaks; adjust the route calmly and explain the change	Check in with anyone who struggled

4.2 Words that work

From September 27, 2026, claims made to consumers in the EU about environmental performance must be specific and substantiated. Broad terms such as "green" or "eco-friendly" are permitted only where backed by recognized excellent environmental performance, and carbon-neutral claims based solely on offsets are no longer allowed [15] [16] [17]. Guides are often the ones making these claims out loud. Say what you actually do. (This is general guidance, not legal advice. Check the rules that apply in your country.)

Avoid
"This is our eco-friendly tour."

Say
"This tour is entirely on foot, the group is capped at ten people so we don't crowd the streets, and every stop today is a locally owned business."

Avoid
"Your trip is carbon neutral."

Say
"We cut transfers by clustering stops, and I can show you where we do and don't use vehicles."

Avoid
"You really shouldn't use plastic bottles."

Say
"There's a refill fountain just here, so you can top up for the next hour." (where a fountain is nearby)

Avoid
"There are no fountains here, so you'll have to buy bottled water."

Say
"Fill your bottle at the hotel before we set off. The café at our second stop will top it up if you ask, and I'm carrying a spare refill for the group." (where there is no fountain)

Avoid
"We support the community."

Say
"Lunch is at the Papadakis family taverna, which is locally owned. Their garden supplies today's salad." (illustrative example)

Avoid
"This hotel is sustainable."

Say
"This hotel holds a third-party sustainability certification, and the certifier's name is on their website."

Avoid
"I don't know, sorry." (and stop)

Say
"I'm not sure. I'll find out and message you tonight."

Use wording like this only where it is true for your tour. Confirm the route, the partner or the refill point before you promise it to guests.

4.3 Three scenarios

Scenario A: the crowded viewpoint. You arrive and a cruise group has filled the main viewpoint. Good practice: acknowledge it, move to the planned alternative viewpoint, tell the story there, and return later if space frees up. Guests experience a guide in control, and local residents are not pressured further.

Scenario B: the heatwave. The forecast shows extreme heat on tour day. Good practice: message guests the day before with two options (early start or a shaded indoor route), brief hydration and sun protection, and build shade stops into the plan. 55% of travelers find weather risk stressful [6], so clear communication reduces anxiety before the tour starts.

Scenario C: the guest who litters. A guest drops a wrapper. Good practice: do not shame them. Pick it up yourself, mention where the trash cans are, and carry a small bag for the group. Modelling the behavior keeps the mood warm and teaches by example.

Activity: personal action plan

Choose the two weakest touch points from your Section 3 answers. For each, write one action you will take before, during or after your next tour, one sentence you will say, and the date you will start.

Close and certificate

You have reached the end of the course. Three messages to take with you: sustainability is part of good service; specific, honest words beat slogans; and guests remember how a guide made the day feel.

Voluntary Donation

If you enjoyed this course, consider donating to a worthy cause of our selected local enterprise - Galatea's Animal Sanctuary and Accommodation in Greece. Click here to access the brochure and donation details.

Donating is entirely voluntary and does not affect your certificate.

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Sources

All figures were checked against the sources below in October 2026. Where a figure is reported by press coverage of a primary report, the secondary source is named so it can be traced.

UN Tourism. World Tourism Barometer and Statistical Annex, January 2026 (Vol. 24, No. 1): 1.52 billion international tourist arrivals in 2025, up 4%. https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/abs/10.18111/wtobarometereng.2026.24.1.1
Drivers of global tourism carbon emissions, Nature Communications (2024): tourism emissions of 5.2 Gt CO2-e, 8.8% of global GHG emissions in 2019; growth of 3.5% a year 2009 to 2019. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-54582-7
University of Queensland, reported by ScienceDaily (December 10, 2024). Tourism leads the pack in growing carbon emissions: tourism emissions growth versus 1.5% a year for global emissions. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/12/241210114957.htm
The carbon footprint of global tourism, Nature Climate Change (2018): rising demand outstripping decarbonization of tourism technology; about 8% of global GHG emissions, 2009 to 2013. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0141-x
Booking.com. Travel & Sustainability Report 2026 (11th annual), summarized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council: 85% importance, 43% avoiding crowds, 42% out of season, 25% cooler destinations, 44% and 37% overtourism motivations, 100 million certified room nights. https://www.gstc.org/booking-com-travel-sustainability-report-2026/
Booking.com News. Booking.com research reveals how climate uncertainty is reshaping peak season travel: 74% weigh extreme-weather risk, 31% canceled a trip, 26% experienced extreme weather, 55% find it stressful. https://news.booking.com/bookingcom-research-reveals-how-climate-uncertainty-is-reshaping-peak-season-travel/
FTN News. Booking.com study maps a turning point for sustainable travel across all ages and markets: sample of 32,500 travelers in 35 markets and 3,715 accommodation providers; 36% do not know where to find sustainable options. https://ftnnews.com/travel-news/tours/booking-com-study-maps-a-turning-point-for-sustainable-travel-across-all-ages-and-markets/
i-DEST. Sustainable travel in 2026: Booking.com report shows a shift from intention to action: 28,000 certified properties, up 22%; generational differences. https://i-dest.com/en/news/sustainable-travel-in-2026-booking-com-report-shows-a-shift-from-intention-to-action
Deloitte. 2026 Travel Industry Outlook (US survey-based): 42% of Gen Z and 38% of millennials take sustainability-related action in planning. https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/transportation/travel-hospitality-industry-outlook.html
Forbes (October 15, 2025). 3 new travel trends making 2026 tourism more sustainable, reporting Booking.com's Travel Predictions (about 30,000 travelers, 33 countries). https://www.forbes.com/sites/emesemaczko/2025/10/15/3-new-travel-trends-making-2026-tourism-more-sustainable/
World Tourism Wire. Sustainable travel trends 2026: how the industry is actually changing (trend commentary on slow travel, regenerative tourism and the gap between intention and behavior). https://worldtourismwire.com/sustainable-travel-trends-2026/
UN Tourism, Sustainable Development of Tourism: Definition, citing UNEP and UNWTO (2005), Making Tourism More Sustainable. http://sdt.unwto.org/en/content/about-us-5
ANSI Blog. Sustainable tourism, on ISO 23405:2022 (Tourism and related services: sustainable tourism, principles, vocabulary and model). https://blog.ansi.org/ansi/sustainable-tourism/
Explainers on terminology and GSTC pillars: Wanee, What is sustainable tourism? https://wanee.asia/what-is-sustainable-tourism/; NYSTIA, What is sustainable tourism? https://www.nystia.org/resources/what-is-sustainable-tourism
European Commission. FAQ on Directive (EU) 2024/825, Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition: application from September 27, 2026; generic environmental claims. https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/3c257883-bb2a-4dd9-a6dc-501d587bb34f_en?filename=faq-empowerting-consumers-gtd.pdf
Cooley LLP (March 16, 2026). Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive: check your sustainability claims. https://products.cooley.com/2026/03/16/empowering-consumers-for-the-green-transition-directive-check-your-sustainability-claims-and-warranty-information-for-compliance-with-new-eu-regime/
Sustainable Travel International. The EU's new rules for green claims: a guide for tourism businesses. https://sustainabletravel.org/eu-green-claims-empowering-consumers-directive/
Role of tour guides on tourist satisfaction level in guided tours and impact on re-visiting intention: a research in Istanbul (530 completed surveys). https://www.academia.edu/25774758/Role_of_tour_guides_on_tourist_satisfaction_level_in_guided_tours_and_impact_on_re_visiting_intention_a_research_in_Istanbul
Ozsoy and Yilmaz (2025). Bibliometric analysis of tour guide performance: trends, influential publications, and emerging research themes, University of South Florida Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1355&context=globe
Journal on Tourism & Sustainability, Vol. 6, Issue 2 (June 2023): tour guiding service quality and satisfaction as a gap between expectation and perception. https://journal.ontourism.academy/index.php/jots/article/download/130/103/328
Does tour quality impact tourist satisfaction? Experiences from Arunachal Pradesh, India, Emerald. https://www.emerald.com/baj/article/45/1/24/1238408/Does-tour-quality-impact-tourist-satisfaction
World Travel & Tourism Council. Environmental & Social Research (ESR) 2025, with data for 2024: Travel & Tourism accounted for 7.3% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2024, down from 8.3% in 2019; transport was the largest contributor at 40% of the sector's emissions; emissions intensity fell 15% between 2019 and 2024. https://wttc.org/research/environmental-social. Press release, September 30, 2025: https://wttc.org/news/global-travel-tourism-sector-cuts-emissions-intensity-economic-prosperity-grows
Global Sustainable Tourism Council. GSTC Tour Operator Standards. https://www.gstc.org/wp-content/uploads/GSTC-Tour-Operator-Standard.pdf

Terms & Conditions

In short

This is a free course developed and presented by Travelsense Consulting (“we”, “the Consultancy”) for the participant’s (“you”, “your”) own learning. The course structure and content remain ours.
We keep your name, surname, email, location, and whether you finished the course. You will receive one short feedback questionnaire when you complete the course, and news of new courses only if you tick the box. We do not use, or share, your information for marketing purposes, but we value your feedback, suggestions, and comments.
Your quiz results and activities stay in your browser, and are not shared with us.
The certificate confirms attendance. It is not an accredited qualification, and the course is not legal advice.
Donating is optional and goes to a separate organization. We do not benefit from it.

1. Who we are and agreeing to these Terms

This course is provided by Travelsense Consulting. By ticking the box and enrolling, you agree to these Terms.

2. Your access

You may access the course for your own personal, non-commercial use, but enrolling does not give you ownership of any course content. Your link is valid until December 31, 2026, after which the content will be updated. You can then request a new link at info@travelsenseconsulting.com, if you wish to use the course material again.

3. Using the course

Enroll with your own details as this information will be used for your certificate. It also serves to identify potential abuse or breach of the system. The course is provided “as is”, and we are not responsible for third-party websites we link to and services maintained by third parties. The course shares general information and current trends. It is not legal, financial or professional advice, and we cannot guarantee any particular result. Check the rules that apply to your industry/country.

4. Certificate

The certificate confirms that you attended and completed this course. It is not an accredited qualification, a guide license or academic credit, and it must not be altered.

5. Changes

We may update, suspend or withdraw the course or these Terms, but will give notice where appropriate. You will be required to accept the new terms and conditions via the notification.

6. Voluntary donation

Donating is optional and does not affect the issue of your certificate. Donations go directly to the organization and details on how to donate are on its own website. The Consultancy does not receive any of the donations and has no access to it.

7. Your data

The system records your name, surname, email address, location of operation, a random reference code, and when you start and complete the course. We use the information to run the course, issue your certificate, monitor participation, identify potential abuse or breach of the system, and send you a short feedback questionnaire when you complete the course. If you tick the box on the enrollment form, we also use your email address to send you notifications of new courses. Your data is automatically deleted after 12 months from date of enrollment. You can ask to see, correct/update or delete your data, or opt out at any time by contacting us at info@travelsenseconsulting.com.

The course website also uses Vercel’s web analytics, which does not use cookies, to count visits (such as country, device type and referring website). This information is not linked to your name or enrollment details.

8. Security

While we work to protect the security of your data and related information, we cannot guarantee that unauthorized third parties will not be able to defeat our security measures. Notify us immediately of any compromise or unauthorized use of your data by contacting us at info@travelsenseconsulting.com.

Participants must not:

attempt to interfere with the site or try to bypass its security.
share content that you do not have the right to share, claim content that you did not create as your own, or otherwise infringe or misappropriate someone else’s intellectual property or other rights. Always attribute materials used or quoted by you to the original copyright owner.

9. Liability

The Consultancy disclaims any responsibility or liability related to your access or use of, or inability to access and use, such third party content. By accepting these Terms, you agree that any access to or use of the services or such content is at your own risk. Nothing in these Terms limits your rights under mandatory consumer law, or any liability the law does not allow us to exclude.

10. Copyright and Trademark Policy

The Consultancy respects the intellectual property rights of our users, content providers, and other third parties and expects our users to do the same when using the course.

Last updated: October 10, 2026.

Questions: info@travelsenseconsulting.com.

Certificate of attendance

This certifies that

has attended and completed the online training program

Sustainability in tourism and the customer experience - an introductory training course for tour guides & travel agents

Date:

Certificate ID:

Presented by Travelsense Consulting

If the print dialog does not open, use your browser's print command (Ctrl+P on Windows, Cmd+P on Mac). Only the certificate is printed. Choose "Save as PDF" as the printer to keep a digital copy.