Intertek Cristal and RoyalCert announce cooperation to prepare and certify hotels to GSTC standards through the EcoCheck programme
05 Mar 2026
Guided sustainability journey with Intertek Cristal leads to independent certification with RoyalCert
London, UK: Intertek Cristal, a market leading global health, safety, quality and security risk management business focused on the travel, tourism and hospitality sector, has announced a strategic cooperation with RoyalCert International Registrars (RoyalCert).
Navigating complex sustainability standards without clear guidance, from preparation through to independent certification, is a common challenge for hotels. This new cooperation provides hotels around the world with a dedicated programme which offers practical guidance to help ensure compliance with the GSTC Standards ahead of independent, internationally acknowledged GSTC Certification by RoyalCert, a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body.
The programme is based on Intertek Cristal’s GSTC-recognised EcoCheck standard for hotels, which confirms alignment with GSTC Standards for sustainable tourism. As part of this guided sustainability journey, hotels participating in the programme benefit from tailored gap analysis assessments, hospitality-focused training and advisory in preparation for their independent GSTC-accredited certification audit by RoyalCert.
The cooperation also complies with GSTC requirements , which state that any GSTC-Recognised Standard Organisation must work with a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body to issue certification. GSTC certification achieved through this cooperation enables credible sustainability acknowledgement that is increasingly visible across major Online Travel Agent (OTA) platforms, helping travellers identify and choose hotels that demonstrate verified sustainability performance.
Intertek Cristal brings decades of experience across all areas of hotel operations, from food safety, water management and hygiene to health & safety, accessibility and environmental performance. This operational expertise enables Intertek Cristal to support hotels in embedding sustainability into day-to-day operations, rather than treating it as a standalone compliance exercise.
Matt Barrett, Managing Director of Intertek Cristal, said: “Travellers, investors, tour operators and country regulators are increasingly looking for hotels that demonstrate responsible practices. Hotels need practical guidance to navigate this complex landscape and this cooperation provides a clear pathway by combining hospitality-focused training and advisory support with independent certification. This helps hotels embed meaningful sustainability practices and showcase their performance to key stakeholders.”
As a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body (ACB), RoyalCert brings a strong global footprint and an international network of qualified auditors to deliver independent, consistent, and credible certification. RoyalCert’s role enables hotels to demonstrate robust alignment with the EcoCheck GSTC standard, helping them to confidently meet expectations from regulators, tour operators, investors, and the wider market.
Christos Markopoulos, CEO of RoyalCert, added: “As a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body, our role is to provide independent and impartial certification. This cooperation ensures hotels arrive at certification with stronger understanding and alignment to GSTC Standards, resulting in more credible and robust sustainability outcomes. At RoyalCert, we call that Instilling Confidence.”
Together, Intertek Cristal and RoyalCert provide hotels with a coordinated approach to sustainability, combining guidance, operational expertise and global certification to support long-term, market-recognised sustainability performance.
FOR MEDIA INFORMATION:
Please contact
Monica Tofilis
Sr. Manager – Business Solutions
+97 1506128343
Monica.tofilis@intertek.com
FOR TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
Please contact
Hossam Abdelkader
+97 1563761380
Hossam.abdel.kader@intertek.com
Jason Burnett
+44 (0) 7738430108
Jason.burnett@intertek.com
About Intertek
Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide.
Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices in more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers' operations and supply chains.
Intertek is a purpose-led company to Bring Quality, Safety and Sustainability to Life. We provide 24/7 mission-critical quality assurance solutions to our clients to ensure that they can operate with well-functioning supply chains in each of their operations.
Our Customer Promise is: Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently, with precision, pace and passion, enabling our customers to power ahead safely.
About RoyalCert International Registrars
RoyalCert International Registrars is an international conformity assessment body providing accredited certification, inspection, and assurance services across a wide range of management systems, sustainability, and compliance schemes. RoyalCert operates with a global presence spanning 40+ countries, supported by a network of 1,700+ qualified auditors and technical experts.
As a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body (ACB), RoyalCert plays a key role in advancing credible and transparent sustainability certification within the global tourism sector.
About GSTC
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council® (GSTC®) establishes and manages global sustainable standards, the GSTC Standards, also known as the GSTC Criteria. The GSTC Destination Standard for public policy-makers and destination managers, the GSTC Hotel Standard for hotels and accommodations, the GSTC Tour Operator Standard, the GSTC MICE Standard for Venues, Event Organizers, and Events & Exhibitions, and the GSTC Attraction Standard for tourist attractions such as theme parks, museums, and national parks. These are the guiding principles and minimum requirements that any tourism business or destination should aspire to reach in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for conservation and poverty alleviation.
The GSTC Standards form the foundation for GSTC’s assurance role for Certification Bodies that certify hotels/accommodations, tour operators, and destinations as having sustainable policies and practices in place. GSTC does not directly certify any products or services but provides accreditation to those that do.
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, NGOs, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism. The GSTC is an ISEAL Community Member, a global membership organization for ambitious, collaborative, and transparent sustainability systems, as well as an Association Member of The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and an Associate Member with the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC).
Information for media and the press: www.gstc.org/about/for-the-press/