GSTC Has Published Guidance on Conducting Audits Under Force Majeure Conditions

The guidance document coded 2026ACL10 contains explanations for evaluating practices related to the planning and conduct of GSTC certification audits under extraordinary conditions.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has published a guidance document titled Guidance on Auditing Under Force Majeure Conditions regarding the conduct of audits under force majeure conditions affecting certification activities.

This document, dated 13 April 2026 and coded 2026ACL10, is among GSTC's official accreditation documents and interpretation/clarification announcements.

The guidance is important for certification bodies in terms of evaluating the impact of extraordinary conditions such as force majeure on the performance of certification audits.

Evaluation of Audits Under Force Majeure Conditions

Natural disasters, serious security problems, disruption of transportation or other extraordinary situations that prevent the audit from being carried out safely may affect planned audit activities.

In such cases, certification bodies must take into account the relevant GSTC requirements, their own procedures and the reliability of the audit when evaluating the feasibility of the audit and the method to be applied.

The existence of force majeure conditions does not by itself mean that audit requirements have ceased to apply or that exemption from certification requirements is granted. Each situation must be evaluated within the framework of the relevant conditions and applicable requirements.

Please visit the links below for a detailed review of the guidance:

GSTC – Accreditation Documents

GSTC Accreditation Documents and the 2026ACL10 announcement

In GSTC's official document list, 2026ACL10 is listed under the title Guidance on Auditing Under Force Majeure Conditions with a publication date of 13 April 2026.