About Sustainable Travel Taiwan

Who We Are

Sustainable Travel Taiwan (STT) is an NGO established in 2011 with the support of Sustainable Travel International (STI). STT has been dedicated to implementing international sustainable tourism standards and best practices among local communities, destinations, governments, and tourism businesses throughout the Chinese-speaking world.

STT is a diverse network of architects, eco-landscape designers, urban planners, museum specialists, cultural and tourism journalists, tour guides, travel agents, scholars, and sustainability practitioners. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, STT develops practical solutions and effective approaches to implementing sustainability at both grassroots and governmental levels.

Over the years, STT has cooperated with international certification bodies and organizations, including Green Destinations, Travelife, and Good Travel Seal, helping tourism enterprises and destinations establish sustainable management systems and improve their sustainability performance.

STT also serves as an incubator for sustainability advisors and auditors, supporting the implementation of internationally recognized standards and measurable sustainability outcomes. In addition, STT provides an independent platform for individuals and organizations passionate about responsible and sustainable tourism.

Our Mission

Sustainable Travel Taiwan (STT) aims to promote awareness of a sustainable Taiwan through two primary approaches:

• Supporting tourism businesses, destinations, and related stakeholders in adopting sustainable tourism practices and internationally recognized sustainability programs.

• Enhancing public awareness of sustainable tourism and responsible travel by encouraging travelers to understand the environmental, social, cultural, and economic impacts of their travel choices.

STT believes that informed travelers can become a powerful force for positive change. By making conscious decisions regarding transportation, accommodations, tour operators, and interactions with local communities, travelers can contribute to more sustainable destinations and experiences. Ultimately, STT encourages everyone to embrace responsible travel, because we are all travelers sharing one planet: Earth.

Our Journey

In 2008, a group of young Taiwanese believed there must be a way to achieve economic growth through tourism while preserving local communities and the natural environment. Their vision was to create a tourism model in which both people and nature could thrive together.

These efforts eventually led to the establishment of Sustainable Travel International Taiwan (STI Taiwan), supported by Sustainable Travel International (STI), a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, USA. When STI discontinued its STEP certification program in 2013, STT began exploring other internationally recognized sustainability certification systems and was introduced to Travelife.

The year 2016 marked an important milestone for sustainable tourism development in both Taiwan and Asia. STT members participated in Travelife training in Bangkok alongside representatives from multiple countries, just before 2017 was declared the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

In the same year, Taiwan began participating in the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories competition. STT also initiated long-term cooperation with Green Destinations and Travelife, helping introduce internationally recognized sustainable tourism standards, certification programs, and destination management tools to Taiwan.

Furthermore, 2016 marked the beginning of STT’s active engagement with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), strengthening STT’s connection with the global sustainable tourism community and laying the foundation for future cooperation in training, certification, and destination development.

Our Coach and Trainer

Coaches and trainers of Sustainable Travel Taiwan come from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including museums, landscape architecture, urban planning, environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and tourism. What makes our members unique is their shared passion for contributing to sustainability and creating positive impacts through their work.

FangFang Shih 施方方

Independent Auditor/ STT Trainer

Fangfang graduated from a Bachelor of Urban Planning, Department of Urban Planning, Department of Political Science and Geoscience, and a Master of Building and Planning Master Program in NTU. During her studies, she was very interested in the environmental issue and in sustainable development. She published an article in the first Chinese Sustainability Forum in California and exchanged opinions about sustainability with the chinese community in the United States. She worked for a German company ,Siemens, in the headquarters in Munich. Her work oversea made her becoming familiar with various cultures and way of work in international companies. During her stay in Germany, she continued to pay attention to the issues of sustainability and organic agriculture. In 2017, she participated in the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Course and obtained the certification to become a reserve international certified auditor. Currently, she is working as the Director of International Certification and Auditing for SustainableTravel Taiwan, She is responsible for the exchange and cooperation between Sustainable Travel Taiwan and European organizations working on the sustainable tourism sector. In 2017, she also passed the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program -STC exam and obtained the Green Destination International Auditor Qualification.

Pohan Chen 陳柏翰

Independent Auditor/ STT Trainer

Pohan Chen holds dual Master’s degrees in Urban Regeneration Management Engineering and Business Administration from Osaka University. Based in Sendai, Japan, Pohan is the CEO of Shimashima Value Creation LLC.

In 2017, Pohan helped establish Miyagi Inbound DMO and became the first Taiwanese involved in the management of a Japanese government-recognized Destination Management Organization (DMO). Since 2023, Pohan has served as an official expert for the Japan Tourism Agency, supporting regional revitalization and sustainable tourism development.

Certified through the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program (STTP) in 2020, Pohan specializes in integrating sustainability into destination management and tourism product development. Pohan also supports Japan-Taiwan cooperation for Sustainable Travel Taiwan (STT), serves as a Green Destinations international auditor, and conducts Good Travel Seal (GTS) audits in Taiwan.

Monique Chen 陳盈潔

STT Coach / Independent Auditor

Monique Chen graduated from Building and Planning Master Program of National Taiwan University and she is the co-founder and chairwoman of Sustainable Travel Taiwan, specialist as an urban planner and museum operator. She engaged in cultural and environmental preservation works for 20 years. And one of her position job was the first Chief of Operations & Promotion in Gold Ecological Park which was a gold mining village from 18 century, where she was able to explore local history with mine workers and local residents, while developing a more sustainable approach to environmental conservation. Monique is also a experienced coach of Green Destiantions, Travelife, and GTS Good Travel Seal certification scheme, and she is also the first GSTC qualifed trainer in Taiwan. In 2025, completed BSI ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems Internal Auditor Training, and in 2026 passed the GSTC Destination Auditor Training Program examination (Certificate No. 2536-AT-C842).

Hedy Ching 敬雪柔

STT Coach & GSTC Trainer / Independent Auditor

Serving as the Director of Curriculum and Public Relations Strategy at the Taiwan Sustainable Travel Association, and graduated from the National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism with a degree in Hotel Management. After graduating, Hedy accumulated about eight years of experience in the hotel industry, starting as a junior conference secretary at Taipei Regent Hotel, then advancing to an English-style butler and senior butler trainer. Following this, Hedy transitioned into the food and beverage sector, as well as physical and e-commerce retail industries. Due to family company, she also contributed to community development work in Taiwan.

Hedy was deeply attracted to its management systems, leading her to dedicate herself into promoting and implementing sustainable projects and serves as a practical training instructor for basic courses at the Taiwan Sustainable Travel Association now. Licensed as GTS Good Travel Seal Auditor and passed the GSTC-STC Sustainable Tourism Training Program exam.

Charles Shih 釋俊彥

GSTC Trainer / Independent Auditor

Dr. Charles Shih holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geology from National Taiwan University and a Ph.D. in Park, Recreation and Tourism Resources from Michigan State University. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the International Tourism and Hospitality Program at Ming Chuan University.

With a long-standing interest in sustainable development and international tourism, Dr. Shih has taught courses on sustainable tourism and environmental studies for many years. He currently serves as a trainer and advisor for Sustainable Travel Taiwan (STT), is a certified GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program (STC) Trainer, and a qualified Good Travel Seal (GTS) Auditor.

Cheng Ming Hui 鄭敏慧

GD &ＧTS Coach

Graduated from the Building and Planning Graduated Master Program of National Taiwan University; invested more than 20 years in the field of cultural asset preservation, activation and reuse, and management. For the topic of the integration of cultural assets and tourism, it is often involved in planning work such as near cultural preservation or regional activation. The scope of the concept, therefore, the concept of sustainable travel and responsible travellers has a key influence on urban cultural marketing, rural industrial upgrading, and community building and development. Through the promotion of sustainable attitudes, the possibility of cultural preservation and reuse has become richer and more friendly.

Joanne Chang張怡平

GD & GTS Coach & Trainer / Independent Auditor

Joanne has over 10 years of experience in destination marketing, tourism planning, and creative development. Dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism and showcasing Taiwan’s unique destinations to the world, Joanne passed the GSTC Sustainable Tourism Training Program examination in 2017 and completed Travelife Auditor Training in 2019. Currently, Joanne serves as Associate Director at FAP+DA Consultancy Company and as a Good Travel Seal (GTS) Auditor in Taiwan.

Star Cai 蔡怡芯

GTS Coach & Trainer

After graduating from the Department of Chinese Musicology at National Taiwan University of Arts, she has been working as a freelencer on the music sector and as a bed and breakfast manager for more than 10 years. She served as the Deputy General Secretary of the New Taipei City B&B Association” and as a project counselor for the legalization of Lianjiang County Government Counseling B&Bs. She attaches a lot of importance of the integration of local cultures into the tourism industry to achieve the development of a sustainable tourism, and thinks that travelers have to discover local arts. She joined Sustainable Travel Taiwan(STT) in 2017 and is currently working as the General Secretary of the STT. She is the coach and cheif of GTS Good Travel Seal Program and passed GSTC-STC course at 2022.

Ming Ling Chen 鄭敏玲

STT Policy and Regulations Consultancy

Ming Ling graduated from Taipei First Girl High School and National Chung Hsing University, and she won the top qulification in National Advanced Examination in land economic. She had 4 years experience in auditing when working in geopolitical office, and spent 17 years in National University Chung Hsing experinced various types of work, including construction, maintenance and financial work. And the last work before retiring from government was in Yingge Ceramics Museum where she responsible for purchasing, volunteer, guides management and be the chef of operation. Now she is the auditor and Evaluation Committee of national public construction projects.

Carol Tsai 蔡玉菁

STT Financial ConsultanCY

Carol has been working in the financial sector for more than ten years. Carol started to climb and hiking for more than 10 years, She participated hiking group with a simple idea of exercising and was gradually attracted by the rich and unique nature of Taiwan. Then, she became a mountain guide with the purpose to promote environmental protection to tourists and promote the code of “Leave No Trace” (LNT). Environmental protection can start from small things. If you can raise everyone’s awareness, then we can have a better world!! Carol passed GSTC-STC course in 2023.