Helsinki, 14 October 2025 - Valpas, the platform for safe, sustainable, bed bug-free
travel, has joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) as a member.
The GSTC manages the GSTC Standards, previously known as GSTC Criteria and the
global standards for sustainable travel and tourism, and provides international
accreditation for sustainable tourism Certification Bodies.
“Joining the GSTC is both an honour and a milestone for Valpas,” said Martim Gois,
CEO and Co-Founder of Valpas. “The Council’s work inspires the entire industry to aim higher. We’re excited to contribute by showing how sustainability can extend all the way to the guest room, where comfort, safety, and care for the environment meet.”
“We extend a warm welcome to Valpas Hotels as a new member of GSTC and value
their commitment in supporting our mission.” says Randy Durband, GSTC CEO
Bed bugs and the pesticides used against them have long been a blind spot in
sustainable tourism. As biodiversity-damaging chemicals lose effectiveness and are
phased out, infestations are rising, leaving travellers anxious and giving hotels and
destinations an opportunity to lead.
The Valpas Certification closes this gap with verifiably bed bug–safe hotels, powered by
proprietary in-room technology that certifies safe stays while eliminating harmful
chemicals.
The impact extends far beyond individual hotels. As more hotel properties become certified, entire destinations become safer: fewer infestations reach homes or circulate inside cities and regions. This strengthens traveller’s trust and supports destinations in
achieving their sustainability and quality goals.
By eliminating the need for chemical fumigation, certified hotels avoid up to 1.4 tonnes
of CO₂ per room per year while safeguarding pollinators and biodiversity. The result is a measurable and verifiable step forward in making tourism greener and more resilient.
“We are introducing digitally verifiable guest room safety to hospitality,” added Gois.
“This is a win for guests, hotels, and entire destinations — showing that responsible
tourism can be both sustainable and scalable.”
Valpas makes safe, sustainable, bed bug-free travel a reality, so everyone can travel today without fear of health or environmental risks tomorrow. Founded in Helsinki in 2017 by Martim Gois, Vertti Sarimaa, Aleksi Jokela and Matti Parkkila, who met at Aalto University, over 300 hotels with more than 50,000 beds in the world carry the Valpas ‘bed bug safe’ label, which certifies that operators use Valpas technology in every room to ensure their guests’ safety from bed bugs.
More details on www.valpashotels.com
