Mainstreaming Sustainability in Tourism

What is Certification?

Certification programs in travel and tourism are important tools for distinguishing genuinely responsible companies, products, or services from those that are merely using "eco-" or "sustainable" as a marketing tool to attract consumers.

Consumer Demand and Operator Support for Socially and Environmentally Responsible Tourism To create a current snapshot of the trends that are shaping the tourism industry and informing debates about certification, we analyzed a range of recent studies from the U.S., Europe, Costa Rica, and Australia. Download pdf

A Simple User's Guide to Certification for SustainableTourism and Ecotourism This guide to certification is designed for those who have heard about certifying sustainable tourism and ecotourism and want to understand how it works or how to begin the process. Download PDF in English or Spanish

GSTC Partnership

How can the public tell which certification programs are credible?

How can tourism businesses choose which sets of standards will have legitimacy?

Which programs can show that they are making a difference – that certified tourism businesses have tangible impacts on workers, communities, and the environment and that businesses benefit from being certified?

And how can tourists be confident that the programs audit, certify, and provide continuous monitoring of those businesses that are serious about social and environmental accountability?

In response to these challenges, leading tourism industry associations, nonprofit civil society organizations and government agencies has come together for the Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC), a coalition of 25 organizations working to foster increased understanding of sustainable tourism practices and the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles. The Partnership, which was initiated by Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Foundation, and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), launched the Sustainable Tourism Criteria at the World Conservation Congress in October 2008.

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As the world's oldest and largest international ecotourism association, TIES seeks to be the global source of knowledge and advocacy uniting communities, conservation, and sustainable travel.

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ESTC 2010

The Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC) will utilize innovative multi-stakeholder strategies to implement sustainable change for bio-cultural conservation. Portland, Oregon, USA - Sept. 8-10, 2010

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