The creation of a Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council (STSC) moves a step closer to becoming a reality as a coalition of international organizations agree to establish a body that increases credibility around sustainable tourism certification programs, and ultimately helps protect the environment, rights and livelihoods of local communities. The United Nations Environment Program, the United Nations World Tourism Organization and the United Nations Foundation are amongst the supporters of this initiative. As part of this joint scheme, they will work with the Rainforest Alliance, an international environment organization, and other NGOs and industry groups, to raise funds, recruit stakeholders and launch the STSC in early 2009.

“With tourism as the world’s largest industry, and nature-related tourism the fastest growing market segment of the industry, certification programs have become more relevant than ever to help conservation and community development through sustainable tourism operations,” said Tensie Whelan, Executive Director of the Rainforest Alliance, who was listed last year by Ethisphere magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in business ethics. “We are delighted that various UN agencies, NGOs and industry leaders are committed to getting the STSC off the ground.”

If not executed properly, tourism can be a damaging industry: rapid development and improper management can overwhelm a vulnerable natural area, contributing to pollution and erosion, disturbing wildlife and once-isolated cultures. However, certification can address the impacts of tourism through a process of assessing compliance with pre-established criteria. Credible and transparent certification programs provide a tool to reward tourism operations exhibiting best practices and differentiate them from others that are less environmentally and socially sound. Through sound certification tourism businesses can channel the effort to alleviate poverty and generate respect for local communities in countries rich in natural and cultural resources. However a missing tool to make certification effective has been the lack of a council that will unite the dozen of programs that currently exist.

The STSC will become the accreditation body that will endorse sustainable tourism certification programs. It will create the first set of comprehensive global requirements that such programs will have to meet.

Amongst its responsibilities, the STSC will issue a seal of approval to certification programs that meet accreditation requirements; evaluate the social and environmental impacts of STSC-accredited certification programs; and provide guidance for the establishment of new certification programs in countries where there are none.

Introducing an STSC will bring about many benefits to the tourism industry. Governments will be able to call on the STSC to assist them in raising the profile of destinations with high environmental standards. It will also provide legitimacy and credibility to all those sustainable tourism certification programs that meet STSC requirements, and through its seal-of-approval, differentiate from those programs that have lower standards and weaker certification practices.

Speaking about the necessity of the STSC, Erika Harms, Executive Director for Sustainable Development of the UN Foundation said: “The STSC will give tourists the confidence that programs are audited, accredited and will continuously monitor those programs that are serious about social and environmental accountability. This will also improve the quality of information that tourists can consider when planning their trips and will make it easier for them to make smart choices when they travel.”

The Rainforest Alliance has provided technical and administrative support for the STSC initiative since 2001. Having achieved this and other commitments to sustainable tourism, the Rainforest Alliance and its Director of Sustainable Tourism Program, Ronald Sanabria, have also been recognized with the prestigious 2009 Friend of Nature award, in Costa Rica.

BACKGROUND

The proposed STSC will have an elected international board representing all stakeholder groups in the tourism industry. The work of the board would be supported by an independent (and non-voting) scientific and advisory board comprising research and academic institutes, associations and international organizations.

More than two decades ago, a handful of young idealists founded the Rainforest Alliance with the idea of using market forces to conserve forestlands. Now, the organization has a budget of $25 million; offices in the US, Latin America, Europe and Southeast Asia; and partner organizations in 10 countries. The Rainforest Alliance encourages environmentally, socially and economically sustainable management of farms, forests and tourism businesses. We also work with companies of all sizes on improving the sustainability of their supply chains. In tourism, the number of businesses in Latin America taking part in our training courses focused on improving the sustainability of their operations increased by 41 percent last year to reach a total of more than 250 businesses.

The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.

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3.21 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."