Distinguishing green ecotourism operations from greenwashed ones
[2008-7-25]
Tag : marker ties
Conscientious consumers might look for the organic label whenbuying milk and the Fair Trade logo when purchasing coffee, butfinding a certified ecotourism operation for your next vacationisn’t so straightforward. By some estimates, there are nearly100 different certification programs globally, all with differentlogos. As a result, even experienced ecotravelers don’trecognize certification labels when they see them, leading theecotourism industry to question whether the schemes are attractingtourists.
Now, industry leaders are working on a scheme that might helpvacationers distinguish which ecotourism certifications representtruly green practices. In October they’ll gather in Barcelonato finalize a set of global baseline criteria in an attempt to standardize ecotourism accreditation. Critics,however, are pooh-poohing existing certification systems andexpressing doubts that the new plan will boost business for thesustainable travel industry.
Certification schemes measure the ‘greenness’ oftourism products such as hotels, guided tours, attractions, andtransportation. The programs are designed to help travelers discernthe less scrupulous businesses from those that truly takesignificant steps to lighten their environmental footprint.Certifiers establish criteria in categories for everything fromenergy conservation to community impact. Businesses that want to beaccredited must meet the criteria, often by installing certainequipment, changing their purchasing habits and adopting newpractices like measuring water consumption and training employeeson sustainability. Businesses pay annual dues—anywhere from$200 to $2,500—to receive accreditation, and sometimes extrafees for auditor visits, which can run about $1,200 per day.
Certifiers’ websites, when travelers do find their way tothem, range from slightly helpful to confusing. Most programsoperate in a single country or region, and have only a handful to afew dozen members. “It’s really hard to find a fullselection of places on any one of them,” says Rachel Lubin,an environmentally conscious traveler who has attempted to plantrips through certification organizations. “I felt like I wasmissing out on the good places,” she says. “It’seasier to look through traditional outlets and then figure outwhich places are sustainable."
Conscientious consumers might look for the organic label whenbuying milk and the Fair Trade logo when purchasing coffee, butfinding a certified ecotourism operation for your next vacationisn’t so straightforward. By some estimates, there are nearly100 different certification programs globally, all with differentlogos. As a result, even experienced ecotravelers don’trecognize certification labels when they see them, leading theecotourism industry to question whether the schemes are attractingtourists.
Now, industry leaders are working on a scheme that might helpvacationers distinguish which ecotourism certifications representtruly green practices. In October they’ll gather in Barcelonato finalize a set of global baseline criteria in an attempt to standardize ecotourism accreditation. Critics,however, are pooh-poohing existing certification systems andexpressing doubts that the new plan will boost business for thesustainable travel industry.
Certification schemes measure the ‘greenness’ oftourism products such as hotels, guided tours, attractions, andtransportation. The programs are designed to help travelers discernthe less scrupulous businesses from those that truly takesignificant steps to lighten their environmental footprint.Certifiers establish criteria in categories for everything fromenergy conservation to community impact. Businesses that want to beaccredited must meet the criteria, often by installing certainequipment, changing their purchasing habits and adopting newpractices like measuring water consumption and training employeeson sustainability. Businesses pay annual dues—anywhere from$200 to $2,500—to receive accreditation, and sometimes extrafees for auditor visits, which can run about $1,200 per day.
Certifiers’ websites, when travelers do find their way tothem, range from slightly helpful to confusing. Most programsoperate in a single country or region, and have only a handful to afew dozen members. “It’s really hard to find a fullselection of places on any one of them,” says Rachel Lubin,an environmentally conscious traveler who has attempted to plantrips through certification organizations. “I felt like I wasmissing out on the good places,” she says. “It’seasier to look through traditional outlets and then figure outwhich places are sustainable."
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