YMAT0211Sustainable Rural & Urban Tourism

Steve NoakesVisiting Professor

THIS INFORMATION IS RELEVANT TO YOUR FINAL REPORT

Global Sustainable Tourism Council &Global sustainable tourism criteria

Image source: http://lbleadership.wordpress.com/the-research-group/

ALL STUDENTS SHOULD GO THROUGH THESE SLIDES IN OWN STUDY TIME.

IT EXTENDS A TOPIC COVERED IN THE LECTURE ON QUALITY CONTROLS (24 TH OCT 2013).

IT ALSO GIVES YOU AN OVERVIEW OF KEY MESSAGES FROM WITHIN THE COURSE.

FOR YOUR FINAL REPORT, THE GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE TOURISM CRITERIA

WILL HELP YOU ANSWER WHAT TOOLS COULD BE USED IN LAPLAND , ROVANIEMI AND OUNASVAARA

FOR A SUSTAINABLE TOURISM FUTURE.

These slides are an adaptation of official presentations from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

They will further introduce you to Council as well as the:

Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria.

You should also study the content for the criteria on www.gstcouncil.org

Don’t hesitate to ask me questions you might have about GSTC. From: http://www.gstcouncil.org/about/people-at-gstc/election-committee.html

Every day, tourism plays a larger role in our world.

• Over a billion international tourists traveled in 2012

• UNWTO forecasts it will increase to 1.8 billion tourists by 2030

• Market share of emerging economies was 47% in 2011, expected to reach 57% by 2030.

International tourism, World International Tourist Arrivals, million

source: World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) ©

0

250

500

750

1,000

1,250

1,500

1,750

2,000

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

International tourist arrivals to reach 1.8 billion by 2030

1 bn

1.8 bn

1.4 bn

And sustainable tourism becomes even more vital.

Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development. A suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability. UN World Tourism Organization

(Sustainable) Tourism has the power to create change on a global scale.

• Preserve destinations for generations to come

• Revitalize local economies and communities

• Alleviate poverty

• Safeguard our cultural heritage

• Help reach the UN Summit’s Millennium Development Goals

• Create jobs within and beyond destinations

• Keep tourism dollars within destinations

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As an industry we have trouble defining it.

“We must rethink tourism. We propose a program for the creation of competitive, UN-sponsored “parallel organizations” whose role it would be to actively design, promote, and implement RESPONSIBLE (“alternative”) TOURISM projects fulfilling our four main requirements:”

•

1. minimum environmental impact 2. minimum impact on -- and maximum respect for

-- host cultures 3. maximum economic benefits to host country

‘grassroots’ 4. maximum ‘re-creational’ satisfaction to

participating tourists.

Nicolas D. Hetzer, 1965

It began with a simple concept…

• Each designed to use tourism to conserve endangered biodiversity.

• Rara Avis was also designed to involve and benefit the community as part of the conservation effort.

In the beginning…• Binna Burra Mountain

Lode, Australia , 1932• Treetops, Kenya, 1932 • Asa Wright Nature Centre,

Trinidad, 1967• Monteverde Cloud Forest

Reserve, Costa Rica, 1972• Rara Avis, Costa Rica, 1983

• Green Tourism• Ecotourism• Cultural Tourism• Adventure Tourism• Community Tourism• Responsible Tourism• Sustainable Tourism

but then came confusion…

And chaos…

Hundreds of organizations are doing the right thing. But each in different ways.

• Mohonk Agreement, 2000– Clearly differentiated between sustainable tourism and

ecotourism– Defined minimum criteria for certifying each– Concept of STSC was born

• International Year of Ecotourism, 2002“There is a clear distinction between ecotourism and sustainable

tourism concepts:

• ecotourism refers to a segment within the sustainable tourism sector,

• sustainability principles should be applied to all tourist activities, operations, accommodations, and projects, including conventional and alternative tourism.” – UNWTO

And out of the chaos came light…

Global change cannot happen without clarity and focus.

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Introducing the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria

A set of common guidelines created with the input of experts, groups and companies from around the planet, defining sustainable tourism in a way that is actionable, measurable and credible. Setting a minimum standard of sustainability for tourism businesses across the globe.

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Mission:To promote sustainability in tourism by (i) fostering the increased knowledge and understanding of

sustainable tourism practices, (ii) promoting the adoption of universal sustainable tourism

principles and (iii) building demand for sustainable travel.

The GSTC…

Global Sustainable Tourism Council

• Membership organization– UN bodies– Private sector – large, medium, small– NGOs– Academe– Global membership

• Elected board of directors– Permanent seats for UNWTO, UNEP– Seats for every continent– Seat for certifiers– Private sector majority

A truly global initiative focused on a universal set of standards—the Criteria.

Founding partners:

• International standards setting• Destinations• Market access• Education and training

Separate:• Accreditation Panel• Standards Committee

Working groups

1. Harnessing the potential of tourism as a driver of conservation, preservation of destinations and socio-economic benefits for all stakeholders

– Recognizing and promoting the growing importance of protecting Earth’s resources, particularly with regard to the tourism industry;

– Fostering public and private tourism sector awareness about the importance of sustainable tourism;

Activities

2. Developing knowledge-sharing, communications and educational tools and disseminating existing tools that can help the tourism industry work towards improved sustainability performance

– Helping businesses identify self-assessment, verification and certification services that can assist in the initiation and advancement of sustainability efforts;

– Developing baseline criteria and performance indicators for all relevant sectors of the tourism industry, including leading public consultation on those criteria and indicators, in accordance with internationally accepted best practices and guidelines, including in particular those of the International Social and Environmental Accreditation and Labeling Alliance (“ISEAL”);

Activities

3.Managing, updating and promoting the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria;

– Developing the procedural criteria that certification programs must meet in order to be accredited, including initial assessment and continuous auditing to ensure compliance, transparency, dispute settlement procedures and other characteristics;

– Accrediting certification programs that meet or exceed both baseline criteria and indicators and procedural criteria;

Activities

4. Fostering business-to-business solutions that will facilitate wider market access for sustainable tourism products, with a focus on those that have been certified under a GSTC- accredited program;

– Communicating and promoting to the industry and consumers sustainable businesses, with a focus on those that have been accredited under a GSTC-accredited program.

Activities…

The Criteria

http://www.siida.fi/contents/8-seasons

As you go through the next slides, think about how these criteria could be applied in Lapland, Rovaniemi, Ounasvaara

What are the Criteria?

• A universal language defining a minimum standard for sustainability

• Global principles that can be adapted to address local conditions and specific industry sectors

• A guideline for establishing programs

• Certifying the certifiers

4 Pillars.

Social & Economic Cultural Environmental

SustainabilityManagement

Bruno Maia/Naturezafotos.org

Bruno Maia/Naturezafotos.org

• Created with the input of experts, groups and companies from around the planet.

• Define sustainable tourism in a way that is actionable, measurable and credible.

• A minimum standard of sustainability for tourism businesses and destinations across the globe.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria

Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC)

Objective:

To make all tourism more sustainable by providing clear guidelines and criteria: the minimum for tourism business’s and destinations to sustain the world's natural and cultural resources, while ensuring tourism’s potential to alleviate poverty.

destinations

GSTC Criteria for tourism sectors

hotels and tour

operatorsGSTC core

Criteria

transportation

Hotels and Tour Operators

Version 1 published October 2008Version 2 published March 2012

http://www.gstcouncil.org/sustainable-tourism-gstc-criteria/criteria-for-hotels-and-tour-operators.html

4 Pillars.

Social & Economic Cultural Environmental

SustainabilityManagement

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Bruno Maia/Naturezafotos.org

• Management system

• Training • Customer

satisfaction• Design and

construction• Compliance with

laws and legislation

• Information about natural surroundings and culture

• Employ locals• Support

community• Fair trade and

local services and goods

• Policies against exploitation

• Equitable employment of women

• Does not jeopardize basic services to neighboring communities

• Code of behavior for visits to culturally or historically important sites to minimize impact/maximize enjoyment

• Artifacts not sold • Business

contributes to culture/heritage

• Use of cultural elements where appropriate

• Conserving resources

• Reducing pollution

• Conserving biodiversity, ecosystems and landscapes

Organized into four actions:

A. Demonstrate effective sustainable management

B. Maximize social and economic benefits to the local community and minimize negative impacts

C. Maximize benefits to cultural heritage and minimize negative impacts

D. Maximize benefits to the environment and minimize negative impacts.

GSTC Criteria for Hotels & Tour Operators

33

Because:

• They require doing something.

• They are easy to understand.

• They correspond to the well-known triple bottom-line:

– Economic sustainability

– Sociocultural sustainability

– Environmental sustainability.

GSTC Criteria for Hotels & Tour Operators

34

And because:

• They can be used as a framework

for self-evaluation, third-party

certification, guidelines for

developing standards, and

improving performance.

GSTC Criteria for Hotels & Tour Operators

35

Destination (think of Lapland, Rovaniemi & Ounasvaara)

Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destinationshttp://www.gstcouncil.org/sustainable-tourism-gstc-criteria/criteria-for-destinations.html

A local tourism destination is a physical space in

which a tourist spends at least one overnight.

It includes tourism products such as support

services and attractions and tourist resources within

one day’s return travel time.

Source: WTO Think –Tank 2-4 December 2002 Madrid

What is a local tourism destination?

It has physical and administrative boundaries

defining its management, and images and

perceptions defining its market competitiveness.

Local destinations incorporate various

stakeholders often including a host community,

and can nest and network to form larger

destinations.Source: WTO Think –Tank 2-4 December 2002 Madrid

What is a local tourism destination?

Benefits of Global Criteria

Outlines a common understanding for best practice

Allows a standardized approach and provides a mechanism for stakeholders to:

– Advance progress towards key elements of sustainability– Track changes occurring in destinations over time

Benefits of Global Criteria

Can be a powerful marketing tool & trusted badge of quality

– Can attract and assure customers, creating competitive advantage

– Demonstrates market leadership

Overview of GSTC Destination Criteria

Universal set of criteria and indicators that will help destinations understand and advance work around the key pillars of sustainability and track changes occurring in destinations over time.

One global standard. Tuned to the needs of each place.

Overview of GSTC Destination Criteria

Collective of 45 criteria with 122 corresponding indicators organized around four key pillars of sustainability:

– 15 sustainable destination management criteria

– 10 social and economic criteria– 7 community and cultural heritage – 13 environmental Issues

One global standard. Tuned to the needs of each place.

Organized into four actions:

A. Demonstrate sustainable destination

management

B. Maximize social and economic benefits to the

host community and minimize negative impacts

C. Maximize benefits to communities, visitors and

cultural heritage, and minimize negative impacts

D. Maximize benefits to the environment and

minimize negative impacts

GSTC Destination Criteria

The Criteria…

• View a destination as a unified entity of communities, tourism-related activities, and the cultural and ecological surroundings.

• Consider cumulative impacts of all tourism activities

• Emphasize the role of destination management organizations in planning, voluntary initiatives, and regulation.

GSTC Destination Criteria

What is the Early Adopters Program?

Use the results to: Validate the range,

applicability, and clarity of the criteria, and

Provide recommendations to assist the destination transition to sustainable tourism

A program to field test the GSTC destination criteria

Purpose was to conduct a good practice evaluation of six destinations using the criteria.

A. Jackson Hole – Wyoming, USAB. Mt. Huangshan – ChinaC. St. Kitts and Nevis - CaribbeanD. Fjords – NorwayE. Lanzarote – SpainF. Okavango Delta - Botswana

Process & Outputs

GSTC Good Practice

Evaluation Report

On-site Evaluation; Validation Workshop

Desk Assessment; Stakeholder

Consultations

1. Desk assessment2. Stakeholder

consultations3. Working group

meetings

6. Report to GSTC

4. On-site Evaluation5. Validation

Workshop

Credibility of certification

RecognitionApproval

Accreditation

Confusion in the marketplace

130+ certification labelsLittle brand recognition or assurance of

credibility

Most programs are small and have little consumer recognition

Program size Program size

3001-4000

2001-3000

1001-2000

501-600

401-500

301-400

201-300

101-200

1-1000

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

Number of certificationsTotal = 20,963

3001-4000

2001-3000

1001-2000

501-600

401-500

301-400

201-300

101-200

1-1000

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

2 2 23 3

1

5

8

17

Number of programssampled= 43 (out of 130)

Problems Solutions

Lack of common understanding of sustainable tourism

Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria provide a common operational definition

Lack of recognition of standards GSTC recognition of standards aligned with the GSTC Criteria

Lack of credibility of certification GSTC approval or third-party accreditation of certification bodies with objectively credible procedures

Lack of critical mass for consumer recognition

GSTC market access program: Travelocity-Sabre, TUI, Amadeus, many other wholesalers

Problems and solutions

How do we ensure sustainability & credibility?

GSTC Accredita

tion Program

Diagram after original scheme from Rainforest Alliance

Certification or verification body, tour operator, or hotel chain with standard

Standard is Recognized as aligned with GSTC Criteria

Certification processes are Approved as impartial and technically competent

Certification body is accredited by GSTC endorsed accreditation body (AB)

GSTC Market Access program for certified businesses

Use of Approved logo by CBs and certified

businesses

GSTC Process

The GSTC Criteria form the foundation of the GSTC Process, which includes the GSTC-Recognized, GSTC-Approved and GSTC-Accredited programs. The GSTC Process recognizes and rewards genuine practitioners of sustainable tourism.

Certification Body (CB)

Hotels & Tour Operators

GSTC Recognized Standard

Hotels & Tour Operators

Certification Body (CB)

STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3

• A standard that is aligned with the GSTC Criteria is a “GSTC-Recognized Standard”

• As of today, they are:

• All were initially awarded “Conditional Recognition” until fully aligned.

What is alignment with GSTC?

Austrian Ecolabel Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa

Biosphere Responsible Tourism Japan Ecolodge Association ESAIS

Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST Costa Rica)

European Ecotourism Labelling Standard

EarthCheck Rainforest Alliance

EcoCertification Malta STI’s STEP

Ecotourism Australia (2 standards) Travelife

Ecotourism Ireland

• Ensure that certification processes are reliable:

– Technically competent– Transparent– Impartial– Based on ISO/IEC 17065

• Ensure that certification uses recognized standards

• Reward Approved certifications and their certified businesses

What is Approval

• Outsourced to GSTC-endorsed independent accreditation bodies (ABs)

– Must be a member of ISEAL or IAF• Price is negotiated between certification body

(CB) and AB (GSTC does not participate)• Can be applied to CB that does not own a

standard• Fully compliant with international best practices

(ISO/IEC 17065)

Accreditation

GSTC collaborates with the tourist industry, communities, NGOs, and United Nations (UNEP, UNWTO, UNCTAD International Trade Centre)GSTC Market Access program• Works with Amadeus, Sabre-Travelocity, other GDS• Works with guidebook publishers• Works with travel and conventional pressCost• Recognition, Approval, and accreditation evaluation processes

at our cost• Use of GSTC Seal: US$100/certified business per year

Market value proposition

Moving from confusion in the marketplace

The value of GSTC Process

To speaking with a single voice!

Example: The first GSTC –Recognized

and Approved certification program

The power of a single solution.

• Global, actionable definition of sustainable tourism• Trust and value in certification • Influence on consumer demand and confidence• Larger market potential and greater share• Supply and market positioning for sustainable product

Bruno Maia/Naturezafotos.org

GSTC: Global reach

• Over 170 U.S. cities

• Active members in Africa, the Americas, Europe, Middle East, East Asia and the Pacific

We can all benefit.

Travelers

Distributors

Tourism Boards

Governments

Donor Agencies

Communities

Bruno Maia/Naturezafotos.org

One standard. One vision we can all embrace.