SUSTAINABLE TOURISM WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

STANDARDS

SAVING THE BAY – IUCN STEPS certification

improving the quality of Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba as a World Heritage

tour destination through implementing standards for environmental and social performance

WHY DEVELOP IUCN STEPS STANDARD?

Standards can help improve tourism in Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba:

Global standards, adaptable to the local context of Vietnam

Voluntary commitments tied to improved regulation

Incentive measure to improve performance

Credible, independently assured evaluation, certification

Global recognition for tour operators, their staff and products

World Heritage Convention, CBD Strategic Plan 2011-2020, Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), World Tourism Organisation.

- The Global Sustainable Tourism Council provides global criteria that can be adapted to local context.- IUCN STEPS can draw on experience of over 50 registered GSTC standards, worldwide.

GLOBAL TOURISM STANDARDS CONTEXT

IUCN STEPS for Ha Long Cat Ba / Vietnam can be accredited by the GSTC .

OVERVIEW – IUCN STEPS IN VIETNAM

IUCN STEPS will:

• Require doing something

• Be easy to understand

• Correspond to the well-known triple bottom-line:• - Economic sustainability• - Sociocultural sustainability• - Environmental sustainability. Provide three levels of recognition:

- registration, - compliance (candidates), - certification

IUCN has diverse experience with Standards development

GSTC contributor

ISEAL subscriber

IUCN Green List Conservation Outlook (WH)

Galapagos, Maldives

Industry Standards

FSC, RSPO, MSC labels

IUCN AND STANDARDS

GALAPAGOS - SMARTVOYAGER

Galapagos Natural World Heritage tourism, direct & indirect impacts

Standard introduced to sustainably manage boat tourism

Ecuador Government legislation guided by Standard development

Smart Voyager scheme managed by an Ecuadorian NGO

Evaluation linked to Rainforest Alliance certification

Scheme accredited by GSTC ‘Gold Standard’ in 2011

UNESCO recommend adoption across South America (WH)

MALDIVES – RESORT REEFS

IUCN development of Standard and certification for atoll resorts

Government supportive, but poor regulation / compliance to date

Resorts supportive, but fear additional costs and responsibilities

Pilot with pioneer resorts, manage their own ‘resort reef’

IUCN label has helped promotion / marketing

Significant demand from tourists and operators

GSTC Standard adapted to develop sustainability standard with Resort Reef Certification (led by Pierre-Yves Cousteau at IUCN)

HAWAI’I – BOATING COMPETENCE

Voluntary standard for dive and boat tour operators

Over 30 companies made commitment in 2009

One local organisation provides evaluation (coral)

Established 2009

Focus on commitment

Performance not backed up by regulation

No certification

Environmental

sustainability

Socio-cultural sustainability

Accreditation of IUCN STEPS

Environment Impact Social Impact

9

THE GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE TOURISM COUNCIL

Criteria and Principles

Economic sustainability

destinations

GSTC core

Criteria

hotels and tour

operators

transportation

GSTC AND TOURISM SECTORS

Sustainability Management

Social & Economic

Cultural Heritage

Environmental

Performance

GSTC 4 GLOBAL PILLARS, 37 CRITERIA

Additional ‘context criteria’Indicators / Means of Verification

37 Criteria

Global GSTC Criteria - Operators

PerformancePillars

1. Sustainability Management2. Social & Economic3. Cultural Heritage4. Environmental Performance

Adaptable STEPS for VIETNAM

Indicators adapted to local context - to take account of key local differences in jurisdiction

GLOBAL CRITERIA, LOCAL CONTEXT

THREE TIERS OF IUCN STEPS SUCCESS

REGISTER•Basic data submitted

•Commit to Standard•Prepare candidacy application

COMPLIANCE•Must demonstrate minimum standards

•Stakeholder input•Meet Regulation•Basis for Licensing•full STEPS nomination

ACHIEVE STEPS•Demonstrate positive impact

• Evaluated to meet all STEPS criteria

• 3rd Party Certified•IUCN-STEPS endorse successful operator

1. STEPS COMMITMENT 2. STEPS CANDIDATE 3. STEPS CERTIFIED

REVIEW

• Reviewer of IUCN-STEPS process

• Appointed and accredited by 3rd Party institution

• Partnership model with local STEPS action group (2nd Party)

• Assure all aspects of IUCN STEPS

• Role provides security and credibility that all STEPS-certified operations achieve on MERIT

IUCN STEPS

ASSURANCEPROCEDURE

A TOUR OPERATOR PERSPECTIVE ?

The IUCN STEPS will be designed with all stakeholders to:

- Encourage better monitoring of key performance indicators

- better demonstrate compliance with licensing regulation

- include stakeholders in active promotion of good performance

- provide benefits such as reputation and credibility, economic and marketing opportunities

- Recognize and reward staff for ‘beyond call of duty’ efforts

• Guidance on compliance with regulation

• Supportive policies to encourage and incentivize compliance

• Actively encourage STEPS certified companies, raise awareness through official promotions of Ha Long – Cat Ba tourism product

• Ensure that Destinations also begin to develop Standards and future certification programme also

• It is critical that the World Heritage Area management play active role in supporting and promoting Standard and certified operators

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND WORLD HERITAGE AREA MANAGEMENT

EXAMPLE IUCN STEPS SCENARIO FOR HA LONG BAY 2015-2018

Tour Operators

2015-16 2017… …by

2018

Registered 5 16+ 30+

Candidates 2 7 5 per year

STEPSnominations 2 3 2-3 per

year

‘STEPS’ Certified 2 3-4 8-12

• 5 operators register in 2015

• 2 achieve candidate Status by 2016

• 2 submit full nomination in 2016

• For 2017, many companies are registered

• 3 to 5 extra candidates in 2017

• 3 operators submit full nominations in 2017 …?

• GSTC accreditation 2016

GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS• LOGISTICS AND PLANNING

• TRACKING PROGRESS

• MANAGING CONTENT, DATA

• TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY

• LOCAL-GLOBAL CONNECTIVITY

• ENGLISH - VIETNAMESE

• Operational early 2016?

CUSTOM MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

COMMUNICATIONS:DATA AND CONTENT MANAGEMENT

IUCN IS SEEKING SUPPORT TO DEVELOP STATE-OF-THE-ART CMS SYSTEM

SPONSORSHIP AND FINANCING

IUCN developing and promoting STEPS brand in 2015

Sponsors

Visibility

Promotion

Investment

Finance for

performance

IUCN STEPS CONTACTS:

Bui Thi Thu Hien and IUCN team:hien.buithithu@iucn.org

IUCN Viet Nam OfficeIUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)1st Floor, Building 2A, Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound298 Kim Ma Str., Ba Dinh DistrictHanoi city, Viet Nam IPO Box 60Tel: ++(844) 37261575/6 (Ext: 111); Fax:  ++(844) 37261561Mobile: ++84 168 866 44 39www.iucn.org/vietnam

IUCN Sustainable Tourism with Environmental Performance Standards (STEPS) for Ha Long Cat

Ba

*Globally accredited by GSTC*

Certification, Success, Sustainability

STEPS EVALUATION PROCESS

IUCN STEPS Committee

Verifies TECHNICA

L evaluation is sound;

and complianc

e with ASSURANC

E PROCESS

Accredited Independent STEPS Reviewer

Rapid set of approval /

rejection of all candidacy

evaluations.Gives feedback

on evaluation for each full STEPS

nomination based on compliance

with ASSURANCE

Local STEPS Action Group

Technical evaluation of all candidate and full nominations against the Standard, with decision by vote on each area:• Candidate evaluations made, rapid review in sets, approved / referred• Full STEPS certificate evaluations referred, via review, to Committee for

verification