Online version: PDF - DTIE
Online version: PDF - DTIE
Online version: PDF - DTIE
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UNIT 3: ENVIRONMENT LAW, VOLUNTARY INITIATIVES AND PRINCIPLES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT<br />
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2<br />
Voluntary Initiatives in Tourism and Hospitality<br />
As tourism and hospitality is largely made up of small and medium-sized<br />
businesses, legislative enforcement and compliance verification is difficult.<br />
Therefore, it is not surprising that voluntary initiatives such as eco-labels,<br />
environment awards and environment codes of conduct are proving to be an<br />
effective method of realising environment improvement across a large number of<br />
businesses.<br />
Eco-labels are of particular interest to small and medium-sized tourism and<br />
hospitality businesses as they:<br />
• Provide businesses with environment management information and<br />
expertise, which may not be available in-house;<br />
• Allow tourists – the consumers – to identify directly and select<br />
environmentally responsible operators;<br />
• Enable each business to develop an environment management system<br />
to suit its individual circumstances.<br />
As mentioned earlier, a significant number of international and national tourism<br />
eco-labelling schemes are currently in operation, with many more in the pipeline.<br />
These schemes are analysed and discussed in the 1998 UNEP <strong>DTIE</strong> publication<br />
Eco-labels in the Tourism Industry.<br />
Example of Good Practice<br />
The Green Globe Americas Programme is a joint venture between Green Globe<br />
and the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST). This environmental<br />
management and awareness programme promotes the membership and<br />
certification of travel and tourism companies and destinations.<br />
Both organisations work towards the implementation of Agenda 21 Towards<br />
Environmentally Sustainable Tourism, and seek to establish tools and<br />
programmes at local, national and regional levels. Together, they strive to<br />
establish methodology for measuring the environmental performance of hotels.<br />
Four certificates have been issued to date, all to hotels in Jamaica.<br />
Many tourism organisations have also developed environment codes of conduct.<br />
Amongst the first were the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Environment<br />
Guidelines, inspired by the Business and Environment Charter of the International<br />
Chamber of Commerce.