Beyond Greening - Tourism Watch

Beyond Greening: Reflections on Tourism in the Rio-Process | Positioningpapergovernance procedures are needed, and the question of target audiences must be betteraddressed to avoid industry fatigue. All these initiatives share a common end-goal: toinfluence private sector and consumer behaviour in a manner that improves the quality of lifeof people living in destinations, in particular the economically poor and the sociallyvulnerable. This common goal must not be displaced by competition for members, funding,status and other resources.Likewise, improved coordination between international and national certification systems isneeded, and the post Rio+ context is likely to be characterised by the consolidation of schemesbased on mutual recognition, licensing, dual certification and other forms of cooperation. TheGST-Council is an important vehicle for achieving this, as GSTC-recognised standards andGSTC-accredited certificates will have a level playing field for working together. TheInternational Trade Centre (ITC), a programme of the World Trade Organization (WTO),operates a sustainability standards map and database that can compare sustainable tourismstandards with each other, with the GST-criteria and with standards in other sectors includingagriculture, mining, forestry and marine products. The ITC database also has capacity tocompare governance systems and the tourism certification and accreditation sectors shouldmake better use of this resource, as an independent sounding board as well as a mechanism toreduce the costs of accreditation.The larger certification schemes like Travelife and verification programmes like that operatedby the Rainforest Alliance must take a lead in cooperating with national systems. Standardsand certificates developed locally are well positioned to grow the numbers of certifiedbusinesses within destinations, and it should be easier for businesses certified locally to entervalue chains controlled by international tour operators. Schemes have begun talking with oneanother about improved coordination, however the financial mechanisms that will underpinmutual recognition, licensing and dual certification have not yet been tested. Certification isexpensive particularly for small businesses and the costs of accreditation and cooperationbetween certifiers must not become a burden for the tourism private sector.Regionalisation: opportunities and threatsThe post Johannesburg environment has also been characterised by the regionalisation ofsustainable tourism initiatives, often in support of global processes. Commencing in 2003, theRainforest Alliance led the establishment of the Sustainable Tourism Certification Network ofthe Americas, in an attempt to harmonise sustainable tourism standards and certificationsystems throughout Latin America. The Network of the Americas brought together 150organizations operating in 23 countries and created new capacity amongst its members toalign their systems with the GSTC, in anticipation of accreditation. The Rainforest Alliancesteed out of the technical secretariat in 2010 and the leadership was handed to a steeringcommittee of founding members. Since then, the Network has become inactive to some extentbecause it had achieved its initial objectives but also in the absence of a strong secretariat;however the legacies of improved trust and coordination must not be underestimated. Mostmembers developed partnerships among each other, which continue to grow and a significantnumber became part of the GSTC.The Voluntary Initiatives for Sustainability in Tourism (VISIT) association was established inEurope during 2001-2004, with financial support from the European Union. VISIT created aplatform for leading European sustainable tourism certificates to share best practice andimprove coordination. The seven founding certificates are based in the Netherlands, Italy,Denmark, Latvia, UK, Switzerland and Luxembourg and together represented over 3,200certified tourism enterprises. VISIT became less active after 2008 following the establishmentof the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (VISIT, 2012).69