Sustainable Travel International announced that Tailwind Outdoor’s eco-lodge, located near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, has just received a 2-star rating through its Sustainable Tourism Eco-certification Program (STEP).

STEP is the only global sustainable tourism certification program offered by a non-profit organization. It is designed to assist the international travel and tourism industry in achieving sustainability and is aligned with the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC). STEP addresses the major environmental, socio-cultural and economic issues facing the tourism industry and the planet at large, including global climate change, loss of biodiversity, water and waste management, economic development, and social issues.
 
“STEP is becoming ‘the gold standard’ in sustainable tourism certification in the travel and tourism industry because of the regimented and thorough criteria,” explained Brian T. Mullis, president of Sustainable Travel International. “As more committed tourism-providers embrace sustainability, we are starting to see a multiplier effect with companies like Tailwind Outdoor raising the bar for other hoteliers who may not be as ‘green’ as they claim and hopefully giving them something to aspire to.”

"Tailwind embraced STEP at a crucial point in our development” says Tamara Jacobi, co-founder and manager of Tailwind Outdoor. “Above all, the certification united the Tailwind staff under the rubric of sustainability. We are genuinely grateful to Sustainable Travel International and to the STEP program for bringing our understanding of sustainability to an entirely new level and guiding us in implementing it within all aspects of our operations. STEP has heightened our overall awareness, and facilitated crucial new bonds and connections with the natural world and the community of San Pancho. Furthermore, STEP has inspired, motivated and set a new precedent at Tailwind."

Some of the best practices instituted at Tailwind Outdoor that paved the way for the company to achieve certification include:

• Implementation of a sustainability framework for measuring and managing the eco-lodge’s environmental, socio-cultural and economic impacts
• Incorporation of locally sourced materials such as driftwood, bamboo, hand collected stones, vines, local tiles and palm fronds in all facilities
• Installation of an extensive grey water catchment system and a rain water recycling system
• Xeriscaped jungle gardens which are composed of native flora and fauna
• Adoption of green supply chain management policies i.e., all employees are from the community of San Pancho, local products are used whenever possible, and relationships with other local developers and businesses are have been established and continue to grow.