The recent Conference on Sustainability Certification, held under auspices of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) in the Czech Republic, called for collaboration between…
The recent Conference on Sustainability Certification, held under auspices of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) in the Czech Republic, called for collaboration between the stakeholder groups involved to support comprehensive certification processes at destination and company levels simultaneously.
The European Conference on Sustainability Certification of Tourism Activities, held in Marianske Lazne (Czech Republic), between 17-20 October, attracted over 120 participants from 23 European countries.
The meeting was the third in a series of WTO regional conferences designed to bring together public, private, NGO and academic institutions, as well as certification organizations to exchange experiences and foster partnerships in this field.
Presentations were made on a great variety of European and international certification schemes, that aim at enhancing environmental management and sustainability levels of tourism businesses and destinations, over and above the standards set by regulations. Sharing these experiences proved to be especially beneficial for participants from Central and Eastern European countries where sustainability certification schemes are currently under development or planned in the future.
Europe is the most advanced region in sustainability certification initiatives. The leadership position in this field represents a challenge and a responsibility for Europe, since certification schemes developed here are likely to be emulated in other regions. Europe has thus a moral obligation for excellence in this subject, said Eugenio Yunis, Head of WTO`s Sustainable Development of Tourism Department.
Minister for Regional Development of the Czech Republic Jiri Paroubek underlined the need for partnership among the different tourism stakeholder groups in the process for a more sustainable tourism sector. Sustainability certification initiatives are no exception for this. Mr. Paroubek explained that the Ministry for Regional Development is supporting not only the official uniform classification of the accommodation facilities in the Czech Republic, but also the Decision of the European Commission of 14 April 2003 (2003/287/EC) concerning the establishment of the ecological criteria for the award of the Community eco-label to tourism accommodation services.
The Conference concluded that, while the most common targets of certification and ecolabels are tourism companies (mostly accommodation businesses), it is necessary to work simultaneously at the local destination level, given the need for concerted action among all local tourism operations, as well as municipal infrastructures and services.
The role of governments in facilitating certification processes and the need for stakeholder collaboration have been greatly emphasized, with a number of practical mechanisms and models suggested for various aspects of certification, including funding. Recommendations were drawn on strengthening marketing activities of certification systems to better orientate consumers in travel decisions and make the certification services better known among targeted tourism businesses. It was also generally agreed that the more conventional quality certification systems in tourism could be linked with sustainability certifications, as environmental and social issues are increasingly becoming part of overall product quality.
The Conference also addressed the need for coordination and networking between European certification systems, presenting concrete examples, such as the VISIT initiative that includes ecolabels from 12 countries, representing more than 1.000 eco-labelled businesses.
We are grateful for the host of the European Conference, the Czech Government, for organizing the excellent meeting facilities in Marianske Lazne, a beautiful historical spa town, which represents a good example for sustainable use of environmental resources and preservation of cultural heritage through tourism, concluded WTO Regional Representative for Europe Luigi Cabrini.
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