Destinations
Northern lights in Jasper – A GreenStep client
Sustainability programs built for tourism destinations
GreenStep has developed specific assessment tools and stakeholder support programs to help DMO’s to measure and improve their sustainability performance of their organization and the destination as a whole. No matter where the destination may be on its journey, we offer support, guidance, and expertise to help you to make progress towards your sustainability goals.
Why conduct an assessment or pursue certification?
Your organization plays an important role in contributing to the betterment of the communities that you promote. As an industry that has already faced challenges from a changing climate, and one that contributes to global emissions through travel and tourism activities, DMO’s are stepping up across the globe to come together to ensure that:
- Tourism continues to be a vibrant and important economic driver, and;
- Tourism becomes a force for good, driving positive change across all aspects of sustainability
Get Sustainable Tourism Certified
GreenStep Sustainable Tourism Certification helps destinations and businesses communicate their sustainability efforts with credibility, based on globally recognized standards.
About the certification process
Going through this certification process will help you to identify specific gaps and opportunities for your destination to improve sustainability practices, while at the same time, achieving recognition for the good work you are already doing.
Here’s a summary look at main activities included in our approach:
- Initial assessment and information gathering
- Review and evaluation
- Action plan development
- Final certification
Our destination clients
“With the amount of learning, recommendations, and improvements we were able to make during this process, we only wish we had gone through certification sooner.”
– Project Lead, Tourism Kelowna Visitor Centre
“RTO4 is happy to have had GreenStep as a partner as it looks to realize the integration of more sustainable tourism practices within its region and Ontario as a whole. The process has been one of continued learning, and being in a unique position as an RTO GreenStep was extremely open and willing to listen and work with us about our needs and wants when it came to the action planning process, and truly understanding RTO4 as an organization. It’s quite a milestone to achieve certification, but recognize that this is just a small step in a larger journey of tourism’s evolution as a catalyst for more prosperous peoples and communities.”
– Andrea Gardi, Executive Director, Regional Tourism Office for Huron, Perth, Waterloo and Wellington
“Achieving the GreenStep Sustainable Tourism Destination Certification is an important milestone for our regional destination. Our team has been working closely with GreenStep on a number of important destination stewardship initiatives since 2018, including the development of a Sustainability Charter and action plan and the delivery of several programs for our stakeholders. The Certification is based on rigorous international standards, and we are very proud to be the first destination certified and hope many more will follow suit and contribute in making BC and Canada world leaders in sustainable tourism” – Kathy Cooper, CEO, Kootenay Rockies Tourism
Not sure what’s right for your destination?
Let’s connect to discuss your goals and ambitions.
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