Sustainable Tourism Certification

Bear Spring Eco Retreat – A GreenStep Certified business

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Attract customers and build your brand with a Sustainable Tourism Certification

Customers are expecting more from today’s tourism and that includes more sustainable options. If businessesIf certification is your ultimate goal, let’s connect so that we can discuss the steps, process and timelines involved. We’re here to help at every step of the way.

It’s important to keep in mind that entering the certification process does not guarantee certification. A minimum standard of performance is required to achieve Sustainable Tourism Certification.

“I was searching for a green program for the hotel. Having a rating is nice but having a sustainability action plan is what got me excited about joining.”

Fairmont Palliser

Benefits of certification

Sustainable Tourism Certification is more than a label, it’s a process. 
Benefits to certification go beyond a marketing advantage:

  • Improve knowledge and build capacity within your team
  • Understand your baseline performance based on international standards
  • Identify opportunities for improvement
  • Share your journey and milestones throughout the process with visitors, guests, staff, and stakeholders
  • Engage your team to help you achieve your goals
  • Remain competitive and relevant in an industry where travellers are seeking more responsible travel options
  • Appeal to the labour market who are seeking employment with companies whose values align with their own

How it works 

Just five simple steps…

1.

Become a member

To become a Sustainable Tourism member, set up an introductory call with our team to start the process. Once we have you set up in our system, we will send a membership agreement and provide access to program materials and our online assessment portal.

2.

Complete the self-assessment

Your team will work through the assessment questions. Completing the assessment can take anywhere from 1-3 hours, depending on the complexity of the business and the size of the team.  

3. 

Submit your responses and schedule your review call

Schedule your assessment review with a GreenStep assessor. The review will last 1.5 -2 hours and your assessor get into the details to achieve clarity and confirmation on your current sustainability practices.

4. 

Submit your evidence

After the assessment you will be asked to submit further evidence for a random selection of criteria. Once this has been submitted, your assessor will review and verify the evidence and finalize your report.

5. 

Get Certified

If you meet minimum scoring requirements and your evidence is deemed acceptable, we’ll send your final report and action plan. Your score will determine your overall grading level; bronze, silver, gold, or platinum. You may then schedule a post-assessment with any questions.  

What you get

Expert Guidance

Receive a personal assessment with a sustainability expert who will prepare a report and action plan to guide your sustainability actions. Gain access to tools and resources, a peer-network, regular tips and check-ins from our team, and discounts on other services.

Marketing Support

We will help you share your sustainability achievement and spread the word about your certification through our channel partners, with a blog post, through social media, and with web-links to support your SEO. You’ll receive a marketing toolkit with guidance on sharing your Certification and your action plan achievements on your website, social channels, and marketing materials.

Enhanced Credibility

Use your certification to help tell your story, attract great customers, win awards, secure new contracts, and build partnerships. We will send an outdoor sign, window decal, certificate, and the Sustainable Tourism Certified logo for use in all of your marketing materials, website and more.

Sustainable Tourism Certification pricing

Annual fees for accommodation providers are based on the number of rooms. All other tourism businesses and organizations are based upon the number of full time equivalent employees (FTEs). Choose your size below. 

For Sustainable Tourism Destination Certification pricing, please see our Destination Certification page.

Micro
Business

Rooms: 1 – 10
FTE’s: 1- 5

Price

$599/yr

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Small
Business

Rooms: 11 – 20
FTE’s: 6 – 25

Price

$899/yr

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Medium
Business

Rooms: 21 – 150
FTE’s: 26- 75

Price

$1,299/yr

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Large
Business

Rooms: 151 – 300
FTE’s: 76 – 100

Price

$1,899/yr

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Enterprise
Business

Rooms: 300+
FTE’s: 100+

Price

$2,499/yr

BUY NOW

Still have questions?

Take a read through the FAQ below or book a free consult with one of our experts. We’re here to help!

Book a Free Consult

FAQS

Unlike other sustainable business certification programs that allow self-assessments and grading, every one of our members are individually assessed by a trained sustainable business expert, who reviews everything from energy efficiency to food sources.

This thorough assessment process gives our members insight into how to further reduce their businesses’s impact, how to best manage future projects, as well as a personalized action plan about how to build their sustainable business.

GreenStep Sustainable Tourism has assessed all types of businesses across many sectors of the tourism industry, including hotels, campgrounds, wineries, distilleries, tour operators, tourist attractions, visitor centers, museums, not-for-profits, and more. Our criteria was built to be relevant and applicable to the entire industry.

Tourists are looking for ways to be more sustainable in their travel decisions, and look for ways to verify businesses engaging in sustainable actions. Research shows that businesses who are actively trying to address social and environmental issues in their business retain employees better, and have a more loyal consumer base. All of this works to generate higher returns for tourism businesses by engaging in behaviours that are good for people, the planet, AND profit. 

Sustainable Tourism helps you recognize the good things you’re doing, and gives you guidance and support to work on the initiatives you want to employ. The Sustainable Tourism Certification shows customers, employees, and fellow business owners that you are doing good things for the world, and have the credibility to prove it. 

The Sustainable Tourism Assessment consists of approximately 87 questions related to various areas of sustainable tourism operations. Each question of the assessment has been assigned a specific point value based on the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the particular action.

Platinum: 90%+

Gold: 75-89%

Silver: 55-74%

Bronze: 35-54%

Sustainable Tourism Certified membership is an annual fee, which must be renewed on an annual basis in order to maintain your grading status and to continue receiving the benefits associated with membership.

Prices vary depending on the size of your business. See our pricing page for more information.

Is it possible to view the assessment questions before joining?

Yes! When you sign up for your free Sustainability Score you will work through all of the questions and then learn what your grading might be prior to having it verified.

How much time does it take to prepare for a Sustainable Tourism assessment?

It depends on your primary goal for undertaking an assessment. Most of our members are seeking a benchmark, advice and roadmap for future improvements, while gaining recognition for where they are doing well. A quick response to all of the questions should take under an hour. Take note of the ones you are unsure of and for “review” then take a few minutes to look into the question in more detail and go back to it at a later date to complete your responses.

Depending on the size of your businesses, assessments can take from two hours for a very small business, or up to four hours for a large business.

Members are strongly encouraged to involve their sustainability teams or committees in the assessment process, as well as department managers or leadership teams. These people are involved in the day-to-day implementation and management employment of sustainability initiatives and often have the best insight on operations within their functional roles. This ensures that the answers provided in for the assessment are reflective of current operations and details can be given from the direct and appropriate source. 

The assessment call should include you or your Green Team leader, and any other staff you feel are important to attend. 

The certification process consists of an assessment review call carried out by a trained Sustainable Tourism assessor, which lasts approximately 2 to 4 hours, depending on the size of your businesses. We will ask for evidence for some of the criteria to verify your grading, but reserve the right to complete an onsite assessment, if deemed necessary. Each year we complete onsite audits to verify the sustainability practices of 10% to 20% of our members.

How often do I need a reassessment in order to maintain Certification?

In order to maintain your grading level and status, you  will need to pay an annual membership fee which includes a reassessment every two years to ensure that you  are continuing to meet the GreenStepSustainable Tourism Certified standard.

Sustainable Tourism Certified businesses are promoted through our online Sustainable Tourism platforms and channels. Businesses will receive a certification announcement through our social media platforms, as well as a and mentions in GreenStep Sustainable Tourism newsletters and blogs. Members will also be listed in the online Sustainable Tourism Certified member directory.

Businesses should use their certification status to share their sustainability story with visitors, prospective guests and staff. Through the use of the GreenStep Certified Logo and Certificate, you may apply your own personal marketing efforts to showcase your commitment, your action plan, and your achievements. You will be provided with a digital marketing kit and an outdoor aluminum sign to display onsite. as grounds for their own personal marketing efforts through the use of logos and promotion of completed certification and achieved grading. Certification includes the use of the Sustainable Tourism Certified logo (with associated graded) in online and printed marketing materials, a window decal for display, and aluminum sign to post onsite. 

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