Certification program for tourism gets pilot run in BC
Tourism product suppliers in BC, ranging from hotels and resorts to adventure companies, attractions and tour operators, have signed on to take part in a program that will measure their environmental “best practices” and thus set a template for tourism businesses across the country.
These will be the trail blazers in establishing the National Sustainable Certification pilot program in Canada. Such recognition and certification are increasingly important to some consumers and are becoming a vital marketing tool, said presenters at the recent press conference to introduce the program.
For instance, some 52% of business travellers and 41% leisure travellers have indicated that they are willing to participate in a greenhouse gas offset program, by buying offset credits, said one of the speakers.
“A significant number of people in Canada are already willing to make this investment while knowing comparatively little about it,” said Scott MacDonald, the CEO of Pacific Carbon Trust. Hence the concurrent introduction of two online tools for the calculation of carbon “footprints” and the carbon offsets that can be purchased on the PCT website to compensate for that footprint.
Twenty-four suppliers from across the BC tourism industry are voluntarily participating in the program, including, for example, the Delta Sun Peaks Resort at Sun Peaks, Destiny River Adventures in Campbell River, Fairmont Hot Springs Villas in Fairmont Hot Springs, The Hills Health Ranch at 100 Mile House, The Listel Hotel in Vancouver, the Vancouver Aquarium and the Capilano Suspension Bridge, to name a few.
The tourism operators went through an assessment of their operations using the Green Tourism Certification Program developed by the UK-based Green Business Ltd. That assessment concluded on July 22.
The feedback provided by the tourism operators will then be used to create the performance indicators for the Canadian version of this program, with the support of ETHOS, BC’s sustainable tourism network. (ETHOS stands for Engaging Tourism & Hospitality Operators in Sustainability) The new Canadianized performance indicators will be ready to launch by about November, says ETHOS.
The British certification program has 150 performance indicators, but given the diversity of the operations in the pilot program, a more specific total of 60 will be applied to each of the BC firms. These range from the use of recycling bins and low energy light bulbs to the installation of automatic temperature controls in guest rooms, kitchen composting and even pro-activity in matters of biodiversity and First Nations culture. Each is measured on a scale of five, and after compiling the results, the operators end up with bronze, silver or gold ratings – or none if the measurements are under 40%.
Reviewers will also be looking for an indication that the pilot companies are aware of how greenhouse gases are generated by their operations, and if they have programs to place to address that.
To that end, the Pacific Carbon Trust has introduced two new sustainability tools – one for use by travellers to calculate their carbon footprint, and one for use by businesses to determine the quantity of greenhouse gases generated. Both are available to the participants but are not mandatory.
The ETHOS Travel Offset Calculator web-based tool enables visitors to measure and offset their travel carbon footprint as a part of their booking process. Offsets purchased through the online calculator are provided by Pacific Carbon Trust.
\"There is a growing awareness of the linkages between how we work, travel and vacation and our carbon footprint\", said John Yap, the BC minister of state for climate action Yap. \"Tools like the ETHOS travel calculator build on that awareness, give tourists an opportunity to offset their emissions and brand B.C. as an eco-conscious tourism destination.\"
Minister Yap also presented the GOBI carbon management business tool. Offered at a discount to ETHOS members, GobiSOFT is a web-based system that enables organizations to measure, report and manage their carbon footprint.
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Tourism product suppliers in BC, ranging from hotels and resorts to adventure companies, attractions and tour operators, have signed on to take part in a program that will measure their environmental “best practices” and thus set a template for tourism businesses across the country.
