Considering a filter and identifying the more complete and valuable certifications for our objective is essential. For example, if we are an Italian operator working with foreign clients, a certificate known to our market will be more useful (even if it is perhaps a lesser-known certification for us).

One of my points of reference, very useful for this purpose, is the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council is a US-based non-profit organisation that has established the most widely accepted sustainable tourism standards worldwide. These standards have a dual function as a direct reference for tourism operators and destinations and as a reference for the best certification bodies at an international level (and I anticipate there is also an Italian company).

Why is GSTC one of my main reference points for sustainability standards, criteria and certification in tourism?

The GSTC is one of my reference points for evaluating certifying bodies because, when it was founded (in 2007), it researched for 15 months. The consultations were among the founders (Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Foundation (UN Foundation) and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), along with a coalition of 32 leading tourism industry partners.

More than 60 existing certifications and voluntary criteria sets already implemented worldwide were examined.

More than 4,500 criteria were analysed, and more than 80,000 people, including environmentalists, industry leaders, government authorities and UN bodies, were invited to comment on the resulting criteria.

I, therefore, rate accredited certification bodies very highly.

Certification programmes are accredited for compliance with the requirements of the GSTC Accreditation Manual through ASI.

Accredited means that the certification procedures essentially meet the international transparency, impartiality and competence standards identified by GSTC.

The first entity I want to introduce is Vireo Srl.

Vireo Srl is an Italian certification company providing Italian and foreign companies with environmental certification services. Vireo provides globally recognised ecological certification schemes such as FSC, MSC and GSTC – as a GSTC-accredited certification body. A professional approach and in-depth knowledge of ISO standards are the key elements characterising Viero’s services. Based in Padua, Italy, Vireo has international experience and works with professional and highly qualified auditors. Vireo provides this service to hotels, tour operators and destinations.

The second organisation I want to introduce is Green Destinations.

Green Destinations (GD) is a non-profit organisation of destination experts and ambassadors working in 80 countries. GD supports a broad community of managers and stakeholders of local, regional and national destinations, improving destination sustainability, market visibility and tourism quality.

The GD Certification Committee oversees the certification and benchmark awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) based on the GD Standard recognised by the GSTC and other standards (e.g. national). The GD offers destinations and countries state-of-the-art tools for basic assessment, monitoring, reporting and strategic development, also as the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

In Italy, we have two reference associations for sustainability: Legambiente and Associazione Italiana Turismo Responsabile.

Among these, AITR is also an excellent reference for those who have European guests at their activities as it works in partnership with EARTH European Alliance for Responsible Tourism and Hospitality.

The only drawback of these two organisations is that you must be interested in them to get to know them. In contrast, the bodies mentioned above, particularly VIREO SRL, certify more realities according to better-known standards and criteria.

The validity and soundness of the activities promoted and evaluated with Legambiente (under the Legambiente Turismo label) and the guiding principles of AITR remain undeniable.

At the European level, there are other certifications, among which Ecolabel EU, the most widespread certificate for European products, stands out for its longevity and credibility. Initially focused on the green part of sustainability, I hoped it had evolved. I included the evaluation of socio-cultural and economic aspects of services, but this is not the case even in the 2022 version. It remains valid for assessing and monitoring environmental sustainability, and since the checklist is available, a screening can be done independently.

In the corporate world, B Corporation stands out.

The B Corp certification is one of the most exciting standards for measuring one’s performance in this respect and guiding the company on a continuous improvement path. The areas of impact are:

Governance
Community
Environment
Workers
Customers
Transparency.