Eco Announcements

January 10, 2018 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce that the Travelife for Tour Operators has achieved the ‘GSTC-Accredited’ status. The awarded status affirms Travelife’s for Tour Operators  commitment to promoting sustainable tourism products and services.

Travelife for Tour operators is a leading global sustainability scheme specifically designed for tour operators with more than 500 members from 80 countries across all continents. Travelife for Tour operators provides an integrated set of trainings, best practices, implementation instruments and suppliers assessment tools, leading to certification.

Dec 27, 2017 – The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is pleased to announce that the Korean Ecotourism Standard for Destinations and the Korean Ecotourism Standard for Accommodations and Tours have achieved ‘GSTC-Recognized’ status. The Korean Ecotourism Standards for Destinations and Accommodations and Tours have been developed to guide both public and private sectors to understand hands-on practices for sustainable ecotourism development and management and certify them so they can take a better position in the tourism market to distinguish them from any ecotourism products that may be guilty of "green-washing."

Newfoundland Estate, Dominica - 9 December 2017: 3 Rivers Eco Lodge, Dominica is proud and delighted to announce to our Ecoclub community that we are open for business following the passage of Hurricane Maria. We wish to thank all our friends for your thoughts and support since Hurricane Maria devastated Dominica on September 18th, 2017. Everyone connected with the lodge is safe, although the Eco lodge and the entire island took a severe beating. Our thoughts are with those who fared even worse than us.

Here at 3Rivers & Rosalie forest Eco lodge the process of cleaning up and repairing and rebuilding is progressing well, and we are looking positively forward. We are delighted to report that we are open and can receive understanding guests, and offer a still wonderful stay on our beautiful, though changed, island. Although we lost the most of our dormitory and dining room/education centre, our cottages were only slightly damaged. Two have some twisted windows and doors which we have temporarily fixed so they function. And our ocean view cottage lost a part of its roof but it’s covered, dry, usable and almost finished fixing completely. The island-wide shortage of screws, nails and other hardware does mean we can only progress slowly, but every day sees improvements.

December 6, 2017 - Stockholm, Sweden: In an open letter, 56 travel, ecotourism and guide companies demand that all remaining high conservation value forests in Sweden must be protected. The companies are concerned about a number of biologically valuable forests which are planned to be felled by the Swedish FSC-certified forest companies Sveaskog, Stora Enso and SCA. Nature-based tourism has an annual turnover of several billions of SEK, and it is on the uprise. Many global travellers specifically visit Sweden to explore the nature., Sweden is known for its rivers, lakes, mountains and deep forests which also appeals to other types of tourism.

Madrid, Spain, 28 November 2017: A Conference on Tourism, Jobs and Inclusive Growth has opened in Jamaica. Organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Government of Jamaica, the World Bank Group and the Inter-American Development Bank, the conference aims to set a new collaborative framework for tourism moving towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. An official event of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017, the event gathers 1500 participants and over 150 speakers in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Athens, Greece - 21 November 2017: “Hikers’ Friendly”, an ecolabel for hiker-friendly hotels, and Trekking Hellas, Greece's largest and oldest adventure tour operator, have signed a cooperation agreement. Their joint mission is to 'enhance the hiking experience through the upgrade of services in each destination' recognising that a great hiking experience starts with great hospitality!

Trekking Hellas has thus become the 1st “Hikers’ Friendly Ambassador”. Following new trends in the tourism industry and the needs of the modern hiker for specialised accommodation, Trekking Hellas Group undertakes to support the well-being of the hikers, the promotion of hiking activities and the development of responsible tourism in each destination.

Delft, The Netherlands - 14 November 2017: In the year 2100, the world's population will be flying nine times as many kilometres as in 2015, and the average travel distance for all tourist journeys is set to double over the same period. Aviation, 90% of which is tourism, will not be able to escape a severe reduction in growth, or even no growth, if we are to meet the climate targets. This conclusion is drawn by Paul Peeters, who will be awarded his PhD for his thesis on this subject at TU Delft on Wednesday 15 November.

Washington DC, 1 November 2017 - Every year, the Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), working with leading tourism organizations and institutions, publishes what’s come to be known in the shorthand as “Trends & Statistics,” a compilation of facts, quotations, data, and resources designed to advance the practice of responsible travel worldwide. This year, in recognition of the United Nations naming 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, CREST has modeled the content after the Year’s five “pillars” created by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Honolulu, 10 Oct 2017 – In keeping with its commitment to foster sustainable tourism in the Hawaiian Islands, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) is providing funding of more than $3.5 million to 124 programs that are perpetuating Hawaiian culture, protecting natural resources and showcasing community events in 2018. Recipients of the funding are nonprofit groups, community organizations and individuals statewide who have demonstrated through proposals submitted to HTA their dedication to strengthen the enduring qualities of Hawai‘i’s legacy that distinguish the islands as a place to live and visit.

Singapore, 11 October 2017 – Mandai Park Holdings (MPH) announced today the appointment of Banyan Tree Holdings (Banyan Tree) as the operator of an eco-friendly resort to be located within the new integrated nature and wildlife destination at Mandai. This partnership marks the debut of the award-winning, Singapore-based hospitality company on home ground after its global success.