Around the globe, scores of tourism certification bodies employ a variety of auditing techniques when deciding whether a tourism company should earn their seal of approval. But the evaluation methods and criteria can be different from one another, which becomes confusing and cumbersome for both hotels seeking to comply with standards and travelers trying to determine which businesses to patronize.

Responding to the desire among certification bodies to seek out the best possible auditing techniques, the Rainforest Alliance brought together representatives from certification programs in the Sustainable Tourism Certification Network of the Americas to exchange ideas and observe each other complete mock audits. The meeting took place over six days in September in Antigua, Guatemala, where hotels graciously opened their doors to serve as our training ground.

The group included one auditor from each certification program in the Network: Guatemala’s Green Deal; Brazil’s Sustainable Tourism Certification Program (PCTS), SmartVoyager of Ecuador; the United States' Sustainable Tourism Eco-Certification Program (STEP), and Green Globe, a regional organization.

Each auditor conducted an individual evaluation of the hotels visited, using the procedures and criteria specific to his or her certification program. "This was a good experience because it's important to understand the situations and pressures facing each program, as well as its objectives," said David Burdick, the auditor from STEP. Guilherme Witte Cruz Machado, the auditor representing PCTS, added: "As auditors, we have very few opportunities to come together and share our experiences."

The Rainforest Alliance will analyze the results of this trip and a similar event to be held later this year in Mindo, Ecuador, to develop recommendations for best practices in auditing for sustainable tourism. The objective of all these activities is to strengthen certification programs participating in the Network.

In November, members of the Sustainable Tourism Certification Network of the Americas gathered together to discuss the threats facing the ecosystems that are the heart of their respective tourism businesses and the challenges of running a successful sustainable tourism business in a competitive marketplace. The conference, entitled "Green Globe International & Green Tourism Conference...Learning Opportunities," was organized by Green Globe, CAST and the Caribbean Hotel Association.

As the Network's technical secretariat, the Rainforest Alliance, represented by Ronald Sanabria, reviewed the marketing support the Rainforest Alliance has provided and highlighted the positive results of these efforts, including the Certified Products in the Americas catalog (a second edition is in the works), and the Eco-Index Sustainable Tourism, a searchable database that helps travelers find sustainable destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Eco-Index Sustainable Tourism is gaining recognition as more travelers are turning to this new resource to search out sustainable travel options in Latin America and the Caribbean. The site received over 1,200 visits in September alone. Tourism businesses registered on the site are benefiting from the exposure. Guatemala's Ecotourism Hotel and Restaurant Ram Tzul saw 85 visits to their page in just one month. The majority of the site’s users are from Costa Rica, the United States, France, Spain, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina and Mexico.

The searchable database has also attracted media attention, earning mentions in dozens of magazines, newspapers and Web sites in France, the United States, Mexico and Canada. "Businesses that haven't yet signed up to be part of the Eco-Index Sustainable Tourism should think about the opportunities they're missing and immediately send us their questionnaires," said Diane Jukofsky, director of this innovative marketing tool.

We are happy to report that 68 percent of the nearly 100 businesses on the site have tourism certificates. We ask our colleagues at the various certification programs to spread the word about the Eco-Index among their participating businesses. The site is an opportunity for the business to directly reach tourists interested in contributing to sustainability in the Americas.

Good news: certification is gaining ground at an impressive speed. In the last few weeks, we have welcomed eight new members -- including a hotel in Ecuador and seven tour operators in Costa Rica.

For the first time, the Galapagos archipelago has a certified hotel. Finch Bay is located in Punta Estrada, on the island of Santa Cruz. The 40-room inn has a program in place to guarantee to guests that neither the hotel nor their stay will negatively impact Ecuador’s "enchanted islands." The hotel, which is part of the Metropolitan Touring group, proudly displays the SmartVoyager seal. The SmartVoyager program is administered by Ecuadorian non-profit organization Conservación y Desarrollo.

Meanwhile, Costa Rica certified its first seven tour operators. The National Accreditation Commission of the Certification for Sustainable Tourism program, announced recently that its directors will award seals to Camino Travel, Costa Rica Sun Tours, CRT Team, Horizontes Nature Tours, Swiss Travel Service, Vesa Tour and Vic Vic Tours. Five of these seven certified firms, which organize tours throughout the country, are part of one of the groups that work with the Rainforest Alliance in Costa Rica.

"During the time we have worked together, we have been able to witness these tour operators' commitment to doing business responsibly," said Ronald Sanabria, director of sustainable tourism for the Rainforest Alliance. "We are confident that their example will spread to all sectors of the tourism industry, so that sustainability becomes the rule, not the exception, sooner rather than later."

Latin American tourism is growing greener by the day, a movement worthy of the awards and praises heaped on it. This month, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism receives one of the most prestigious awards available from the United States tourism industry, the Travel Industry Association of America Gold Odyssey Award. This recognition reflected the fact that Ecuador proved its commitment to sustainability through its exemplary publicity campaign.

Another Ecuadorian effort was duly rewarded for its efforts in sustainability. The Hosteria Alandaluz, located in the northern province of Manabi, was lauded on the Lonely Planet Bluelist as the number one eco-lodge in the world, based on input from travelers.

"We are so proud that our passion for the living world is yielding fruits," said Marcelo Vinueza, the hotel’s founder. "We would like to share with all of you our overwhelming happiness and our ongoing commitment to increasing our efforts -- however seemingly insignificant -- to demonstrate that ecotourism is a responsible, socially just and sustainable activity."

And, farther north, the Guatemalan Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources named Reginaldo Chayax, the environmental defender and director of the Bio Itzá Association, as "Protector of Earth’s Nature" for his work in protecting the Maya Itzá culture in Petén. Bio Itzá, a community-run project certified by Green Deal almost five years ago, brings families, the local government and international students together in a variety of sustainable development projects.

We are proud to give the Ministry of Tourism and Hosteria Alandaluz in Ecuador and Reginaldo Chayax from the Bio Itzá Association our sincerest congratulations. We hope that your example will motivate others to follow your lead and become allies of sustainable tourism in Latin America.

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This bulletin has been produced with financial support from the Ford Foundation, The Multilateral Investment Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank (BID/FOMIN) and the Rainforest Alliance.

© 2006 Rainforest Alliance