Standards Development
Standards provide visitors with the assurance that a destination or tourism business is on the path toward sustainability and has met globally recognized criteria for clean water, responsible energy use, local employment and sustainable sourcing. We have been at the forefront of sustainability standard development since 2002.
- To develop a new sustainability standard, our team works with destination stakeholders—conducting research and in-person interviews— to identify their particular concerns, risks and goals.
- Next, we lead informational workshops before drafting a set of customized criteria and indicators.
- We then test the new standard and based on stakeholder feedback, revise as necessary.
- Based on a partner’s needs and the requirements of the standard, our team develops a customized IT solution using secure, cloud-based technology. Online systems can include simple assessment and verification tools or more sophisticated monitoring platforms.
- During the final phase of development, we provide partners with training manuals and conduct remote and on-site training workshops for assessors, consultants, tourism businesses and destination managers, allowing them to successfully adopt the new standard and IT solution.