Nursing:
Introduction
In the recent decades, tourism has emerged as the most far-reaching and the world’s largest industry with an astounding socio-cultural, economic, and policy effects on all of us. According to World Tourism Organization (WTO), tourism as an industry supports at least 215million jobs worldwide and makes up about 6% of the Global Gross National Profit (LePree, 2009). In this context, not only is tourism the world’s largest industry, but it is also the fastest growing industry globally (The International Ecotourism Society [TIES], 2014). Because of this, there has been an ever-growing and evolving awareness of the concept of sustainability and the role of tourism as an industry in environmental stewardship. Despite the recent discontinuity in the definition of sustainable tourism and ecotourism, countries and corporations alike increasingly use the advent of Sustainable Tourism Certification to not only to convey the image of an ethically sound tourism business but also to validate and legitimize claims of sustainable tourism (LePree, 2009). Several tourist (hospitality) operators prove this fact.
Question One: Summary
One such operator is Club Mediterranée located in Paris France. The Club created the sustainable tourism development position in 2005 out of the need to bring visibility to the club’s long-standing sustainability practices and to unite its employees and customers around the dynamic of sustainability (Weil, 2012). Gerard Blitz founded the club on the backdrop of ideals of freedom, nature and bringing people together and keeping them happy. Today, the club has approximately 70 villages on all continents and serving customers from all walks of life (Weil, 2012). In this context, certification has been instrumental for sustainable management of the villages in ways adapted to the country and context of operations. Therefore, together with the club’s policy initiatives, the Green Globe environment and sustainable certification has become one of the pillars of Club Mediterranée’s efforts of sustainable development and social responsibility. By allowing the club to be the lever of environmental management and sustainable development in the villages, the Green Globe Certification recognizes and strengthens the organization’s best practices. It also provides guidelines for future projects (Weil, 2012).
Another tourist operator is the Cinnamon Lodge Habarana in Sri Lanka. According to Ghazzali Mohideen the General Manager (GM) of the lodge, the Green Globe Certification accords the resort a formal recognition of all of its green practices. This recognition has helped the lodge attract and retain the modern travelers who prefer and feels a lot more comfortable staying at a resort with good green practices (Mohideen, 2012). Other than the recognition, the certification also accords the lodge the guidelines to go green and stay sustainable. The benefits of the certification include cost cutting benefits from the operations point of view with direct impact on energy saving, water conservation and waste recovery and recycling (EcoGreen Hotel, n.d.; Mohideen, 2012). The need for sustainability deriving from the certification process has enabled the resort to engage the local community in its operations through direct employment or indirectly by supporting the local economy and small scale farmers with financial and technical assistance (Green Globe Certification Inc., n.d.).
Question Two:
Tourism operators such as Club Mediterranée and Cinnamon Lodge Habarana can benefit from Green Globe Certification through several ways. First, there is the advantage of enhanced awareness of issues and challenges facing natural resources management in the hospitality sector. Second, the tourist operator benefits from the direct, as well as the indirect spin-off advantages of the industry-wide recognition and endorsement (Mohideen, 2012). Third, the operator benefits in resuming building as an environmental conscious tourist destination and marketing that can enable it to access potential customers. Fourth, because Green Globe is an internationally recognized company operational in over 83 countries, Green Globe Certification can help a tourist operator connects with its members, customers, and industry experts on a global scale (Green Globe, 2016). Fifth, Green Globe Certification provides customers a clarity of the various products and services a tourist operator offers. The certification thus help eliminate consumer skepticism and concerns about ‘green-washing’ – the practice of making false and exaggerated claims about a product’s eco-friendliness (LePree, 2009). Sixth, the Green Globe Certification label provides guests (and potential customers) with a baseline of what a green tourist destination (or resort) offers and of what to expect when staying at one. This function is of great benefit to the tourist operator as the guests carry the green message to other potential guests spread across different nationalities, culture, and ethnic backgrounds. We all know how important that word-of-mouth chain can be in influencing the performance of an enterprise. These benefits stem from the ability of the Green Globe Certification programs to address performances and global considerations of pertinent socio-economic topics, climate, environmental issues, and cultural heritage as they relate to the tourism sector.
Like most other Green Globe Certified hospitality operators, Club Mediteranne, and Cinnamon Lodge Habarana have benefitted from the Green Globe Certification in several ways. To begin with, both tourism operators have benefited from increased profitability (Millar, 2016). While there are initial costs involved in becoming green, the Green Globe Certification has produced cost savings in the long run, which, in turn, has led the two companies, realize increased profits. For example, in both cases, there was the key aspect of energy management associated with the green certification program. Other examples that applied here in both destinations was in water saving, recovery, and recycling. Another avenue for increased revenue where the two destinations have benefitted from the green certification program is that the concept of ‘green’ command a price premium and the demand for green products continues to rise. The increase in demand for organic products is the perception that they are healthier and are better for the environment. Because the two destinations are green certified, they are perceived healthier for consumers and are more environmental-friendly than the traditional resorts. Therefore, if people are willing to pay more for organic products, they are theoretically able and willing to pay a premium for green tourism experience. The two operators have thus exploited this theory to increase their profit margins and reduce operating costs.
Secondly, by adopting the Green Globe Certification programs, the Club Mediteranne, and the Cinnamon Lodge Habarana have both benefited from an enhanced brand image, community involvement, and reputation building (Millar, 2016). One of the stipulations and policy requirements of the Green Globe Certification program is that the tourism operator must give back to, contribute, and be involved in the local community found in their area of operations. The benefits of community engagement in the operator’s operations are numerous (Green Globe Certification Inc., n.d.). First, they provide readily available and affordable pool of labor. Second, when the employees and the local community collaborate and associate in mutually beneficial activities, the citizens respond favorably towards the resort which is good for business. Beyond the local level, Green Globe Certification has enabled Club Mediteranne and the Cinnamon Lodge Habarana to connect and present their products to the international audience through the Green Globe Solution Center. This function has allowed the two companies attract international guests who contribute directly to the profitability of the hotel and development of the local economy.
Thirdly, the certification has enabled both the Club Mediteranne and the Cinnamon Lodge Habarana benefit from the marketing and communication advantages offered by Green Globe. Green Globe has an extensive online presence within the social networks and media channels like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and the Green Globe App where members can communicate and advertise more extensively their achievements to a broader audience. Notably, Club Mediteranne and the Cinnamon Lodge Habarana have benefitted from the Green Globe member promotion initiatives by being included on the TripAdvisor pages and the Globe YouTube channel. This marketing strategy using the green certification as a distinguishing factor has opened up opportunities for the two companies to market their products to a wider scope of travelers in different places throughout the world (Millar, 2016). The Globe Certification has thus enabled the two companies to attract a new segment of travelers in this increasingly competitive industry.
Question Three:
The growing trend towards sustainability and eco-conscious travel has brought about an increasing number of green hotel certifications programs in the tourism and hospitality industry. This growing number has led to uncertainty among tourism operators and travelers over which programs offer superior legitimate measures of operational sustainability and eco-consciousness (EcoGreen Hotel, n.d.). In this perspective, the following is an outline of the essential characteristics of a good sustainable tourism certification program. First, a good sustainable tourism certification program should be focused and have a clarity of purpose (Green Building Initiative, 2016). Second, the program should be compatible with effective conservation and best-practices in operation within an area. Third, the development of the program should feature a multi-stakeholder participation (World Tourism Organization [WTO], 2003). Fourth, the certification program should include monitoring, evaluation and verification systems to generate confidence and support from all the involved parties (Synergy, 2000). Fifth, a good sustainable tourism certification program should have the potential to not only surpass the existing regulatory requirements but to do so in a way which is cost-effective and mutually beneficial to all parties (Synergy, 2000).
One of the requirements of a good sustainable certification program is focus and clarity of purpose. Here, the program should provide a simple-to-use survey, clear compliance score and rating, supplemental tools, and a detailed final report on the assessment findings to enhance and clarify the guiding principles of its process (Green Building Initiative, 2016). The program should also address a particular issue of concern with the seriousness and intensity of agency it deserves. This function should occur while measuring the progress of the issue against its set guidelines and principles of operations. Therefore, a good sustainable tourism certification program should consist of clearly defined assessment criteria that are unambiguous and related to the attribute under certification.
Secondly and as highlighted above, a good sustainable tourism certification program should be both compatible and in harmony with the already existing conservation measures and best practices in their area of operation. This attribute also allows the program to give proper and due considerations to the management practices of the local cultures and the native communities in host areas. This requirement will also come a long way in ensuring that the people on the ground have an equitable share in the socio-economic benefits arising from the implementation of the program. The compatibility of the program with the existing measures of ecological management also help in eliminating undue antagonism between the community and the tourist resort, appreciation and conservation of the local traditions and socio-cultural way of life (Center for Ecotourism and Sustainable Development [CESD], 2006). Furthermore, the harmonious incorporation of the sustainable tourism in the lives of the local community will help in the education and creation of awareness among the locals on the need for sustainability as well as support the elimination of traditionally destructive exploitations of natural resources.
Thirdly, the development of the tourism sustainable certification program should happen through a multi-stakeholder participation and consultation process. The process should involve all the relevant groups and interested entities such as government authorities, education and research institutions, community-based organizations, private groups, consumer associations, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Holistic involvement of all the stakeholders is one of the ways towards addressing the tourist operator’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). By including all the stakeholders, the sustainability program will ensure that it covers all the three aspects of sustainability: Economic, Social, and Environmental while reducing the negative, operational impacts of the entities in these three areas (WTO, 2003). These aspects that have direct effects on the life of the community and all the members involved (Green Globe Certification Inc., n.d.). Therefore, by including all stakeholders in a collaborative and participatory manner, the contribution of the sustainable program on the activities of the hospitality entities to the sustainable development of the host societies will be more measurable, evident, and more accountable.
The fourth element of a good, sustainable tourist program is the ability to monitor, valuate, and verify the assessment parameters in ways that generate confidence and attract support from all the involved parties. Therefore, a sustainable tourism program should be nationally and internationally relevant, is widely known within the industry to both the operators, regulatory bodies, and to consumers alike. Moreover, the certifying body of the program should have verifiable and voluntary set criteria for membership and regularly employ some form of verification that ensures that members are meeting the specified assessment criteria (World (Synergy, 2000; WTO, 2003). In this context, a good tourist sustainable certification program should exhibit the element of non-discrimination in the certification process to all members who meet the set standards and whose activities are comprehensively covered and assessed (CESD, 2006). The sustainable tourism accreditation process should further be free from undue financial considerations and make impartial evaluations and certification decisions with respect to the function and content of the certification system to generate confidence and support from all the angles (CESD, 2006).
Lastly and as stressed previously, a good sustainable tourism certification program should have the potential to not only surpass the existing regulatory requirements but to do so in ways that are both cost-effective and mutually beneficial to all parties (Synergy, 2000). While attaining such an objective could be daunting, several methods can ensure that the sustainable tourism certification program succeeds on this front. For instance, coordinating and conducting an in-depth analysis of the existing conditions and feasibility of the certification system of a country or industry can help the tourism sustainability certification program take into consideration all the necessary legal as well as the locally accepted instruments required for accreditation. In most cases, the certification instruments that regularly affect certification in the tourism sector include local certification systems, codes of conduct, and state laws and regulations. The program should also ensure transparency throughout the accreditation process underpinned by third-party auditing and verification to meet and exceed the benchmark performance criteria of existing certification programs and processes (Green Globe, 2016).
Conclusion
While there is a growing number of green hotel and sustainable tourism certification programs in the hospitality industry today, the Green Globe Certification is the most comprehensive when compared to the others. There are several reasons for this. However, its ability to address tourism performance of a tourist destination coupled with socio-economic consideration, cultural heritage, and environmental issues is perhaps one of its primary advantages. This paper while using Club Mediteranne and Cinnamon Lodge Habarana has identified ways hospitality operators can benefit from the Green Globe Certification. In the subsequent sections, this paper has identified and briefly discussed the essential characteristics of a good sustainable tourism certification program.
References
Center for Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD). (2006). A Simple User’s Guide to Certification for Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism (3rd ed.). Retrieved from http://www.responsibletravel.org/docs/Ecotourism_Handbook_I.pdf
EcoGreen Hotel. (n.d.). Green Hotel Certification Programs Snowball, Sparks Confusion. Retrieved April 12, 2016, from https://www.ecogreenhotel.com/ecogreen-newsletter/EGH_Jan/green_certifications.html
Green Building Initiative. (2016). Guiding Principles Compliance Certification. Retrieved April 12, 2016, from https://www.thegbi.org/guiding-principles-compliance-certification/
Green Globe Certification Inc. (n.d.). Green Globe 21:The Worldwide Environmental Standard for the Tourism Industry. Retrieved from Green Globe website: http://www.psillakis.com/environment/Green%20Globe%2021%20Leaflet.pdf
Green Globe. (2016). Green Globe Competitive Advantages. Retrieved April 12, 2016, from http://greenglobe.com/competitive_advantages/
The International Ecotourism Society (TIES). (2014). Certification and Standards. Retrieved April 12, 2016, from https://www.ecotourism.org/certification-and-standards
LePree, J. G. (2009). Certifying Sustainability: The Efficacy of Costa Rica’s Certification for Sustainable Tourism. Florida Atlantic Comparative Studies Journal, 11. Retrieved from http://home.fau.edu/peralta/web/FACS/certyfyingsustainability.pdf
Millar, M. (2016). Five Important Benefits of Green Certification. Hotel Business Review. Retrieved from http://hotelexecutive.com/business_review/2857/five-important-benefits-of-green-certification
Mohideen, S. (2012, May 22). International Recognition of Green Practices: Cinnamon Lodge, Habarana, Sri Lanka [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlOEqtSWwes
Synergy. (2000). Tourism Certification An analysis of Green Globe 21 and other tourism certification programmes. Retrieved from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) website: http://www.wwf.org.uk/filelibrary/pdf/tcr.pdf
Weil, A. (2012, November 29). Mark of Excellence: Club Mediterranée [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a2XuHJJERs&feature=youtu.be
World Tourism Organization (WTO). (2003). Recommendations to Governments for Supporting and/or Establishing National Certification Systems for Sustainable Tourism. Retrieved from http://sdt.unwto.org/sites/all/files/docpdf/certification-gov-recomm.pdf
