Sustainable Tourism Certification: Positive Impact or Just Greenwashing?
Caring for the environment is way more than just what's "in". It’s a necessity. If you have a tourism business, you have probably wrestled with this big question: should we go after that sustainable tourism certification? Let’s dive into why it might be a game-changer to boost your impact (and sales) and really show customers you mean business about traveling responsibly. But hang on – there are some pitfalls to watch out for too, like the chance of falling into greenwashing.
Everyone from business owners to travellers is tuning into sustainability. Many of us want to have our conscience clean knowing that the way we travel or operate our tourism business has a positive impact on the local environment, economy, and society. Unfortunately, not all of us have good intentions and there are businesses which use the correct vocabulary without having any action to back them up. Certifications started as a way to prove that the business does what it says and to avoid greenwashing. Considering the wide diversity of businesses in the tourism industry, there are many kinds of certifications out there and it may get confusing. This is why, as tourism businesses, we cannot just go ahead and get a certification without giving it a second thought, but it is a processes that should be integrated within your strategic plan and have a purpose.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Sustainability Certifications
Getting a sustainability certification is not a quick marketing tool to get your business more sales — it is a lengthy process that requires a lot of attention, determination, and consistency, but one that reaps major benefits. Getting certified means digging into the details of how a business operates, and fixing the things that do not work to shrink both costs (economic and environmental), negative impact on the local society, and our carbon footprint.
There are several questions that a business needs to ask itself before embarking on the journey of sustainable certification. Firstly, what is the goal of getting a certification? If it is just to respond to the market demand and increase sales, we are playing a dangerous game that can backfire. There needs to be a genuine interest in creating a positive impact through business.
Secondly, does my business have the resources to get a certification or would they be better allocated elsewhere? Certifications are expensive and time-consuming processes, so it is essential to firstly create a business strategy in which objectives, resources, and audience need to be addressed and understand how certifications support our efforts. It is important to realise that certifications are a wonderful starting point in our sustainability efforts, but they are not the only way how to go forwards.
Furthermore, the value of certifications is that they allow us to benchmark sustainability. This is both positive (we can implement scientifically-proven actions to create a positive impact with our work) and negative (it does not take into account individual situations). As a result, there might be a small business owned by a local mother which is sustainable (cooks from locally grown food, employs local youth, celebrated local culture, is respectful to the environment, etc.), but is unable to “get all the positive points” and get certified because she does not have the same capacity to measure her efforts as a large hotel chain like Hilton or Marriott.
On the contrary, there is a reason why sustainable tourism certifications remain so popular. Nailing down sustainability in an organised and structured way can reduce inefficiencies by cutting back on energy consumption and waste, increase market visibility, and maybe even increase prices.
Starting down the road to getting that sustainable certification impacts every aspect of your business. The changes are visible right off the bat, some small and others big. Certifications boost your brand. It is a magnet for all those earth-loving shoppers out there, increasing in number every year! According to the World Economic Forum, 76% of travellers want more sustainable options on the road and there continues to be quite the void to fill. However, getting certified means putting your company under a pretty intense microscope, looking at how it treats both people and places. Are you able to do that for real or is it just a marketing mechanism for you? I know I am repeating myself here - but the intention cannot be overestimated.
Assessing the ROI (Return on Investment) in Sustainable Tourism Certification
As it has been highlighted again and again, a company can be sustainable without having a certification. It is a standardised mechanism to proof that you walk the talk, but it is also a major investment for a company to obtain one. The benefits not only include customer loyalty, brand's reputation, efficiency of operations, but also unlocking doors to more funding and investment opportunities. A lot of resources need to be invested into the process, but generally it is one filled with learning and improvement possibilities.
When assessing the ROI of getting a certification, take a look at the following questions:
What is the motivation of my business for getting a sustainability certification? Would it be worth for my business to get the certification even if it could not be used for marketing purposes?
Does my business already have a sustainability strategy in place? How does it measure and report on the impact?
Does my business have resources to make the best of a sustainable tourism certification? What are the alternatives?
Once you and your company has clarified those points, it is time for the big decision. Certification or not? And if yes, which one?
Understanding Greenwashing in Tourism Certification
This article cannot end without addressing the elephant in the room: GREENWASHING. It is a sneaky tactic where companies manipulate the opinion of the public to appear that their products or operations are super sustainable when, in reality, it might just be a well-crafted image. A “sustainable” travel agency that only offsets your carbon footprints… if you pay extra for it. A hotel which gives you the choice not to wash your towels every day of the stay promoting itself as green. A tour guide working with groups of 60 people and bringing them to touristic hotspots claiming to be mindful of the local culture. None of those are sustainability.
All of the above examples could have a sustainable tourism certificate since we live in an imperfect world, full of imperfect people. The only way for the rest of the world to know is to do the due diligence on the companies, see who they collaborate with and how, talk to their clients. And while all this can be difficult, the rest of the world will know whether a company is sustainable or not - certification just makes it a bit easier.
Curious about the process of implementing sustainable tourism certification? Book your free 30-min discovery call with Sustain & Impact Tourism.