Hotels that signed on with the Rainforest Alliance to execute sustainable tourism practices in environmental, social and managerial processes improved their compliance with baseline criteria set by the Sustainable Tourism Certification Network of the Americas, according to a new study released by the Rainforest Alliance.
In a period of 18 months, five hotels in the Sarapiquí region in northern Costa Rica increased overall compliance to 7.8 from 4.5 on a scale of one to ten, with one being non-compliance and ten being full compliance. Criteria cover environmental aspects such as wastewater treatment and wildlife protection, social aspects such as worker safety and community interaction, and business aspects such as profitability and quality of services.
Collectively, hotels increased compliance in all criteria categories, showing their dedication to advancing sustainability, even if they were only able to afford small improvements at first. Areas with the highest level of improvement were “Socio-cultural Activities,” which could be supporting local artisans, or hiring local people, “Monitoring and Corrective Action” (e.g. monitoring water consumption, or writing hotel management policies) and “Solid Waste.”
“These hotels improved interactions with their environment, communities, guests and staff and set themselves apart in a competitive global marketplace,” said Ronald Sanabria, director of Rainforest Alliance’s sustainable tourism program. “As a result, the Sarapiquí region is seen as a major destination for sustainable tourism.”
Hacienda Pozo Azul spent USD6,000 to implement its sustainable program, which included buying an anaerobic digester to process wastewater and organic wastes, and the small hotel has so far seen a savings of USD150 per month on reduced electricity bills alone. Other hotels included in the study were Ara Ambigua, La Quinta Country Inn, Organisation for Tropical Studies-La Selva and Selva Verde Lodge and Rainforest Reserve. The hotels are continuing to improve their compliance ratings, and the Rainforest Alliance is collecting data on 258 other hotels completing the same program.
The Rainforest Alliance’s Best Management Practices (BMP) program provides tourism operations with dynamic workshops and seminars, training materials, technical assistance and diagnostic evaluations.
The Rainforest Alliance recently partnered with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Foundation and the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to establish the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, which are universal guidelines for sustainable tourism.
The Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behaviour.
For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.
