Sustainable Tourism Certification Network of the Americas
About Us
Mission
View a list of the certification programs that are members of the Network.
The mission of the Sustainable Tourism Certification Network of the Americas is to promote sustainable tourism in the region through:
- strengthening tourism initiatives based on mutual respect and recognition;
- joint efforts;
- harmonizing systems; and
- sharing information and experience.
Network objectives include:
- establishing common work tools by and for member programs;
- creating and executing a joint marketing strategy; and
- defining strategies to promote the application of best practices and certification processes to tourism operations, especially those which are small- and medium-sized.
History
A study completed by the Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council in January 2003 established the need for regional networks to encourage dialogue among stakeholders and act as a clearinghouse for certification information. The network of the Americas was launched in Bahía, Brazil in September, 2003, thanks to the support of the Inter-American Development Bank. Because significant interest in certification exists in Latin America and the region boasts the largest concentration of certification programs of all developing nations, the Rainforest Alliance believes the Sustainable Tourism Certification Network of the Americas will evolve into a successful model that can be replicated in other regions.