Canadian hotels take a big green step toward sustainability

Read more about: Canada, community, Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC), Hotel Association of Canada (HAC), local, sustainable tourism, United Nations, United Nations Environment Program, World Tourism Organization

The Hotel Association of Canada has just joined the Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, a program backed by the United Nations and based on the “four pillar of sustainable tourism”: effective sustainability planning, maximizing social and economic benefits to the local community, reduction of negative impacts to cultural heritage and reduction of negative impacts to environmental heritage.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) are comprised of 37 criteria organized around the four pillars of sustainable tourism: effective sustainability planning; maximizing social and economic benefits to the local community; reduction of negative impacts to cultural heritage; and reduction of negative impacts to environmental heritage.

The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) has just been confirmed as the newest member of the United Nations-supported partnership. The HAC had previously established a Green Key Eco-Rating that adheres to the GSTC criteria – a rating system designed to recognize hotels, motels and resorts that are committed to improving their environmental performance. The HAC plans to take an active role in the GSTC partnership by participating in various working committees designed to create awareness, and develop new projects and educational tools in support of the criteria.

“The GSTC Partnership welcomes HAC as a new network member of the initiative and commends HAC for their longstanding dedication to sustainable tourism,” said Kate Dodson, deputy director of sustainable development at the UN Foundation. “Together, we are helping to preserve destinations for future generations to experience and enjoy.”

The HAC has also committed itself to the Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council (STSC), a collaborative project of the Rainforest Alliance, UN agencies, major tourism businesses, national and regional sustainable tourism certification programs and a wide array of national and international social and environmental NGOs. Operating as an umbrella organization, the STSC will use the GSTC as a foundation to accredit sustainable tourism certification programs, with the ultimate goal of increasing worldwide recognition and providing credibility for these labels.

The Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC Partnership) is a coalition of 27 organizations working together to foster increased understanding of sustainable tourism practices and the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles. The Partnership was initiated by the Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Foundation, and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The criteria will be the minimum standard that any tourism business should aspire to reach in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for poverty alleviation.

The Hotel Association of Canada is the national organization representing the lodging industry in Canada. Its membership encompasses the provincial and territorial hotel associations, the corporate hotel chains, independent hotels, motels and resorts and the many suppliers to the hotel industry. Its objective is to assist both our national and international members as they endeavor to enhance their competitiveness and improve their bottom line.

“The HAC is excited to lend its support to these initiatives,” stated Tony Pollard, HAC president. “It is our hope that by working alongside the global leaders responsible for the creation of these initiatives, we will be able to make sustainable practices a key element of the global travel and tourism industry.”

For more information, visit www.hotelassociation.ca.

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