Latina American tourism enters the green certification biz

Green Globe International, Inc., famous for its Green Globe brand certification for awareness of environmental responsibility and response to climate change, has partnered up with the corporate social responsibility advocate Responsible Business Alliance (RBA). The pairing is aiming to bring environmentally sustainable business models to the Central American and Caribbean travel markets, with RBA as the preferred representative of the Green Globe brand and its associated certification systems. The effort will focus mainly on Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras.

RBA will basically use the Green Globe "accreditation" to encourage businesses to adopt environmentally sustainable criteria, including participation in the Green Globe Certification program and the Green Globe Index.

"The next frontier in sustainable tourism is the creation of a recognized globally accredited certification that represents best practices, in the same way a Michelin star means culinary excellence, whether you are in Thailand, South Africa or New York," said Costas Christ, Senior Advisor to RBA. "This will be a major step forward for the global travel and tourism industry, and Green Globe is working hard to lead the way."

Founded in 2008, Responsible Business Alliance focuses mainly on social and environmental responsibility in Central America and the Caribbean. The RBA philosophy includes 5 fundamental pillars for business action: Community Benefits, Client Satisfaction, Human Resource Development, Environment Sustainability and Building Best Practice Alliances.

"To create a universal certification program which verifies tourism businesses’ sustainability credentials, we need partnerships in key locations across the world. RBA has strong credentials as CSR consultants in Central America and the Caribbean understand the many benefits businesses receive when they can publicize their achievements through Green Globe certification," according to Guido Bauer, CEO of Green Globe Certification.

"At the World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit held in Brazil last week, the call for a universal ‘sustainability label’ was again raised. Green Globe, with its 15 year history in worldwide sustainability certification, is diligently working to earn this recognition," said Bradley Cox, Chief Operating Officer of Green Globe International. "The global partnerships we have been building, most recently in Africa, Central America, the Caribbean, and the Asia Pacific, demonstrate Green Globe investment in global collaboration."

Green Globe International is an affiliate member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, while the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is a 5% common stock owner of Green Globe International. For more information on the company and its programs, visit www.greenglobe.org .