16 December 2008
If you’re planning a holiday but are worried about the impact on the environment, it’s now a lot easier to make smart, sustainable decisions with the launch of the Qualmark Green accreditation label.
Tourism operators looking to gain Qualmark accreditation, New Zealand tourism’s official mark of quality, will now be assessed on environmental and social criteria, known as Responsible Tourism Operations criteria.
This means that the positive environmental and social actions an organisation takes will contribute towards the star gradings that Qualmark accommodation and activity providers are given. The five criteria areas are in energy, waste, water, conservation and community activities.
Geoff Penrose, Qualmark Chief Executive, says that the industry has responded positively to the initiative so far.
“These minimum requirements are designed to reflect sound environmental practices and visitor expectations. Equally important though is that the new criteria are also about recognising actions, behaviours, programmes [and] monitoring those that are under way in tourism businesses,” said Mr Penrose.
High performers who lead the way in environmentally and social friendly tourism operations will be eligibly to apply for the use of a logo that represents three levels of environmental performance – Enviro-Gold, Enviro-Silver and Enviro-Bronze.
This accreditation now means travellers and visitors can make informed decisions about where they stay and what activities they enjoy based on the impact they will have on the environment.
Tourism operators can learn more about the new criteria from the Qualmark Responsible Tourism website. It also features a Responsible Tourism Toolkit full of tips, actions and ideas for Qualmark licence holders so they can incorporate the new criteria with ease.
To discover more about the Qualmark ratings and accredited business, check out the Qualmark website.
