09 October 2008

Sustainable tourism initiative offered to ABTA members

A sustainability initiative developed by the Federation of Tour Operators is to be made available to ABTA members.

The Travelife Sustainability System has been designed to help manage the environmental and social issues facing travel businesses.

The FTO developed the project with funding from the European Commission and input from 60 different organisations from around the world.

As a result of the merger between ABTA and the FTO, it is being offered to all ABTA travel agents and operators. 

The management system has been built up from the FTOÃ~´s Sustainability Handbook, which took two years to put together with the consultation of numerous travel partners.

It provides guidelines for operators and their suppliers to follow and rate.

Hotels and accommodation providers can then be assessed as having reached the levels of ââ¬â¢bronzeââ¬â¢, ââ¬Ëœsilverââ¬â¢ or ââ¬Ëœgoldââ¬â¢  depending on how successful they are at being sustainable and socially engaged businesses.  

Operators are starting to display Travelife Sustainability awards in their brochures for hotels worldwide.

Because it is being launched globally, customers, operators and tourism businesses are beginning to build a single recognisable brand that is dependable and stands for success, according to ABTA.

ABTA head of development and FTO director general Andy Cooper said: ââ¬ÅâœThere is a huge degree of confusion and misunderstanding about sustainable and responsible tourism.

ââ¬ÅâœWe hope that by providing a simple tool we will be able to help our members and suppliers find a simple path to address all their sustainability needs.ââ¬~

Chris Thompson, the FTOÃ~´s head of responsible tourism who developed the system, said: ââ¬ÅâœThis is not another "eco-label" or "environmental management certificate" it is a sustainability recognition scheme that enables businesses to actively promote their environmental and general sustainability efforts to as wide an audience as possible.ââ¬~

by Phil Davies 

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