| dc.description.abstract |
Certification schemes are emerging for sustainable destination tourism, or ecotourism
within an entire region. Ensuring that these schemes have standards, criteria and
indicators that promote economic, environmental and social success within the region
of interest is a challenge, as most certification programs are new and lack global
presence and credibility. In this study, I evaluated the apparent effectiveness of
five separate programs: the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), QualityCoast,
BioSphere, Green Globe & Costa Rica’s Blue Flag. Using the evaluation criteria of
each program, I determined the value each placed on different aspects of sustainable
destination tourism, and compared this to expert suggestions on what constitutes triple
bottom line success. Results provide recommendations on the programs with the most
potential to promote economic, environmental and social welfare, as well as a separate
evaluation of the role that a single program, GSTC, can play in the industry, both
at present and in the long-term.
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