Innovation through Certification – from Research to Market Place

in Today's World of Sustainable Tourism Development

Presentation by Gordon Sillence Ecotrans - DestiNet Training, Education and Development Services

21st – 23rd February 2014

5.º CONGRESO INTERNACIONAL DE TURISMO RURAL DE NAVARRAEcotourism and the creation of nature-based products in rural areas”

the DestiNet UN Type II Partnership

Who we are - www.destinet.eu

Abstract of Presentation

PART I Certification – The Global & European Picture• Global & European frame - GSTC /EU - DestiNet Portal Certification Knowledge Base • Certification of businesses, destinations, tour operators - The Label Jungle

PART II – Looking at Best Practice • Best practice examples in Europe - The DestInet Atlas of Excellence

PART III New Promotion and Marketing Opportunities• New promotion and marketing opportunities - VISTAwards

This presentation will provide a global overview of the current field of sustainable tourism certification, showing the work of the key global and European level stakeholders to harmonise certification, alongside the global diversity of certificates in the marketplace today. It will give participants a working view of how the DestiNet Sustainable & Responsible Tourism Portal can be used as a knowledge base containing who’s who in the field, best practice of different types of stakeholder, and market access opportunities for both SMEs and destinations. The VISTAwards will be highlighted as one such opportunity for global exposure of businesses innovating in the field of sustainable tourism development.

PART I

PART I Certification – the Global & European Picture• Global & European frame - GSTC /EU - DestiNet Portal

Certification Knowledge Base • Certification of businesses, destinations, tour operators - The

Label Jungle

The Green Economy – Sustainable Consumption & Production within European Borders and Abroad

The Global Green Market Place (SCP) is the framework for certification

The European Knowledge Economy needs Innovation, which certification encourages

A Multi-Stakeholder Knowledge Base is necessary for informing market place activities

The Global Sustainable Tourism Market Place

Building a quality assessed global green market-place

There are over 120 certificates worldwide with more that 5000+ certified and awarded businesses and destinations now mapped on DestiNet

The Sustainable Tourism Market Place – European Dimension

Europe has the largest proportion of certified products and servicesThe Market place serves as a means of mapping the growth of sustainable tourism products and services

About 60 national and international sustainable tourism certificates are offered in Europe

10-20 have a special focus on ecotourism

RESEARCH TO MARKET

INNOVATION CYCLE PHASE

A RESEARCH

B POLICY

C PRODUCT /DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT

D PROMOTION /MARKET ACCESS

E MONITORING

How can an SME or destination administration use the European Knowledge Economy to be more sustainable and competitive in the global tourism market place?

This innovation cycle charts the steps needed to stimulate innovation. It is linked to the practical support given on the DestiNet Portal to tourism sector businesses and destinations in their efforts to perform with full awareness of their triple bottom line responsibility.Certification options are part of the European knowledge economy innovation opportunities for enterprise and destinations to walk the path of competitive & sustainable tourism in Europe.

From Research to Market Place – the Need for Innovation

Certification - The Global and European Picture

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is the leading international authority on certification harmonisation.

They have developed standards for the certification of both SMEs and destinations .

Certification - The Global and European Picture

The European Union has developed its own destination certification system – the European Tourism Indicators System.

Destination certification should take account of both processes.

The DestiNet Sustainable & Responsible Tourism Portal

• The DestiNet Sustainable & Responsible Tourism Portal – A professional tool kit to understand the world of certifcation

Mapping Sustainable Tourism Certification Worldwide

Are you on this map?

Your chloice of certifications.

On DestiNet you cna find 50 leading certificates with comparable descriptions and links to further information

Certificates that build the the Global SCP Market Place

A Concise Label Guide (Spanish available)

You can find a regularly updated listed of certificates and their performance criteria in Spanish here

Avoiding GreenWash – the Need for Transparency & Credibility

PART II

PART II – Looking at Best Practice Best practice examples in Europe - The DestInet Atlas of Excellence

Awards and Certification Systems promote Innovation DestiNet hosts the GSTC Knowledge Base for Sustainable Tourism Certifcation

The Portal has a Global Quality Assessed Market Place of products and services associated with these certificates

Mapping the products and services behind the certificates to build the Global SCP Market Place

Best Practice Examples in Europe

The Atlas of Excellence

Best Practice Template

Mapping, Measuring, Marketing, Monitoring Good Practice

The Portal can provide you with access to specific certified products and services, currently listing over 4,000 items in the Global Green Market Place that provide quality assessed good practice examples

The European Atlas - Product and Service Visibility

The Atlas contains awarded or certified tourism products and services, listing destinations such as nature parks, accommodation providers and service activities

Being on the map enables visibility to tour operators, travel agents, the media and to travellers

Best Practice Example - Algarve International BirdWatching Festival

Now in its 3rd Year, the festival is attracting over 3,500 visitors to the week long event. The promotion of the this part of the Algarve as a significant international bird-watching destination brings many more visitors at other times of the year.

The Tourism Knowledge & Innovation Community Building a Multi-Stakeholder Networkinng Approach to Certification

Destinations can use the Innovation Tools on DestiNet to bring themeslves, and their products and USPs to a quality- assessed marketplace Guidance for any destination can be found in DestiNet on how to organise multi-stakeholder activities to bring certifcation from research to market place

Supported by the EU in the FAST-LAIN Project in 2012

Assess its own competitve and sustainable tourism situation

Manage its own space on the portal for mapping stakeholders

Is developing an innovation cluster called the ‚La Palma Club‘ to set up a Knowledge & Innovation Community on sustainable tourism development for members

Define a green map of Biosfera La Palma sustainable tourism offers on the Portals‘ global sustainable tourism market place

Develop International knowledge networking links

Contribute to the virtual European Tourism Observatory concept

The La Palma Destination Learning Area Cluster

24Tourism Knowledge & Innovation Communities - Handbook 2012

A Destination Knowledge & Innovation Community Best Practice Example – La Palma Biosphere Reserve

The Biosfera de la Palma has used DestiNet to create a virtual Knowledge & Innovation Network on La Palma. Using the Tourism Knowledge & Innovation Community toolkit it has been able to:

Norway – Leading national certification strategies for destinations

Norway has invested heavily in certification support and development, creating its own destination certification system alongside more familiar eco-labels in a country wide strategy.

http://www.regjeringen.no/pages/37646196/Lenke_til_strategien-engelsk.pdf

Part III

PART III New Promotion and Marketing OpportunitiesNew promotion and marketing opportunities - VISTAwards

New Promotion and Marketing Opportunities

The Global Green Market Place offers the LOHAS market

Developing regional and national certification to create transparent Green Supply Chains

The DestINet Innovation Group is developing research to market

The VISTAwards Vision for Innovation in Sustainable Tourism Awards

ITB launch of International lnnovation Award

Winners will become TravelGreenEurope Partner Programme beneficiaries.

Lagos – A Vistawards Entry from Quality Coast

Destinations can use the Innovation Tools on DestiNet to have the knowledge to prepare for awards such as the Quality Coast Award, which would then bring them into the VISTAwards spotlight.

Cf ITB Berlin Thursday March 6th

TravelGreenEurope with DestiNet

Bringing your Green Destination Closer to the Consumer

The TravelGreenEurope Brand has been created by the DestiNet Innovation Group (DIG).DestiNet as a Quality assurance clearing house for market access

Your destination can become part of the DIG partner programme.

Book Different – Takes the Research Closer to the Consumer

DestiNet Green Market Place listings linked to consumer via Booking.com through Bookdifferent.com

The Green Destination Viewer

The GreenDestinationViewer informs 25.000 travel agents about green destinations with a commitment to sustainable tourism and with eco-certified businesses and packages, which the tour operators and travel agents can offer and sell to their clients.

The GreenDestinationViewer uses DestiNet as independent information source for certified tourism and further initiatives in the destination.

Destination Mostviertel/Austria: mostviertel.xtraviewer.com

SummaryA Sustainable Tourism Certification worldwide

More than 120 certificates are offered internationally• About 60 national and international sustainable tourism

certificates are offered in Europe• 10-20 have a special focus on ecotourism

B Certification and Best Practice in Tourism Sustainable Consumption/Production• Certificates provide transparency on sustainable good and services, allowing

credibility and trust to develop on a b to b and b to c basis• The Global Sustainable Tourism Council a provides transparent comparision,

quality control and harmonisation of certificates

C Market Access through Certification – A Partnershiip Approach• Best developed sucessfully through a multi-stakeholder collaboration process, cf

La Palma Biosphere example , leading to better promotion options• DestiNet is a professional tool to map, measure, manage, market or monitor your

sustainable destination or service to a global audience

Thank-you

DestiNet – Developing Destination Partner Programmes for Sustainable Tourism Development

This presentation was prepared by: Ecotrans – DestiNet Training, Education & Development Services www.destinet.eu

Herbert Hamele herbert.hamele@ecotrans.deGordon Sillence gordon.destinet@ecotrans.de Februrar y2014

Speakers Profile Gordon Sillence has been working in the field of sustainable development for over 30 years, with a strong focus on policy development, regional planning and ICT Innovation for personal well-being (health & wellness) , biodiversity conservation and tourism sector sustainable consumption and production. Most recently he has produced the EU CIP funded Guide for Setting up Tourism Knowledge and Innovation Communities (2012), focusing on knowledge networking, education and training on-line systems for sustainable regional development. He been a staff member of the European Commission’s DG Enterprise, preparing the EU’s approach to Agenda 21 for the European Tourism Sector and the publication of the EU’s Innovation in Tourism - How to Creat a Tourism Learning Area. He is currently executive director of the UN/European Environment Agency’s Type II Partnership DestiNet Sustainable & Responsible Tourism Portal (www.destinet.eu), and vice-president of the ECOTRANS Network for Sustainable Tourism Development, where he co-directs DestINet Training, Education & Development Services as an international sustainable development consultant. At the regional level, he is currently coordinator of the Janela Aberta 21 – Education for Sustainable Development Centre in Southern Portugal, and was the WWF Coordinator for the Southern Portugal Green Belt Lynx Conservation Project. He has also lectured in the UK on the University of Glamorgan’s Masters in Environmental Management course and designed Masters level university modules for sustainable development education.