Sustainable Travel International

SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL'S MISSION IS TO EDUCATE TRAVEL AND TOURISM PROVIDERS ABOUT MINIMIZING THEIR ECOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL IMPACTS WHILE PROVIDING ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES, HOST COUNTRIES AND TRAVEL AND TOURISM PROVIDERS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PRACTICES.

STANDARDS, MONITORING AND TRAINING - STI STARTED DEVELOPING SUSTAINABLE TOURISM STANDARDS FOR TOURISM PROVIDERS AND DESTINATIONS IN 2002. STI PROVIDES STANDARDS, CERTIFICATION, MONITORING AND TRAINING TO HELP TRAVELERS EASILY IDENTIFY RESPONSIBLE TOURISM BUSINESSES AND DESTINATIONS, AND TO HELP TOURISM BUSINESSES AND DESTINATIONS MANAGE THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT THROUGH RESOURCE PRODUCTIVITY AND WASTE REDUCTION, WHILE CONTRIBUTING TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND THE WELL-BEING OF LOCAL PEOPLE. REDUCING WASTE GENERATION AS WELL AS WATER AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND GREENHOUSE GASSES AT AN ENTERPRISE- AND DESTINATION-LEVEL DIRECTLY BENEFITS THE PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY IN TOURISM-DEPENDENT DESTINATIONS WHERE RESOURCE CONSUMPTION IN THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM SECTOR COMPETES WITH RESIDENTS' NEEDS.

EDUCATIONAL ADVISORY SERVICES - ACTIVITIES CATEGORIZED AS EDUCATIONAL ADVISORY SERVICES IN 2016 INCLUDED STI'S EDUCATIONAL NETWORKS, STEP STANDARDS, SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, AND ITS EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS. EDUCATIONAL ADVISORY SERVICES OFFERED BY STI ARE DESIGNED TO BE EDUCATIONAL AND CHARITABLE IN NATURE TO ENABLE THE ORGANIZATION TO MAXIMIZE THE ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL-CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF TRAVEL AND TOURISM FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC'S BENEFIT.

ASSESSMENT & INCLUSIVE PLANNING - STI'S ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES ARE DESIGNED TO BUILD AWARENESS OF THE NEED TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURAL HERITAGE, CONSERVE RESOURCES, AND BENEFIT LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND THE PUBLIC; AND EDUCATE STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT HOW TO ADHERE TO ENVIRONMENTALLY AND SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BEST PRACTICE AT A DESTINATION LEVEL.STI'S INCLUSIVE PLANNING ACTIVITIES ARE LINKED WITH ITS ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES. BOTH ARE DESIGNED TO BUILD AWARENESS OF THE NEED TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND CULTURAL HERITAGE, CONSERVE RESOURCES, AND BENEFIT LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND THE PUBLIC; AND TO EDUCATE STAKEHOLDERS FROM GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE SECTOR, CIVIL SOCIETY, AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES ABOUT HOW TO ADHERE TO ENVIRONMENTALLY AND SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BEST PRACTICE AT A DESTINATION LEVEL.MARKETING ("OUTREACH") - STI PROVIDES OUTREACH SERVICES FOR CONSUMERS, TOURISM PROVIDERS, AND DESTINATIONS IN ORDER TO HELP SUPPORT ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL AND TOURISM CHOICES AND ACTIVITIES. THIS INCLUDES STI HELPING TOURISM PROVIDERS AND DESTINATIONS INCORPORATE ENVIRONMENT / SUSTAINABILITY BEST PRACTICE MESSAGING INTO THEIR BRANDING AND COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES, OUTREACH EFFORTS AND MARKETING COLLATERAL IN ORDER TO INCREASE AND DEVELOP CONSUMER DEMAND AND AWARENESS OF SUSTAINABLE / ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS PRACTICES. STI ACTIVITIES INCLUDE TELLING STORIES OF HOW SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL AND TOURISM IMPROVES LIVELIHOODS AND PROTECTS THE ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, CULTURAL FABRIC OF DESTINATIONS THROUGH TESTIMONIALS FROM AND PUBLIC COMMITMENTS MADE BY KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND DECISION MAKERS IN DESTINATIONS THAT ARE TARGETED TOWARD THE GENERAL PUBLIC.EDUCATION NETWORKS - THE SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL LEADERSHIP NETWORK (STLN) AND THE SUSTAINABLE DESTINATION LEADERSHIP NETWORK (SDLN) ARE STI'S EDUCATIONAL NETWORKS. THE NETWORKS WERE ESTABLISHED TO EDUCATE PARTICIPATING TOURISM PROVIDERS AND DESTINATIONS ABOUT HOW TO BETTER INTEGRATE FINANCIALLY VIABLE, ENVIRONMENTALLY AND SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE PRACTICES INTO THEIR OPERATIONAL PRACTICES. THE NETWORKS ONLY INCLUDE TOURISM PROVIDERS AND DESTINATIONS THAT ARE COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF SUSTAINABILITY TO LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER THROUGH CROSS-SECTORIAL PEER TO PEER INTERCHANGE, AND TO INCUBATE SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES, STANDARDS, AND BEST PRACTICES THAT BENEFIT THE DESTINATIONS AND COMMUNITIES THAT PARTICIPANT NETWORKS SERVE.

CARBON (OFFSET) SALES - STI'S CARBON PROGRAM DEMONSTRATES ITS COMMITMENT TO ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO COMMUNITY-BASED AND GRASS-ROOT CONSERVATION PROJECTS AND TO REINVESTING IN OUR NATURAL RESOURCES. STI OFFERS CARBON CALCULATORS AND OFFSETS TO EDUCATE THE TRAVELING PUBLIC ABOUT TRAVELING IN A RESPONSIBLE, SUSTAINABLE MANNER. TOURISM PROVIDERS AND TRAVELERS FIRST CALCULATE THEIR CARBON FOOTPRINTS, THEN THEY CAN CHOOSE TO VOLUNTARILY OFFSET THE CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS THAT RESULT FROM THEIR TRAVEL THROUGH CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARD VERIFIED OR CERTIFIED CLEAN ENERGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT HAVE AN ADDITIONALITY COMPONENT I.E., THE PROJECTS WOULD NOT EXIST IF THERE WERE NOT A CARBON OFFSET MECHANISM. CARBON CALCULATORS ARE USED TO DETERMINE TOURISM PROVIDERS AND TRAVELERS' CARBON FOOTPRINTS.