2.6 EarthCheck & Azores
EarthCheck Destination is the only global Benchmarking and Certification program for sustainable travel and tourism underpinned by the science and software of EarthCheck.
EarthCheck Destination is the only global Benchmarking and Certification program for sustainable travel and tourism underpinned by the science and software of EarthCheck.
EarthCheck Destination is the only global Benchmarking and Certification program for sustainable travel and tourism underpinned by the science and software of EarthCheck. EarthCheck's scientific systems were developed by the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism in Australia over a 10 year period.
EarthCheck Destination is the only global Benchmarking and Certification program for sustainable travel and tourism underpinned by the science and software of EarthCheck. EarthCheck's scientific systems were developed by the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism in Australia over a 10 year period.
EarthCheck Destination is the only global Benchmarking and Certification program for sustainable travel and tourism underpinned by the science and software of EarthCheck. EarthCheck's scientific systems were developed by the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism in Australia over a 10 year period.
The EarthCheck Destination Standard provides communities with a framework to benchmark their environmental, cultural, social and economic (ECSE) performance, to certify their performance, and to find ways to continuously improve their performance. The Standard should be used to underpin a clear vision for a Destination, as well as focussing on sound policy and action plans to help achieve the vision.
The Standard addresses key global ECSE issues. The Standard deals with environmental regeneration and environmental improvement as well as the conservation of existing heritage assets. The Standard targets important social issues which include improved community services, employment conditions, and improved local socio-economic benefits including poverty alleviation.
The following 12 Key Performance Areas (KPAs) are addressed through this Standard and aim to improve the overall sustainability of the destination.
1. Energy efficiency, conservation and management
2. Greenhouse gas emissions
3. Air quality protection, noise control, & light pollution
4. Management of freshwater resources
5. Wastewater management, drainage and streams
6. Ecosystem conservation and management
7. Land use planning and development
8. Transport
9. Solid waste management
10. Management of environmentally harmful substances
11. Cultural and Social Management
12. Economic Management
The EarthCheck Destination Standard consists of six steps that establish the pathway to become a sustainable destination. This process has two distinct phases: Benchmarking and Certification.
Each of the six steps in the Destination Standard has numbered clauses which form a set of criteria which must be met by a destination community (led by the destination authority) in order to become benchmarked and certified.
Currently, there are 15 destinations in the world with a valid EarthCheck certification. One of them is the Azores.
This is the first archipelago in the world to achieve international certification as a sustainable destination by an entity accredited by the Global Council for Sustainable Tourism.
At X Design Week, Carolina Mendonça, the DMO Coordinator at Azores Regional Government, explained why the destination has decided to move to a certification path and which were the main challenges.
Sustainability has become part of Azores' DNA. It has been part of their past and current policies and will continue to be in the future. The Sustainable Development Goals outline roadmaps for governments to achieve targets by 2030. However, as Carolina mentioned, 2030 is not long away. The EU government called for more smart and sustainable tourism, including providing travel and tourism opportunities with a lesser impact on the environment, expanding tourism in the rural regions and crowd management.
The Azores has taken many initiatives to ensure that it is on the right path. The destination is listed UNESCO World Heritage List, which requires conservation and protection of its values. It is a nature destination and offers an extensive range of outdoors activities on land and sea. Additionally, the Azores offer gastronomy experiences showcasing its customs and traditions. As a destination, it aims to provide tourism experiences with added value.
The tourism cycle in the Azores has evolved and, at the same time, suffered from the global pandemic. However, the destination remains optimistic about the recovery process, with their goal being to become the most sustainable Archipelago in the world. To achieve this, the Azores have undergone GSTC and EarthCheck certifications.
The Azores believe in measuring because if benchmarks are not measured, then they cannot be managed. Measuring the KPIs reveals the performance and clarifies where and how much improvement is needed. In the case of the Azores, the benchmarking results demonstrates that they are among the best practices for habitat conservation, percentage of green spaces, and destination safety. In terms of energy consumption, emissions, and water-saving they are above baseline. However, the results show that socio-economic benefits and potable water consumption need further attention.
The sustainable action plan is another required document to be developed. The Azores' one includes several projects and initiatives, including Sustainable Tourism 5.0 in line with the regional strategy, the creation of the REDA platform, and a digital platform Azores's cultural heritage. The destination has developed a sustainability charter based on three pillars:
When asked about what commitments companies in the region have made to the charter, Carolina explained that the only way to see if the destination is sustainable is to measure and report. The ESGC indicators show that companies face fewer risks and now have more access to financial aid. As such, it is great to see the Azores are helping companies to gain resilience in that sense. The Azores support companies by pitching the benefits to companies throughout the process. Seeing the advantage from the beginning of the process motivates and encourages companies to onboard.
Melgaço
www.cm-melgaco.pt
Baião
Autonomous Region of the Azores
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
https://sustainable.azores.gov.pt/en/
Certified Silver
Järvsö, Sweden
Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
http://www.west.is/en/west-iceland-regions/visit-snaefellsnes
Certified Gold
Westfjords Region, Iceland
Nuuk
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
https://colourfulnuuk.com/
Certified Silver
Jackson Hole / Teton County
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
http://sustainabledestination.org/
Certified Silver
Nopoló, Loreto, Mexico
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
https://www.loreto.com.mx/
Certified Silver
Nuevo Vallarta, Bahia de Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
https://www.rivieranayarit.com.mx/
Certified Silver
Ixtapa, Guerrero, Mexico
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
http://www.ixtapa-zihuatanejo.com/
Certified Silver
Huatulco, Mexico
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
http://www.visitmexico.com/en/huatulco
Certified Platinum
Rottnest Island, Australia
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
http://www.rottnestisland.com/
Certified Silver
Thredbo
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
https://www.thredbo.com.au/
Certified Gold
Kaikoura District Council, New Zealand
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
http://www.kaikoura.govt.nz/
Certified Platinum
EarthCheck Destination is the only global Benchmarking and Certification program for sustainable travel and tourism underpinned by the science and software of EarthCheck. EarthCheck's scientific systems were developed by the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism in Australia over a 10 year period.
EarthCheck Destination is the only global Benchmarking and Certification program for sustainable travel and tourism underpinned by the science and software of EarthCheck. EarthCheck's scientific systems were developed by the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism in Australia over a 10 year period.
The EarthCheck Destination Standard provides communities with a framework to benchmark their environmental, cultural, social and economic (ECSE) performance, to certify their performance, and to find ways to continuously improve their performance. The Standard should be used to underpin a clear vision for a Destination, as well as focussing on sound policy and action plans to help achieve the vision.
The Standard addresses key global ECSE issues. The Standard deals with environmental regeneration and environmental improvement as well as the conservation of existing heritage assets. The Standard targets important social issues which include improved community services, employment conditions, and improved local socio-economic benefits including poverty alleviation.
The following 12 Key Performance Areas (KPAs) are addressed through this Standard and aim to improve the overall sustainability of the destination.
1. Energy efficiency, conservation and management
2. Greenhouse gas emissions
3. Air quality protection, noise control, & light pollution
4. Management of freshwater resources
5. Wastewater management, drainage and streams
6. Ecosystem conservation and management
7. Land use planning and development
8. Transport
9. Solid waste management
10. Management of environmentally harmful substances
11. Cultural and Social Management
12. Economic Management
The EarthCheck Destination Standard consists of six steps that establish the pathway to become a sustainable destination. This process has two distinct phases: Benchmarking and Certification.
Each of the six steps in the Destination Standard has numbered clauses which form a set of criteria which must be met by a destination community (led by the destination authority) in order to become benchmarked and certified.
Currently, there are 15 destinations in the world with a valid EarthCheck certification. One of them is the Azores.
This is the first archipelago in the world to achieve international certification as a sustainable destination by an entity accredited by the Global Council for Sustainable Tourism.
At X Design Week, Carolina Mendonça, the DMO Coordinator at Azores Regional Government, explained why the destination has decided to move to a certification path and which were the main challenges.
Sustainability has become part of Azores' DNA. It has been part of their past and current policies and will continue to be in the future. The Sustainable Development Goals outline roadmaps for governments to achieve targets by 2030. However, as Carolina mentioned, 2030 is not long away. The EU government called for more smart and sustainable tourism, including providing travel and tourism opportunities with a lesser impact on the environment, expanding tourism in the rural regions and crowd management.
The Azores has taken many initiatives to ensure that it is on the right path. The destination is listed UNESCO World Heritage List, which requires conservation and protection of its values. It is a nature destination and offers an extensive range of outdoors activities on land and sea. Additionally, the Azores offer gastronomy experiences showcasing its customs and traditions. As a destination, it aims to provide tourism experiences with added value.
The tourism cycle in the Azores has evolved and, at the same time, suffered from the global pandemic. However, the destination remains optimistic about the recovery process, with their goal being to become the most sustainable Archipelago in the world. To achieve this, the Azores have undergone GSTC and EarthCheck certifications.
The Azores believe in measuring because if benchmarks are not measured, then they cannot be managed. Measuring the KPIs reveals the performance and clarifies where and how much improvement is needed. In the case of the Azores, the benchmarking results demonstrates that they are among the best practices for habitat conservation, percentage of green spaces, and destination safety. In terms of energy consumption, emissions, and water-saving they are above baseline. However, the results show that socio-economic benefits and potable water consumption need further attention.
The sustainable action plan is another required document to be developed. The Azores' one includes several projects and initiatives, including Sustainable Tourism 5.0 in line with the regional strategy, the creation of the REDA platform, and a digital platform Azores's cultural heritage. The destination has developed a sustainability charter based on three pillars:
When asked about what commitments companies in the region have made to the charter, Carolina explained that the only way to see if the destination is sustainable is to measure and report. The ESGC indicators show that companies face fewer risks and now have more access to financial aid. As such, it is great to see the Azores are helping companies to gain resilience in that sense. The Azores support companies by pitching the benefits to companies throughout the process. Seeing the advantage from the beginning of the process motivates and encourages companies to onboard.
Melgaço
www.cm-melgaco.pt
Baião
Autonomous Region of the Azores
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
https://sustainable.azores.gov.pt/en/
Certified Silver
Järvsö, Sweden
Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
http://www.west.is/en/west-iceland-regions/visit-snaefellsnes
Certified Gold
Westfjords Region, Iceland
Nuuk
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
https://colourfulnuuk.com/
Certified Silver
Jackson Hole / Teton County
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
http://sustainabledestination.org/
Certified Silver
Nopoló, Loreto, Mexico
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
https://www.loreto.com.mx/
Certified Silver
Nuevo Vallarta, Bahia de Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
https://www.rivieranayarit.com.mx/
Certified Silver
Ixtapa, Guerrero, Mexico
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
http://www.ixtapa-zihuatanejo.com/
Certified Silver
Huatulco, Mexico
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
http://www.visitmexico.com/en/huatulco
Certified Platinum
Rottnest Island, Australia
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
http://www.rottnestisland.com/
Certified Silver
Thredbo
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
https://www.thredbo.com.au/
Certified Gold
Kaikoura District Council, New Zealand
Certified by Earthcheck (GSTC-Accredited program for destinations)
http://www.kaikoura.govt.nz/
Certified Platinum
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