HANDBOOK 2
PRACTICAL STEPS FOR FUNDING
CERTIFICATION OF TOURISM BUSINESSES
A publication of the Center for Ecotourism and Sustainable Development
Together with
Disclaimer:
The opinions and concepts expressed in this document are the responsibility of the
authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the sponsoring organizations.
Authors: Aimee Russillo, Martha Honey and Abigail Rome
Acknowledgments:
Special thanks for the valuable time and input from the Review Committee: Michael
Conroy, Alice Crabtree, Ronald Sanabria, Anna Spenceley, Herbert Hamele, Pat Mallet,
Amos Bien. Thanks, as well, to Tammy Guo, David Krantz, and Katherine Sleeman for
help with copyediting and layout.
Thanks to the IDB/MIF (Inter-American Development Bank’s Multilateral
Investment Fund) for funding for this handbook series.
Cover Photo: From Basecamp Explorer in Kenya. This lodge, a joint project in
collaboration with the local Maasai, has received the top Gold level rating under Kenya’s
ESOK certification program.
Who should use this guide?
This guide is part of a series of practical, “how-to” handbooks on sustainable tourism
certification. These handbooks are based on research and reports done by the Center
on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development (CESD) and The International Ecotourism
Society (TIES) as part of a certification project directed by the Rainforest Alliance and
funded by the IDB/MIF. The research was conducted primarily in Latin America and the
handbooks are particularly relevant for this region. However, important lessons learned
and implications are applicable to other parts of the world. The reports and handbooks
cover a range of subjects including financial sustainability, monitoring and evaluation,
and numerous marketing topics. The report upon which this Handbook 2 is based, the
other handbooks in this series, and additional related materials may be found at
www.ecotourismcesd.org. This collection o