PRACTICAL STEPS FOR MARKETING
TOURISM CERTIFICATION
A publication of the Center for Ecotourism and Sustainable Development
HANDBOOK 3
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, Abigail Rome, Amos Bien.
Acknowledgements:
Special thanks for the valuable input from Saúl Blanco Sosa,, Michael Conroy, Alice
Crabtree, Herbert Hamele, Patrick Mallet, Ronald Sanabria, Deidre Shurland, Anna
Spenceley, and Cristina Suhr. This handbook benefited from the valuable contents
of the UNEP Marketing Sustainable Tourism report. Thank you to Tammy Guo,
Katrina Shum, David Krantz, Katie Sleeman for help with copy/editing and layout.
Thanks to the
IDB/MIF (Inter-American Development Bank’s
Multilateral Investment Fund) for funding for this handbook series.
Cover Photo: Jessica Webb; Los Angeles Times Adventures in Travel Expo, 2007.
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 upon which this Handbook 3 is based, the other handbooks in this
series, and additional related materials may be found at www.ecotourismcesd.org.
The reports and series of handbooks cover a range of subjects including financial
sustainability, monitoring and evaluation, and numerous marketing topic