Hawaii Ecotourism Association's Sustainable Tour Certification program: Promoting best practices to conserve a unique place

Hawaii Ecotourism Association’s Sustainable Tour Certification Program: Promoting Best Practices to Conserve a Unique Place Linda J. Cox, University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM), United States of America Chapter Summary The United Nation World Tourism Organization (2017) concluded that a well-designed and managed tourism sector could support the host’s sustainability goals. Quality systems similar to Fodor’s star rating system for hotels provide a number of potential benefits as a means of tracking tourism’s sustainability performance (Kozak and Nield, 2004), assuming that they promulgate meaningful best practices. In 2016, Hawaii hosted 8.855 million visitors that spent $15 billion and visitor arrivals are expected to increase to more than 9 million visitors in 2018 (Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, 2018). On an average day, the State has 6.50 visitors for every resident and this ratio is expected to increase with more visitor arrivals (Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, 2018). In order to educate businesses, residents and visitors about protecting the State’s natural and cultural resources, the Hawaii Ecotourism Association (HEA), a 501c3, piloted an Ecotourism Certification Program in 2011 and 14 tour operators were certified statewide. Today, HEA’s Sustainable Tourism Certification Program includes 52 tour operators across the State and HEA working to further a partnership with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council for operator certification. Hawaii is one of two states in the U.S. with a certification program aimed at tour operators and HEA’s recommendations for best practices are on par with leading international programs. This case study summarizes the knowledge contributed by the Cooperative Extension Service that supported this effort, describes the lengthy, on-going process of developing HEA’s Certification program with the assistance of Cooperative Extension and provides lessons learned for other regions interested in a more sustainable tourism sector. Learning Objectives: This case study addresses the following learning objectives: 1. Understanding the distinction between sustainable tourism and ecotourism; 2. Identifying the benefits of a quality system as a means of tracking tourism’s sustainability performance; 3. Outlining the elements that comprise a quality conformity system for tourism sustainability; 4. Determining how to operationalize a quality conformity system for tourism sustainability in order to realize its potential benefits; and 5. Articulating some of the challenges that must be overcome to develop a successful quality conformity system for tourism sustainability. 23 The Issue, Opportunity or Trend The United Nation World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, 2017) concluded that, as one of the fastest growing global economic sectors, tourism can “help preserve natural and cultural assets, … empower host communities, generate trade opportunities and foster peace” (p.4). However, in order to realize these goals, the tourism sector must be well designed and managed (UNWTO, 2017). The benefits and costs of tourism that impact popular visitor destinations fall into seven major categories according to Kreag (2001), including: • Economic • Environmental • Social and cultural • Crowding and congestion • Services • Taxes • Community attitude. Addressing the challenges in providing visitors and residents with opportunities to experience positive net benefit from tourism are key to sustaining any host region. Widespread confusion regarding the concepts of sustainable tourism and ecotourism often results in the use of these terms interchangeably. The UNWTO (2013) defines sustainable tourism as “tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities” (p.10). The UNWTO (2013) concluded that sustainable tourism guidelines and management practices are applicable to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations. Hunter and Green (1995) developed a list of criteria for sustainable tourism, including: • • • • • • Following ethical principles that respect the culture and environment of the area, the economy and traditional way of life, and the political patterns. Involving the local population, proceeding only with their approval, and providing for a degree of local control. Keeping intra-generational equity in mind, including fair distribution of benefits and costs. Planning and managing tourism with regard for the protection of natural environment for future generations. Planning in a manner integrated with other economic sectors. Continuously assessing to evaluate impacts and initiating action to counter any negative effects. “Ecotourism” was coined in the late 1970s when “mass tourism” reached its peak and people began to realize that the mass tourism experience isolated them from the host culture and damaged the environment. Some people view ecotourism as a niche market that incorporates an environmentally friendly and culturally protective approach. Others consider it a luxury available only to wealthy travelers who are trying to have a unique experience while not feeling guilty about doing so, or a term used by companies trying to take advantage of a niche market. Honey and Stewart (2002) identified eight elements of authentic ecotourism. These include: • • traveling to natural areas minimizing impacts 24 • • • • • • building environmental and cultural awareness for hosts and guests providing direct financial benefits for conservation providing financial benefits and empowerment for local communities respecting of local culture being sensitive to the host country’s political environment and social climate supporting of human rights and international labor agreements. Ecotourism is defined more narrowly than sustainable tourism. Carrying capacity identifies the cultural, social, and ecological limits to tourism growth, though estimating it, particularly cultural or social carrying capacity, is challenging as is reducing use or limiting growth. For example, Vieth and Cox (2001) found that the 1977 Hanauma Bay Beach Park Site Development Plan estimated the recommended optimal use level or “capacity” for Hanauma Bay at 1,363 people per day. However, the actual use of Hanauma Bay increased from about capacity in 1975 to about five times the recommended capacity in 1999. Currently, an educational program is used at Hanauma Bay to increase the carrying capacity to accommodate the average daily visitor count of 3,000–3,500 and the ecosystem still shows signs of damage. The difficulties associated with estimating carrying capacity as the basis for an absolute use limit have decreased interest in this approach in recent years. Identifying a maximum use ratio rather than an absolute number has become more widely used, although the methods for relating the ratio to all elements of sustainability are not clearly defined. Maximum use ratios or bio-capacity as compared to ecological footprints to identify the ecological deficient resulting from a product are commonly used to examine the sustainability of various products, including food and fiber, seafood, energy, timber and paper, and settlement as described in https://www.footprintnetwork.org/our-work/ecologicalfootprint/. Determining maximum use ratios for services or non- consumptive resources uses, such as ecotourism or community-based tourism is more challenging. Economic theory suggests that any effort to restrict supply by imposing maximum use ratios or quality control systems in order to achieve sustainability will result in a price increase. The higher price caused by restrictions will mean that businesses will target environmentally conscious customers with a higher willingness to pay which is also likely to mean these customers have higher than average incomes. This will also result in these visitors frequenting more “local” recreational areas. Potential conflicts may arise as rural and/or small communities without sufficient infrastructure attempt to accommodate more visitors or as visitors with high expectations and larger than average incomes interface with residents who cannot locate employment opportunities that offset the high cost of living in a visitor destination. Some visitors, who are not as able to afford a high quality, more sustainable opportunity may also be looking for similar experiences and trying to avoid the additional costs that result from the community’s effort to be sustainable. “Backpackers” is a term often used to describe visitors searching for high quality environmental and cultural experiences with a limited ability or willingness to pay the full cost of such experiences. Kozak and Nield (2004) concluded that quality and eco-labeling systems have a number of potential benefits as a means of tracking tourism’s sustainability performance. The tourism sector is familiar with reliable, measurable indicators of satisfaction, such a Fodor’s star rating system for hotels, which are aimed at ensuring that service providers conform to various practices. These types of measures include (1) quality indicators that reflect how consumers feel about the services, which are readily available from a variety of sources; (2) health, hygiene, and safety indicators that are often regulated by the government; 25 and (3) sustainability indicators that have been developed in tourism destinations internationally. Sustainability is a very complex goal, compared to satisfaction that involves a simple system that changes very little over time, such as Fodor’s. Therefore, sustainability requires that a complex best management practices be developed and improved over time as more information and technology becomes available. Without such a system, visitors will never know whether a firm is truly utilizing sustainable tourism practices or if it is “greenwashing,” i.e., presenting itself as sustainable when it does not comply with generally accepted standards (Bien 2004). Australia and Costa Rica have programs that are considered to be models of effective certification programs that contribute to furthering the goals of socially responsible tourism (Medina 2005). According to Toth (2002), the basic elements of any quality conformity systems include: • • • • • • Standards Assessment Certification Accreditation Recognition Acceptance As Table 1 indicates, three types of standards are found in sustainability evaluation systems used around the world (Honey and Stewart, 2002). These include prescriptive standards that outline how efforts will be accomplished, performance standards that outline what will be achieved, and management system standards that specify the elements of sustainable management processes. Performance-based standards that set benchmarks for minimally acceptable levels are becoming more common and are considered to be more effective (Rivera 2004). Table 1. Types of Standards for Sustainability Evaluation Systems*. Type Example Advantage Disadvantage Prescriptive Use of Energy Star & water saving appliances/fixtures Best practices clearly identified Performance Solid waste reduction by 50 percent No test of best practices, restrict innovation/alternative solutions Management System Monitor utility usage & waste steam *Adapted from Honey and Stewart (2002) Allows alternative solutions More ambiguity & imprecision, with burden of proof on the applicant No requirement to improve performance Allows alternative solutions 26 Assessment and certification systems vary depending on who is responsible for completing the assessment and who is responsible for ensuring that a product, service provider or management system conforms to a standard. The three types of assessment/certification systems are: • • • First-party assessment/certification for which the suppliers assess themselves and declare themselves in conformance, Second-party assessment/certification for which the customers or purchasers assess the suppliers and/or their products and assure that they are in conformation, and Third-party assessment/certification that may be mandatory or voluntary for which an independent organization not related to the supplier or the purchaser completes the assessment/certification. Accreditation is the process used to certify the certifiers, which is crucial to third-party systems that rely heavily on accreditation to provide credibility. The goal of accreditation is to enhance certification’s credibility with clients and the public. Therefore, everyone involved needs to understand the scope of the accreditation program (Toth, 2002). Recognition and acceptance requires that producers and customers understand the benefits of certification. A complementary educational and promotional effort is needed to alert all stakeholders about issues of concern to ensure that the system evolves over time to produce the desired benefits. Once acceptance occurs, the marketplace is expected to provide an incentive to certified suppliers resulting in the tourism sector’s willingness and ability to fund the program. The overall benefits of an effective certification includes the following benefits • • • • • • • • • • Increasing firm satisfaction due to protecting the environment and being a responsible community member Ensuring the future sustainability of their business Achieving greater customer satisfaction Increasing profitability Improving their public image Opening a dialogue with various groups of community stakeholders Providing evidence a firm’s commitment, credibility and character to lenders and insurers Developing a more capable and dedicated workforce Building social capital by as firms voluntarily searching for solutions to furthering sustainability Facilitating technology transfer by the continual identification and promulgation of best technology (Toth, 2002). The Innovation Case Context Tourism has been Hawaii’s largest economic sector since the early 1960s (Hawaii Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism, 2006). As the overall growth slowed in the 1990’s policymakers looked to niche markets, including ecotourism. The Hawaii Ecotourism Association (HEA) was formed after a statewide Conference on Ecotourism in October 1994 and HEA was granted 501c3 status in 1995 (see Fig. 1). HEA obtained a grant from Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) to develop a certification program aimed at tour operators to help ensure that visitors could participate in more ecofriendly 27 activities. The effort did not produce a program because HEA members could not agree on the program’s process or content. Figure 1. HEA The events of September 11, 2001 negatively impacted Hawaii’s tourism sector and shifted focus back to maintenance of existing markets. HEA members struggled and in 2007 HEA’s membership decreased by 50 percent. However, in 2005, HTA and the Hawaii Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) officially defined sustainable tourism and HTA defined ecotourism in an effort to again focus interest on these niche markets (DBEDT, 2006). While the definitions provided some clarification, a system to measure progress is still lacking (Mak, 2008). Hawaii residents, especially Native Hawaiians, have expressed concerns about the spill-over effect from tourism including, increases in crime and housing costs; altered communities and social structure; degradation in cultural authenticity and values; a seriously comprised sense of place; and degradation of infrastructure and the natural environment (DBEDT 2006). HEA has maintained a working relationship with HTA since 2001 and continued to further the use of a sustainability evaluation system for tourism with various partners. As a partnership started in 2009 between the state’s Department of Health and DBEDT; the Hawaii Board of Water Supply; and the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, the Hawaii Green Business Program recognizes businesses that were committed to going green by implementing energy and resource efficiency practices (http://greenbusiness.hawaii.gov/, accessed August 2, 2018), Some aspects of HEA’s work on a sustainability evaluation system for tour operators were incorporated into the standards for the Hawaii Green Business program. In 2009, HEA revised its mission changing it to “protect Hawaii’s unique natural environment and host culture through the promotion of responsible travel and educational programs relating to sustainable tourism for residents, businesses and visitors” (https://www.hawaiiecotourism.org/, Accessed on October 5, 2018). The need to protect the host culture meant that ecotourism in Hawaii differs from the definition offered by Honey and Stewart (2002) indicating that ecotourism respects all local culture. In Hawaii, the host culture is of key importance and therefore, the State needed to develop a unique certification program. 28 HTA funded HEA’s pilot Ecotourism Certification program in 2009 and 14 tour operators were certified statewide. In 2013, HEA was awarded another HTA grant to update and expanded the pilot program into the Sustainable Tourism Certification Program (see Fig 2) that included many aspects of the West Hawaii Voluntary Standards (WHVS) developed by the CORAL Reef Alliance and detailed at https://coral.org/west_hawaii_standards/. Figure 2. Sustainable Tourism Certification Program Seal In 2016, Hawaii hosted 8.855 million visitors that spent $15 billion and visitor arrivals are expected to increase to nearly 9 million visitors by 2018 (DBEDT, 2018). The State’s tourism sector is remains the largest contributor to the State’s gross domestic product, representing 21 percent of its entire economy in 2012. On the average day, the State overall has 6.50 visitors for every resident and this number is expected to increase in the future and visitor arrivals increase (DBEDT, 2018). Due to the increasing concerns from residents about the continued growth of visitor arrivals, HTA provided HEA with an annual contract in order to expand the Sustainable Tourism Certification Program, upgrade the website; and develop more educational material/content, particularly cultural related topics related to HEA’s new Travel Pono tagline (see Fig. 3). Pono is a Hawaiian word meaning righteously. Figure 3. Travel Pono Tagline 29 Stakeholders Involved HTA is the State of Hawaii’s lead agency responsible for creating a vision and developing a long-range plan for tourism for the State of Hawaii, as described at www.dbedt.hawaii.gov/overview/about/; www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/what-we-do/. HTA generally markets Hawaii’s brand and is attached to the Hawaii Department of Business Economic Development & Tourism as one of the department’s six attached agencies. HTA’s primary programs include major festivals and events; sport marketing; Hawaiian culture; event development; community enrichments; natural resource protection; career development and safety/security. A thirteen-member board of directors oversees HTA’s Tourism Special Fund and administers tourism development from a statewide perspective. The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) works closely with the Hawaii Tourism Authority as nonprofit organization whose sole purpose is to promote our islands to travelers throughout North America as described at https://www.hvcb.org/. HVCB manages HTAs website, GoHawaii and relies on a membership fee to provide significant funding. The Cooperative Extension Service in the College of Tropical Agriculture (CTAHR) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa works to assist communities across the State. As the importance of the agricultural sector declined in the 1960s and tourism became that State’s primary economic engine, CTAHR’s Community Economic Development Program began to examine how to best optimize the long-term performance of the tourism sector. Closer partnerships with the five Surfrider Foundation Chapters in Hawaii are underway. Of particular interest is “Ocean Friendly Restaurants, which is a Surfrider Foundation program that recognizes restaurants that reduce plastic waste and implement ocean friendly practices” (http://www.oceanfriendlyrestaurantshawaii.org/, Accessed August 24, 2018) Restaurants certified by Surfrider to be ocean friendly will be featured in the Pono Travel Planner and an educational webinar about the Ocean Friendly Program is under development. The relationship with the Hawaii Green Business Program is also being strengthened. All accommodations that have been certified as Green Businesses will be included in the Pono Travel Planner. An educational webinar is also under development. In 2009, the CORAL Reef Alliance completed a project working with marine recreation industry stakeholders in West Hawaii to develop the WHVS. These regional standards are now improving and ensuring better environmental performance in SCUBA diving and snorkeling; general boating, including surfing and kayaking; wildlife interactions, including marine mammals, invertebrates, manta rays, and sharks, and shoreline activities. Over thirty marine tourism providers on Hawai’i Island have signed on to adopt the standards and have agreed to assist CORAL in evaluating them for their overall effectiveness, attainability, and affordability. CORAL is now working to expand these efforts to other areas of Hawai’i as described at https://coral.org/west_hawaii_standards/. As part of the partnership with CORAL, HEA has incorporated these standards into the Certification Checklist and many CTOs that have adopted the West Hawaii Voluntary Standards are also CTOs. Efforts are also underway to partner with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC) international certification program for tour operators by become a GSTC accredited certification body and having HEA’s standard be recognized by GSTC, as described at www.gstcouncil.org. “The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) establishes and manages global sustainable standards, known as the GSTC Criteria, for public policy-makers and destination managers, and for hotels and tour operators.” GSTC is legally registered in the USA as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a diverse and global 30 membership, including UN agencies, NGO’s, national and provincial governments, leading travel companies, hotels, tour operators, individuals and communities – all striving to achieve best practices in sustainable tourism. Approach Used and the Impact In 2006, HEA partially funded a graduate student to complete a survey of HEA members to explore their interest in a certification program. She concluded that members supported a certification program as long as it was simple and inexpensive (Bauckham, 2005). An HEA committee developed a short review process for ecotour operators in order to explore tour operators’ response to adhering to various sustainability practices. A small number of operators were reviewed, though overall the program had little visibility or participation across the State. The pilot Ecotour Certification Program was based on HEA’s 2006 review process and certification programs around the world. Stakeholder feedback of HEA’s current review process was included and adaptations were made to address contemporary issues of concern for Hawaii’s unique natural resources and culture. HEA was also involved in efforts by the Coral Reef Alliance to encourage the use of sustainable practices in marine tourism in 2006 in order to learn more about best management practices. The Coral Reef Alliance developed the West Hawaii Voluntary Standards and promulgates these standards by entering into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with marine tourism businesses. A business that signs the MOU agrees to “allow, support, and facilitate the assessment of these standards through methods: 1) passenger/client exit surveys; 2) self- assessment; 3) peer review; and 4) anonymous third-party community participation and feedback.” In 2004, around 100 programs worldwide certified tourism sustainability, with 78 percent of these based in Europe and 68 percent focusing on accommodations. The Australian and Costa Rican programs were considered in 2005 to be models of effective certification programs that contribute to furthering the goals of socially responsible tourism. Since 2005, the Green Globe, Sustainable Travel International, The Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism, among others, have worked to develop more comprehensive programs that are accepted worldwide. The following sources of information were used to develop HEA’s pilot Ecotour Certification Program. 1. 2. 3. 4. Green Globe 21 International Ecotourism Standard (Green Globe, Asia Pacific) Nature and Ecotourism Accreditation Program (Eco Australia) Sustainable Travel and Ecotourism Program (Sustainable Travel International) A Simple Users’s Guide to Certification for Sustainable and Ecotourism (TIES, Rain Forrest Alliance, CREST) 5. Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (The Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria) 6. West Hawaii Voluntary Standards (Coral Reef Alliance) HEA’s first Certification Committee was composed of two University of Hawaii at Manoa faculty members, one of which is a specialist with the Cooperative Extension Service, and HEA’s Board Associate/Special Advisor. The pilot Ecotour Certification had two parts. The first part addresses whether or not the operator meets the minimum requirements for certification. To meet the minimum requirements, the ecotour operator must: • • • Be in compliance with all Federal, State, and Local regulations Have a written sustainability plan that guides operations, and addresses the operating principles in the HEA Certification Program. Provide a direct, personal experience of nature for consumers. 31 • • Contribute to conservation outcomes annually. Contribute to the communities in which they operate. The second part of the certification evaluates how the operator addresses the operating principles that include: • • • • • Environmental Management Staff Management Interpretation Management Consumer Evaluation Management Marketing Management Certification was initiated by the completion of a two-part application. The first part describes how the operator meets the minimum requirements and requires supporting documentation. The second part is a self-assessment checklist. A qualified third-party auditor visits the operation to verify all the information on the application. The scoring supported Gold, Silver, Bronze and Certified levels. The Certification Checklist has been revised twice, 2013 and 2018. It is now called the Sustainable Tourism Certification Program and it compliments the Green Business Program, which focuses on accommodations and the Ocean Friendly Program that focuses on eating establishments. The minimum requirements were folded into the operating principles and the evaluation criteria have become more rigorous and objective. The certification levels have been replaced by an overall numeric score and the website will summarize what each CTO does well and areas for improvement. Seven specialized best practices sections have been developed for the following tour types: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Hiking Tours Manta Ray Dive/Snorkel tours Motorized Snorkel Tours Not motorized snorkel tours Van tours Zip line Tours Surf/Stand Up Paddling Lessons Draft Versions are under review for the following tour types: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Bike Helicopter Whale Watching, motorized and not motorized SCUBA Diving, shore- and boat-based Agricultural Zoning restrictions present a challenge for agricultural tours because they vary by county and not particularly clear about what is required for agricultural tours to be considered legal. At the same time, agricultural tour operators in Hawaii are not as equipped to engage in activity marketing and tour interpretation as other types of tour operators, since they tend to be rooted in agricultural production. The Cooperative Extension Service played a valuable part in linking agricultural tourism with the Sustainable Tourism Certification Program 32 To become certified, the operator completes the Certification Checklist, working with the Certification Manager to address any questions. The Checklist is long and intimidating for operators. Then a trained auditor who also takes a tour confirms that all the responses are accurate. If the auditor passes the operation, the best practices and the areas needing improvement are summarized and the operator is added to the list of CTOs. The auditor spends between eight to 12 hours to complete a certification report at an estimated cost of $700 to $900. HEA currently has 4 trained auditors and is working toward two trained auditors on each island with the auditors being paid only $200 for completing an audit. This cost may increase in the future in order to attract auditors. The entire certification process can be completed in a month or two, though it usually takes longer due to the time needed for the operator to complete the Checklist. Previously the certification fee was $200 for a two-year certification, plus a $125 annual membership fee, which did not cover the cost of certification. The fee structure was changed to a sliding scale based on number of full time employees in 2018 with an annual cost between $250 and $1000 including membership with recertification every year after the initial certification. The recertification process, which involves the operator updating their original certification checklist, having a one hour virtual meeting with the certification manager and funding a Pono Traveler as a “secret shopper” who generates a written report. This recertification process reduces certification costs overall. Any person with an individual HEA membership can become a Pono Traveler by completing a short training, taking a tour with the CTO and completing a short report. This also allows residents to take tours at no cost, which they are not likely to experience otherwise, and learn first hand the high quality experience offered by CTOs. At the same time, CTOs benefit from valuable feedback provided Pono Travelers and HEA benefits from increased membership. The partnership now being pursued with the GSTC, which will allow HEA’s CTOs to also obtain GSTC certification more cost effectively and be considered for shore excursions from cruise lines that require GSTC certification. A comparison of HEA’s Certification Checklist with the GSTC standards is now underway, which is also assisting HEA in establishing an accreditation process. HEA could provide audits for GSTC certification in order to avoid GSTC auditors traveling from Europe, which will also give HEA a role across the Pacific as other island destinations become interested in local and/or international certification. The UNWTO (2014) has concluded that many small island developing states have significant natural and cultural resources that attract visitors, while at the same time facing major challenges in managing tourism in order to ensure that it is sustainable. Effective certification programs require significant funding due to the resources required for educating businesses residents and visitors, in addition to the cost of the continuing commitment to ensure that the program produces the desired outcomes. Island locations often do not have a large number of private tour operators, which makes the economies of scale association with an international affiliation attractive. Another key component of the Sustainable Tourism Certification Program is a system for people to put forth their concerns about the behavior of CTOs. HEA has developed a complaint form and process for following up complaints that are received. This helps ensure that resident have a portal for inputting their concerns, which helps build program acceptance. Implications & Lessons learned HEA has no staff, a volunteer Board of Directors, volunteers and a few contractors. The grant and contract funding received since 2005 totals less than $200,000. Leveraging the in-kind support of UHM’s Cooperative Extension Service assisted with obtaining grants and contracts, developing educational content and programs, and providing access to partnerships and volunteers. The majority of the certification programs developed across the globe have received significant amount of funding and/or 33 in-kind contributions from country level governments and/or large international non-profit organizations. Alaska is the only other U.S. state to develop a certification program, which assists in supporting community-based economic development opportunities associated with tourism in remote villages. Certification programs often accompany efforts to provide larger-scale training to host locations, particularly those in underdeveloped countries interested in community- based economic development. HEA is currently focused on building its four core programs, including the Sustainable Tourism Certification program, the Educational Program, the Outreach Program and the Development Program in an effort to more fully address it mission. The Certification Program was the primary focus for many years and recently more attention is being given to the other three programs. The Sustainable Tourism Certification Program almost tripled in size with 52 CTOs across Maui, Hawaii Island, Oahu and Kauai as of 2018. A new progressive fee structure linked with number of employees is expected to ensure that the program is self-sustaining. One of the largest CTOs, Kualoa Ranch, reported hosting 1,000 to 1,500 visitors a day in 2018 and is planning on expanding to be able to host 2,000 visitors a day. More than 90 percent of the ranch’s revenues are generated by tours. (Gomes, 2017) Certification now occurs from March to May and August to October, which are the shoulder seasons in Hawaii. New operators submit checklists in order to be queued for an audit during the upcoming certification period and auditors are being trained on each island to reduce air travel for certification. Developing a group of independent auditors has continued to be a challenge. The Educational Program continues to develop training materials with seven short educational videos uploaded to YouTube. CTOs have identified their training needs. Efforts to form closer ties with various partners, particularly cultural experts and the National Interpretation Association, in order to provide more rigorous educational opportunities for CTOs are underway. Tour guide training is a best practice in the Certification Checklist. However, developing or accessing credible, affordable training can be challenging for operators, particularly for placed-based topics. A partnership with UHM’s Forestry Extension program is now providing more, much needed terrestrial based training. The first event in the series addresses the best practices needed in order to stop the spread of Ohia Rapid Death, which is now decimating Hawaii’s native Ohia tree population. This is an example of placed-based training relevant only to operators in Hawaii. At the same time, guides continue to ask for additional training that supports increased compensation to ensure guiding offers a career path for residents. HEA’s Outreach Program reached two million people in 2017 and 2018 as a result of the updated website developed in 2017 and a social media effort involving Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and MailChimp. HEA also collaborated with HVCB on the new GoHawaii website by developing specific content on sustainable tourism. Materials have been developed and a volunteer training program is under construction to enable volunteers to staff booths at community events, while articles and interviews also appeared in local media. A CTO has been featured in a national magazine and HEA received national exposure in an effort to promote the ban of sunscreens that are not reef safe. National and international outreach is often challenging for small non-profit organizations in isolated island locations. Social media is presenting challenges that must be addressed in the Outreach Program. Visitors feel more comfortable with self-guided tours because so much information is available from various social media sources. Unfortunately, the behaviors that result from visitors relying on this source of information that may further degrade cultural and natural resources. For example, trails described in various posts may be difficult to locate and erosion may result as people search for trailheads. Or the locations of sacred, cultural places may become widely know as people post their locations. Every place 34 is very likely to have unique opportunities and challenges that visitors cannot grasp if all of their information comes from social media. While self-guiding may be less costly for visitors, greater costs may be born by the host as a result. Young visitors, commonly known as backpackers, interested in natural and cultural experiences while traveling as economically as possible are often a concern for hosts. They may engage in activities, such as sleeping on beaches or organizing large groups for self-guided activities, which are not in keeping with the host’s sustainable practices. HEA’s Development Program is further cultivating sponsorships/memberships with green hotels and “Ocean Friendly” restaurants to be featured in the Pono Travel Planner on the HEA website. Since building, restaurants and tours require different types of certification requirements, Hawaii now has three cooperating programs that cover the entire spectrum. The development and implementation of effective certification program is extremely costly, which makes cooperation imperative. Funding from HTA will provide the resources for this upgrade. The Pono Traveler Program is now attracting new members from Hawaii and the U.S. mainland. Efforts are also underway to develop a partnership with the Hawaii Hotel and Lodging Association and their annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk that occurs every year. An HEA Ambassador Program is planned for the near future to provide a Development Program presence for HEA on each of the four major islands and manage volunteers that engage in local community outreach activities. HEA is just now being recognized across the State of Hawaii as a force in support of sustainable tourism, after almost 20 years. Working with the smaller tour operators, providing educational programs aimed at tour operators, reaching out to residents and visitors and linking best practices to documentable resource protection remains a challenge. Starting a certification program that suits the needs of one geographical area is costly and time consuming for the certifying organization. The other option is to link with an existing program, which is costly for businesses being certified and may result in a program that does not fit the needs of the geographic place. The overall challenge of certification programs is related to activities that revolve around linking the program to the on-going health of the cultural and natural resources. Water and energy use in an accommodation are easy monitor, while the relationship between tours and the health of culture or natural resources is much more difficult. 35 Discussion Questions 1. Local cultures, customs, sacred places and environments may dictate that various protocols and best practices be used by tour operators and visitors, though in other places the same protocols and best practices may not be relevant. These unique place-based protocols and best practices help provide the authentic experience that visitors are seeking. What place-based adjustments would be needed to define ecotourism and sustainable tourism to develop a sustainability evaluation system for the tourism sector in your location and how might these be identified? 2. How could all the relevant stakeholders be engaged in developing and promulgating a sustainability evaluation system for the tourism sector in your location? 3. How might a sustainability evaluation system be linked to socio-ecological wellbeing in your location? 4. What challenges would have to be overcome in order to develop a sustainability evaluation system in your location? 5. What stakeholders would need to be involved in developing such a program in your location? References Bauckham, W. (2005). Putting Traffic Lights on the Road Less Traveled: Ecotourism Certification & its potential for Hawaii (Unpublished master’s thesis). University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI. Bien, A. (2004). A simple user’s guide to certification for sustainable tourism and ecotourism. Washington, DC, Center for Ecotourism and Sustainable Development. Cox, L.J., & Cusick, J. (2006) What is Sustainable Development? (CTAHR Resource Management Publication No. 14). Honolulu, HI: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. Gomes, Andrew. (2018, August 17). Kualoa Ranch sets visitor growth goals. Star Advertiser, pp.1B, 5B. Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, Green Business Program website. http://hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/energy/resource/greenbusiness. Accessed 12 September 2008. Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism. (2006). Planning for Sustainable Tourism. Honolulu, HI, State of Hawaii. Honey, M. & Stewart, E. (2002). The Evolution of “Green” Standards for Tourism. In M. Honey (ed), Ecotourism and certification setting standards in practice (pp. 33-71). Washington, DC, Island Press. Hunter, C., & Green, H. (1995). Tourism and the environment: A sustainable relationship? New York, NY: Routledge. Kreag, G. (2001). The Impacts of Tourism. Duluth, MN, Minnesota Sea Grant. Kozak, M., & Nield, K. (2004) The role of quality and eco-labeling systems in destination benchmarking. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 12(2), 138–148. Mak, J. (2008). Developing a dream destination: Tourism and tourism policy planning in Hawaii. 36 Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press. Medina, L.K. (2005). Ecotourism and certification: Confronting the principles and pragmatics of socially responsible tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 13(3), 281–295. Riveria, J. (2004). Institutional pressures and voluntary environmental behavior in developing countries: Evidence from the Costa Rican hotel industry. Society and Natural Resources, 17: 779–797. Toth, R. (2002). Exploring the Concepts Underlying Certification. In M. Honey (ed), Ecotourism and certification setting standards in practice (pp. 73- 101). Washington, DC, Island Press. United Nations World Tourism Organization. (2017). Tourism and the Sustainable Development Goals – Journey to 2030. Washington, D.C., United Nations Development Program. United Nations World Tourism Organization. (2014). Tourism in Small Island Developing States. Madrid, European Commission. United Nations World Tourism Organization. (2013). Sustainable Tourism for Development Guidebook. Madrid, European Commission. Vieth, G., & Cox, L.J. (2001) Sustainable use management of Hanauma Bay. (CTAHR Resource Management Publication No. 11). Honolulu, HI: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. 37 Author Linda J. Cox, Ph.D., has served as a Community Economic Development Specialist at the University of Hawaii since 1983. She develops curriculum and provides formal and informal education and conducts applied research on sustainable development, agricultural/business development, entrepreneurship, natural resource management, business management, and human resource development, including strategic planning, leadership, capacity building and personal financial management. She has authored or co-authored, produced, and edited more than 240 journal articles, books, book chapters, workbooks, fact sheets, newsletters, posters, videos and other publications. She was a member of the Western regional team receiving second place in 2008 and first place in 2010 for “Excellence in Economic Development Research” at the University Economic Development Association’s Annual Summit. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses and served as an award-winning mentor to many. She organized or coorganized, and/or spoke at more than 230 conferences, short courses, workshops, meetings, and seminars on a variety of community economic development issues, receiving the Hung Wo and Elizabeth Lau Ching Foundation Award for Faculty Service to the Community from UHM in 2007. She also served as Graduate Program Chairperson, Department Chairperson, Interim Associate Dean of Extension, Agribusiness Development Specialist in Morocco and Fulbright Visiting Scholar in Morocco. lcox@hawaii.edu