STANDARDS & BEST PRACTICES
This focus area aims at promoting sustainability and responsible tourism through the establishment of principles/approved models in tourism (standards) and highlighting excellent and exemplary practices among industry players. Currently the program focal areas encompass tourism accommodation facilities, tour operators and destinations.
The program promotes standards and best practices through the following initiatives.
1. Ecorating Certification
Launched in 2002 in cooperation with tourism industry stakeholders, the Ecorating Certification Scheme is EK’s flagship program. The Ecorating Certification is a systematic approach to evaluating a tourism accommodation facility on its environmental, economic and socio-cultural performance against set criteria. The evaluation is meant to recognise best practices in business practices, conservation, community and cultural performance among accommodation facilities and award qualifying applicants with a Bronze, Silver or Gold Ecorating Certification. We have certified over a hundred tourism accommodation facilities across the country based on the current sustainable tourism standards. The standard is guided by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s industry criteria for accommodation facilities, adapted to the local context.
We have two branches of the certification;
Ecorating Certification Natural and Protected Areas
- Ecorating for Natural and Protected Areas– Engages, assists and guides accommodation properties set in or near natural and protected environs.
Ecorating Certification City and Urban Areas
- Ecorating for City and Urban Areas– Engages, assists and guides accommodation properties set in developed or developing cities, towns and urban locations.
Each branch has progressive certification levels;
- Bronze Ecorated: This is the entry-level and is awarded to facilities that demonstrate awareness of and commitment to environmental conservation, responsible resource use
and socio-economic investment. - Silver Ecorated: This is the intermediary level and it is awarded to facilities that demonstrate innovation; progress towards achieving excellence in environmental conservation, responsible resource use and socio-economic investment.
- Gold Ecorated: It is the highest level of certification, and is awarded to facilities that demonstrate outstanding best practices, i.e. they have achieved superior and replicable levels of excellence in responsible resource use, environmental conservation and socio-economic investment.
Express interest in getting ecorated via ecorating@ecotourismkenya.org
Eco-bytes
Ecobytes is a support segment introduced by Ecotourism Kenya (EK), aimed at disseminating information on ecotourism and responsible tourism best practices. It includes write-ups on various topics ranging from environmental conservation, energy & water conservation, waste management, health & safety, sustainable purchasing & consumption, staff welfare & training, community development, culture, among others.
Feel free to share with us your best practice initiatives, and we will be glad to share with our broad membership!
2. Travelife for Tour Operators Certification
Ecotourism Kenya, in partnership with Travelife for Tour Operators is supporting tour companies in Kenya towards achieving sustainability in their operations, the tourism market, and meeting the requirements of European buyers in terms of environmental and social issues. This objective is achieved through training and an online reporting and
monitoring of sustainability performance.
Through coaching support offered to the tour companies in the program, combined with certification, the program seeks to achieve, amongst others:
a) Increased recognition of the key environmental, social and economic impacts of tourism
b) Effective communication of sustainability achievements to clients.
c) Using sustainability achievements to increase competitiveness in the global market.
There are 3 progressive levels in Travelife for Tour Operators Certification:
a) Travelife Engaged– This is the entry level where the company commits itself towards sustainability and introduces the appropriate management procedures.
b) Travelife Partner– This next level shows the company is committed to sustainability by complying with the basic Travelife sustainability requirements.
c) Travelife Certified– The highest level which clearly exhibits excellence in sustainability and has proof of internationally accredited highest sustainability performance.
Express interest in this initiative via programs@ecotourismkenya.org
3. Climate Resilience Program
The Climate Resilience Program is designed to empower tourism stakeholders with essential strategies for climate action and increase our climate engagement, ensuring a vibrant and sustainable future for the industry. The program is a vital contribution to both national and global environmental goals, demonstrating Kenya’s leadership in sustainable tourism.
Its mandate includes:
- Drive Climate Adaptation and Mitigation: We’re helping tourism businesses enhance resilience to climate change impacts while actively reducing their carbon footprint.
- Integrate Carbon Management: Through practical tools and strategies, we’re equipping tourism operations to effectively measure, manage, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
- Promote Responsible Travel Practices: Through research and advocacy, we encourage responsible travel behaviour among tourists, support local communities, and champion a culture of environmental awareness.
To achieve this, we will work hand-in-hand with tourism players by:
- Offering practical advice and support for implementing climate-smart practices.
- Equipping stakeholders with the knowledge and understanding needed to take effective climate action.
- Advocating for and assisting in the development of robust policies that promote climate resilience within the tourism sector.
- Implementing and participating in climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.
This proactive approach to climate change is crucial for future-proofing our industry against mounting climate impacts.
Are you interested in collaborating with us to build a truly climate-smart tourism sector?
Reach out today at climate@ecotourismkenya.org to learn how you can get involved.
Program Partner: Climate Friendly Travel
We are part of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, and endeavour towards climate positivity in tourism
4. GO4SDGS: UPSCALING SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN EAST AFRICA PROJECT
Sustainable tourism presents opportunities that contribute to the realisation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but there is a need to decouple tourism growth from environmental degradation and contribute to improved human well-being.
UNEP, in collaboration with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), is implementing the European Union-funded SWITCH Africa Green (SAG) program which is supporting Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa, and Uganda) in the transition to an inclusive green economy. The program is being implemented in four priority sectors: integrated waste management, sustainable agriculture, green manufacturing, and sustainable tourism. UNEP aims to mainstream sustainability into tourism development by demonstrating sustainable tourism’s economic, environmental, and socio-cultural benefits.
Goal:
Upscaling sustainable tourism in East Africa by developing sustainable tourism certification standards; innovating private-sector financing mechanisms for sustainable tourism and building capacity in MSMEs to access and participate in sustainable tourism industry value chains.
Objectives of the project
The objectives of this project is to upscale sustainable tourism in East Africa by:
- Developing mandatory national sustainable tourism certification standards;
- Supporting the uptake of innovative private-sector financing mechanisms for sustainable tourism;
- Building capacity in MSMEs to access and participate in sustainable tourism industry value chains.
Project Partners
- United Nations World Environmental Programme( UNEP)
- Ecotourism Kenya (EK)
- GO4SDGS Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGS)
Background
The Ecorating Certification is a sustainable tourism certification program that aims to promote responsible tourism in East Africa. Launched in 2002 by Ecotourism Kenya in cooperation with tourism stakeholders in Kenya, the program focuses on tourist accommodation facilities and awards qualifying applicants a Bronze, Silver or Gold accreditation based on their performance. Ecorating refers to a systematic approach for verifying a tourism organisation’s environmental, economic and socio-cultural performance when evaluated against an agreed set of criteria. The evaluation is meant to determine how responsible the operations of the facility are.
FAQs
Who can participate in the Certification?
The types of accommodation that qualify for rating under this program include:
- Hotels
- Lodges
- Camps
- Bush homes/homestays
- Bandas
- Resorts
What are the objectives of the Certification?
The overall objective of the Ecorating Certification is to achieve the highest levels of environmental, economic and social practices within the tourism industry for the sustainable growth of the sector. Specific objectives of the Scheme include:
- Promote and increase awareness of environmentally and socially sound business practices (educational/ change of attitude towards environmental governance and social responsibility).
- Increase the contribution of tourism to social development (developmental).
- Increase the contribution of tourism to the conservation of the natural resources upon which each country’s tourism is dependent (conservation).
- Improve destination image, thus potentially attracting more tourists (marketing advantage).
What are the best practices (values) of the Scheme?
Best practice refers to the highest quality, excellence or superior practices in a particular field. Under the Eco-rating Scheme, best practices include:
- Protecting, conserving and investing in the environment.
- Reducing, reusing and recycling waste.
- Preventing pollution.
- Responsible use of resources such as land, water, energy, culture, etc.
- Investment in people (employees and local population).
- Local people empowerment programmes.
- Fair (favourable) workplace policies.
- Fair business practices.
- Support for local economy trade linkages with local communities/economy.
- Responsible tourism Education environment.
What are the potential benefits of being Eco-rated?
- Publicity in the publications, website and events of Ecotourism Kenya its partners.
- Technical advice (feedback) from the evaluation process.
- Potential for competitive advantage (from using the label).
- Improved operational efficiency and reduced operating costs (from savings of energy,y etc).
- Motivation of staff and management.
- Improved local community relations.
- Higher company profile, respect and credibility.
- Business sustainability (as resources are used responsibly).
What are the criteria used?
The criteria cover environmental and socio-economic issues. Emphasis has been given to the sustainable use of resources, the protection of the environment and support to local economies through linkages and building of capacity of local communities and employees.
What are the levels of certification?
There are three levels of certification: Bronze, Silver and Gold.
- Bronze Ecorating is the entry level and demonstrates a facility’s awareness and commitment to environmental conservation, responsible resource use and socio-economic investment.
- Silver Ecorating demonstrates a move towards excellence; it is awarded to facilities that have shown innovation in responsible resource use, environmental conservation and socio-economic investment.
- Gold Ecorating is an indicator that a facility has achieved outstanding, superior and replicable levels of excellence in responsible resource use, environmental conservation and socio-economic investment.
How does it work?
Interested facilities contact Ecotourism Kenya and are provided with the application documents that apply to the level for which they intend to apply. The key document in the certification process is the self-assessment tool known as the Ecorating Questionnaire. There are additional requirements for higher levels of certification, including submitting a Responsible Tourism Report and an Environment Management Plan for Silver and Gold Ecorating applications.
After receiving the documents, the applying facility is expected to select a team leader to lead the application process. The team leader will consult with others during this process, including the management and staff. Once complete, the application is sent to Ecotourism Kenya.
Once received, all applications go through three levels of evaluation: desk evaluation, field audit and Standards & Best Practices Ecorating Committee evaluation. The desk evaluation is undertaken by the secretariat. The field audit is undertaken by a representative of the secretariat and at least one member of the Standards & Best Practices Ecorating Committee. Finally, the committee evaluates the application using the reports of both the desk evaluation and field audits. This committee makes the final decision on all Ecorating applications.
Applicants are then notified of the outcome of the evaluation, which can be either confirmation that the application was successful or a deferment. Successful applicants are then required to pay the full fee that applies to that level of certification. Deferred applicants are guided in their weak areas and advised to reapply within 6 months to avoid nullification of their application.
Certification Fee: $1150
Upon payment of the full fees, all successful applicants receive formal communication containing the appropriate Ecorating Certificate, the Ecorating evaluation report and appropriate Ecorating emblems.
How long do ratings last?
Certification is valid for 24 months from the date of Certification. This date is indicated in the certificate of accreditation. A new application for evaluation must therefore be lodged at least three months before the expiry of validity.
Who manages the Scheme?
The day-to-day management of the Certification is done by the Ecotourism Kenya secretariat with support from the Standards & Best Practices Ecorating Committee. The Ecorating/evaluation committee provides second-party verification of certification.
How do I apply?
To apply for Ecorating, request an information package from Ecotourism Kenya by sending an e-mail to membership@ecotourismkenya.org.
