Voluntary
Initiatives for Sustainability in Tourism
VISIT
News
ITEM 2 - Membership update
The number of accredited businesses linked to VISIT
is ever increasing. Recent news is that the Danish
Green Key and the Clef vertes have amalgamated into
one certification system and this leads us to discuss
whether the new green key is one member ecolabel
or if each national body should be treated as a separate
label. This will form part of our discussions in
2006-7. In addition the Milieubarometer is negotiating
its future as a label with the green key with the
objective that within 2 years the green key and barometer
will operate as one green key label. Overall the
number of ecolabelled products has increased to 1639
members.
A number of new associates joined VISIT in 2005-6
and these vary from academic institutes working with
ecolabelling to private consultancies operating certification
schemes. SEA Ltd joined visit and since becoming
a member has undertaken 17 accreditation audits for
the EU flower, TUV Hellas has a similar role and
this associate member role in an international body
represent one of very few methods where EU flower
practitioners can meet together and exchange best
practice and other development ideas.
One issue which
has arisen during the 2005-6 year was the application of
the Austrian ecolabel. Unfortunately
changes to their auditing system resulted in the
label not meeting the 21 key requirements for full
membership. The issue of the 21 key requirements
and a broader discussion on updating these requirements
will form part of a VISIT discussion at the WTM
in November 2006.
