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The
21 KEY CRITERIA FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM CERTIFICATION
1.
Is voluntary in nature.
2. Maintains a publicly available
list of products, which have been awarded the label.
3.
Contributes to sustainable tourism development through
the verification of tourism products through their performance.
4.
Contribute to maintaining and enhancing service quality
in tourism in Europe.
5. Recognises other eco-labels meeting
the VISIT Standard.
6. Has considered product life cycle
issues when setting product related criteria.
7. Requires
attainable levels and gives consideration to relative impacts
(“per unit”), through measurement,
scoring and availability.
8. Is based on sound scientific,
engineering, management economic environmental and social
principles. The criteria
are derived from data that support the claim of sustainable
tourism good or best pactice (i.e. environmental, economic
and social benefit and/or efficiency).
9. Takes into
account, during the process of establishing the criteria,
relevant
local, regional and global environmental
issues,
available technology, and economic and social issues whilst
avoiding compromising service quality.
10. Reviews the criteria
and product functional requirements within a predefined period.
11. Requires the declaration and compliance of the product
to environmental and other relevant legislation as a pre-condition
for the applicant to be awarded and to maintain the label.
12.
Has selected product criteria, which may relate to impacts
on the environment and natural resources or emissions to
the environment. Such performance criteria shall be expressed
in absolute (numbers) or relative (%) figures and measure
units (e.g. kWh, litre, volume, weight per product, room,
bed, overnight stay, m²) and may also recommend the
exclusion or use of special materials or substances with
proven negative or positive impacts respectively.
13. Requires
criteria which are relevant in its area of operation and
relevant for the specific product group and relate to
the impact of the area and product group in relation to sustainable
tourism.
14. Shall have management criteria which complement
other Environmental Management Systems and include a commitment,
suitably informed staff, training, public information and
monitoring and measuring procedures.
15. Is accountable to
its stakeholders in terms of the labels its development and
operation: product categories, product
criteria, period of validity of criteria and award, testing
and verification methods, certification and award procedures,
compliance verification, complaints procedure.
16. Legally
protects the eco-label (i.e. the certification mark/logotype)
in order to prevent unauthorized use and to
maintain
public confidence in its brand and or initiative.
17. Is open
to all potential applicants of the predefined product group
in the area of operation. All applicants who
fulfill the ecolabels conditions and criteria are entitled
to be granted a license and authorized to use the label.
18.
Guarantees that all the elements in the ecolabels conditions
and criteria and the product function characteristics are
verifiable by the eco-labeling body.
19. Has a verification
methodology, which guarantees a high level of reliability.
This includes on-site verifications
occur as a minimum at least once every three years or certification
period which ever is the lesser.
20. Has a set of terms and
conditions relating to the overall operation of the programme
which control the awarding of
the licence and the use of the label.
21. Issues its certification
based upon criteria that apply to the site for a predefined
period of not more than three
years.
(Revised English version 6/2005; full standard and
comparison with ISO 14024 published on: www.yourvisit.info)
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