Certification Programs

RTSOI CERTIFICATION

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
CRITERIA

PROCESSES

01 - Drafting STCI
02 - Stakeholder Consultation
03 - Pilot Testing of draft STCI principle
04 - Developing scheme related documents
05 - Revising draft STCI principle & criteria based on pilot testing reports
06 - Certification against revised STCI principle & criteria
07 - Promotional activities – Training, capacity building, workshops
08 - First Revision after 3rd Year

01 - Site Selection and initial liasioing
02 - Document review and information collection
03 - Site visit
04 - Assessment against STCI indicators
05 - Gap identification, if any
06 - Report generation and submission to ESOI

A pilot test is a study, for testing a draft standard prior to the finalization and execution of the STCI standard. The benefits of this exercise are to gain better understanding of the applicability and impacts of the STCI standards at an early stage of the development and before final execution to ensure that standards requirements are fine-tuned, if required, for better execution.

The objectives of pilot testing are:

1. To undertake a possible practical test of the STCI standard on the Tourism Industry (Accommodation sector and Tour Operators).
2. To gain feedback from tourism business on the practical applicability of the STCI standard.
3. To receive recommendations to address identified issues during the process.

Document review and Information collection: The team of assessors will be in contact with key personnel to obtain management planning and other pertinent documents to the operations – back and front house, F&B, engineering operations, customer feedback etc. The team of assessors will schedule the time and place for the initial meeting.

Site Visit: It would include witnessing ongoing operations of the selected industry: Tour Operator/ Accommodation- which includes visiting front and back of the house, witnessing types of room and services, property management system, observing compliance with national regulations, interview with the support staff (engineers, ground keepers, HR, sales and marketing managers etc.), communities involved, locals etc.

Report generation: The assessors will submit a draft report containing findings and a criterion-by-criterion discussion of the observed preparedness of the defined tourism industry – Tour Operator/ Accommodation relative to the applicable standard within three weeks of the completion of the field visit.

Tourism businesses are highly recommended to refer the STCI standard for their industry (Accommodations and Tour operators) to understand the requirements and possible verifiers that pilot testing team can ask for during the site visit.

FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE CONTACT:
Dr. Anjuna Dhir
Executive Director
Responsible Tourism Society of India
anjunadhir@rtsoi.org
T: +91- 9811031980

01 - Application Process - Application submission & Screening, Review
02 - Audit Preparedness - Sharing of guidance documents on compliance, Existing case studies of standard implementation
03 - Desk Review - Collection of baseline information, Assessment on desk review of documents
04 - On-site Audit - On site visit by trained auditors
05 - Report - Details results of evaluations - Listing of shortcomings and “Non-Conformities”
06 - Certification Decision - Issuance, Rejection
07 - Surveillance Audit - Annual assessment of implementation of standard
08 - Re-Certification - Re-audit after completion of 3 years

Benefits of STCI to the Tourism Industry

Benefits

+ Tourism Industry (Hotels/Accommodation and Tour Operators) undergoing pilot testing will gain early experience in the implementation of STCI scheme.
+ An early access to use of the Logos and mark of sustainability for marketing activities.
+ Industry can assist STCI standard development committee to better adapt standards to their respective industry’s systems, needs and management practices.
+ If any Tourism business can comply with the more than 75% requirements of the STCI standard, it may result in issue of the provisional- certificate permitting use of scheme logo for promotional activities. However, note that certificate issuance will be subject to approval from the standard development committee and no major change in the criteria and indicators.
+ It ensures improved industry’s environmental, social, and economic performance – by protecting and safeguarding the environment, respecting local culture and communities and managing tourism operations as per sustainability management plan.
+ It provides various tangible and intangible benefits to: Businesses (business reputation, brand value etc.), consumers, governments, environment and local communities.
+ It helps to distinguish genuine claims and check “greenwashing”.
+ Certification provides tourists with environmentally and socially responsible choices while increasing public awareness about responsible business practices.
+ Certified businesses tend to offer better quality service.