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Sustainable Tourism InitiativesThe International Alliance for the Marketing and Commercialization of Sustainable Tourism Products and Services(Read about this project in Spanish, Italian, French, German or Dutch) 
The International Alliance for the Marketing and Commercialization of Sustainable Tourism Products and Services -- funded by the Inter-American Development Bank/Multilateral Investment fund -- aims to increase the competitiveness and international recognition of small and medium sized businesses that have adopted best management practices in participating Latin American countries. The project has four components, all of which share a common goal -- to create international market linkages for tourism companies who have demonstrated a proven commitment to the wellbeing of the environment and local communities. By facilitating communication between these like-minded tourism businesses on a local level, creating links between these businesses and tour operators, and promoting these businesses to consumers and to the media, the Rainforest Alliance is helping them become more competitive in a rapidly growing industry, and ultimately helping protect the very natural and cultural treasures that their guests travel from far and wide to see. The project monitors and evaluates the benefits of responsible tourism practices and shares the results with others. The project began in 2007 as a sequel to the Project for the Implementation of Best Management Practices and Certification Support for Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises, to provide market support to businesses that have participated in the Rainforest Alliance's best management practices training and technical assistance program. Tourism entrepreneurs from Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Peru will benefit from the activities of this project until its end in October 2011. The World Heritage Alliance
The World Heritage Alliance for Sustainable Tourism is an industry-led, membership-based initiative led by Expedia and the United Nations Foundation that has 50 members and partners working together to contribute to World Heritage site conservation in seven different countries. The partners believe that conscientious efforts by the travel industry and its customers can contribute directly to nature conservation, historic preservation and poverty reduction through responsible tourism. Rainforest Alliance is an Associate Partner of the World Heritage Alliance and is committed to promoting and preserving World Heritage sites through sustainable tourism by:
"We are excited to be part of this innovative partnership to promote sustainable travel," said Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance. "We look forward to offering training and technical assistance to World Heritage Alliance members through our sustainable tourism program, and we hope to help them lead the way in protecting some of the world's most valuable places for years to come." The Initiative for Conservation in the Andean AmazonThe Initiative for Conservation in the Andean Amazon -- funded by the United States Agency for International Development -- aims to promote the long term sustainability of the Amazon River Basin and to protect its great wealth of biodiversity. 
Under this initiative, the Rainforest Alliance is working with Conservación y Desarrollo, our partner group based in Ecuador, to provide technical assistance and training to community organizations and local businesses, and to encourage them to adopt environmentally and socially responsible practices. Our training helps these groups to attract the increasing number of eco-conscious travelers and to make tourism an effective tool in supporting conservation and socio-economic development in protected areas, especially in the Sucumbios, Orellana, Napo and Pastaza provinces of Ecuador. As part of the project, the Rainforest Alliance is also working with universities and community groups to provide workshops in best management tourism practices for tourism businesses operating in the Peruvian Amazon, especially in Cusco and Madre de Dios regions. Tourism for Tomorrow AwardsThe Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, now in their sixth year under the stewardship of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), are aimed at recognizing best practice in sustainable tourism within the Travel & Tourism industry worldwide. Given the growing concern about natural and cultural resources, these Awards are particularly important to the WTTC and provide the Council with the opportunity to promote and partner with industry leaders in responsible tourism and highlight prime examples of best practice. 
An independent panel of judges, including some of the world's most authoritative experts of sustainable development and a stringent application process involving on-site verification visits by these experts, has earned the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards growing levels of respect among key audiences -- the industry, governments and the international media. Each year, winners and finalists are honored at a special ceremony during the Global Travel & Tourism Summit -- one of the highest-profile events in the industry, facilitating dialogue between decision-makers, and thus influencing future action in one of the world's largest industries -- Travel & Tourism. The Rainforest Alliance is a proud supporter of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. The Sustainable Tourism Stewardship CouncilIn recent years, pristine forests, remote beaches and other fragile environments have attracted an unprecedented number of visitors. This growth of nature-related tourism has spurred the development of an ever-increasing number of independent certification programs, all seeking to control unchecked development and to foster responsibility among hotels and tour operations. 
To create international recognition of sound certification programs and to make their standards widely available to local and regional groups, in March, 2003 the Rainforest Alliance completed an 18-month study to determine the feasibility of an international Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council (STSC). Scores of non-government organizations, inter-governmental agencies and industry representatives took part in the study, which envisions an STSC that would promote globally recognized, high-quality certification programs for sustainable and ecotourism and act as an accreditation body. The Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council has recently merged with the Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC Partnership) in order to form the Tourism Sustainability Council, due to launch in early 2010. Sustainable Tourism Certification Network of the AmericasThe Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council feasibility study recommends the establishment of regional networks to encourage dialogue among stakeholders and act as clearinghouses for certification information. The first network for the Americas was launched in Bahía, Brazil in September, 2003. Because significant interest in certification exists in Latin America and because the region boasts the largest concentration of certification programs of all developing nations, the Rainforest Alliance believes the Sustainable Tourism Certification Network of the Americas will evolve into a model that can be replicated in other regions. Concluded ProjectsTools and Training for Tourism Entrepreneurs: Socially & Environmentally Responsible PracticesFind out about the Rainforest Alliance's program to help small and medium sized tourism businesses in Latin America to best protect natural resources and to be competitive in the global market. Biodiversity Conservation through Tourism
The natural and cultural riches of Belize's Cayo District, the Galapagos Islands and Mindo, in Ecuador's Choco bioregion, will be better protected thanks to the collaboration of the Rainforest Alliance, Conservation International and the United Nations Environment Programme, which are working together on a project called "Promoting biodiversity conservation in tourism through the development and dissemination of good practices." The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility. The tourism businesses that are part of this initiative commit to protecting biodiversity, and in turn receive various benefits such as:
The Programme for Belize and the Asociación Ecuatoriana de Ecoturismo provide support for the project in areas such as training, promotion and development of materials. PROARCA/APM Central American Environmental Program[Note: The sustainable tourism portion of this project has concluded.] 
Many of the most innovative conservation initiatives undertaken in Central America and Mexico have focused on the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. Stretching from southern Mexico to the border of Costa Rica and Panama, the corridor holds a treasure-trove of both flora and fauna, and encompasses both terrestrial and marine protected parks and reserves, along with a number of privately owned wild lands. The Protected Areas and Environmentally Sound Products Component of the Central American Environmental Program (PROARCA) was a three-year effort to consolidate the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor by strengthening management of the area's parks, and by expanding both production of and market access for environmentally sound products and services. Partnership for Effective Implementation of Tools for Monitoring Ecotourism and Sustainable TourismAimed at promoting higher environmental and social standards for tourism, the project is designed to help tourists choose responsible companies, to strengthen government guidelines and "best practices" for sustainable tourism, and to promote sustainable practices within the industry. Partnership with Consultancy and Research for Environmental ManagementThe Rainforest Alliance's Sustainable Tourism program is collaborating with Consultancy and Research for Environmental Management, a specialized bureau for sustainable development in the Netherlands, to promote sustainable tourism in Costa Rica.
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