Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council

Final Countdown for the STSC.

Tourists will soon have a trustworthy and independent resource to evaluate whether a hotel, lodge or other tourism business' claim of sustainability is truly reliable. In April, at a meeting in Paris attended by representatives from 40 organizations -- including the United Nations Foundation (UNF), the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Tourism Organization and The International Ecotourism Society -- the launch of the Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council (STSC) was officially set in early 2009.

Banner Meeting, participants agreed to adopt a temporary organizational structure for the STSC that includes an interim board with representation from 15 different stakeholders and regions, which will be selected in June 2008 and will guide the creation process until January 2009. The UNF has committed partial financial support for this next phase.

Several organizations also expressed interest in forming an STSC-United Nations partnership, which would allow the council to draw support from United Nation agencies whose work is relevant to tourism.

www.rainforest-alliance.org/tourism/tourism_connections/july_08.html