Certification
Working through the Fair Trade Tourism management system and reporting framework is beneficial in itself, providing a holistic review of your business operations and management systems. If, however, you would also like to obtain an endorsement of your efforts and achievements, you may also choose to become certified by Fair Trade Tourism.
Fair Trade Tourism certification remains a voluntary process, but is increasingly a must-have endorsement for businesses seeking to promote themselves in the growing responsible tourism market and to demonstrate their commitment to a development path that enables people and planet to thrive.
Benefits related to FTT certification include:
- increased recognition for how seriously a business takes its sustainability commitment;
- increased trust in the validity of responsible tourism claims made by the business;
- reduced risk resulting from more robust and holistic management systems;
- reduced operating costs related to improved efficiency and reduced staff turnover;
- aligning tourism experience with increased market demand; and
- improved value of reporting credibility.
To be awarded FTT certification requires that a business pass an independent audit to verify their performance against Fair Trade Tourism's standard, which contains a range of criteria that address business performance in local economic impact, community development, environmental impact management, climate action, labour practice, HR, human rights, and management systems. Our comprehensive standard is designed to ensure that the local development context is prioritised, while periodic reviews ensure that we maintain our alignment with global best practice.