Green Globe Launches Global Ecotourism Standard
Green Globe 21 launched a ‘global standard for ecotourism’ at the Cairns Ecotourism Conference in Australia in late 2002. The Standard is the result of a partnership between the Ecotourism Association of Australia and CRC Sustainable Tourism, Green Globe’s research partner. It is based on NEAP, the Australian Nature and Ecotourism Accreditation Program (NEAP) Standard and the Green Globe ABC system for sustainable tourism. The Standard was developed in consultation with tourism/ecotourism certification experts and has been piloted with a variety of ecotourism operations. Training courses, assessment and operating manuals will be available this year. The People’s Republic of China, State Environmental Protection Administration, signed an agreement to roll out the Green Globe Sustainable Tourism System across China. The signing ceremony was held at the Beijing Continental Grand Hotel and was overseen by PR China s Minister for Environment, Xie Zhenhua, Vice Minister Zhu Guangyao with Green Globe Chairman, Mr Geoffrey Lipman and Director of Green Globe Asia Pacific Terry de Lacey. Green Globe established an office in Chengdu and conducted the first Green Globe Training Course with businesses, government agencies, universities & research institutions in October 2002. http://www.greenglobe21.com/index_cp.html