Newsletter, November 2022 – GreenStep Sustainable Tourism

CELEBRATING NEWLY CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE TOURISM MEMBERS

Invermere Inn and Suites – Silver
Muskoka Highlands Golf Links – Bronze
Culinary Tourism Alliance – Silver
Planet Bee Honey Farm – Silver

CELEBRATING SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 2030 PLEDGE SIGNATORIES

Hello Nature Adventure Tours Ltd.
Ottawa Tourism
Regional Tourism Organization 4
Regional Tourism Organization 7

The Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge is a global movement of individuals, businesses, and organizations within the tourism and hospitality industry that believe tourism has a tremendous opportunity to become a force for good and change the world.
Take the pledge!

WELCOMING KATE & KRISTY TO THE GREENSTEP TEAM

Kate Manzer – Sustainable Tourism Specialist

Kate has experience in tourism certification program coordination, integration of sustainability into business operations as well as research and data analysis in roles with various organizations, educational institutions and small businesses. She has traveled to several countries, lived and worked across the United States, and earned her Master’s degree in Environmental Policy and Management from the University of Colorado.

Kristy Dyer – Program Development Specialist

Kristy has a Ph.D. in physics from North Carolina State University. She carried out research in astronomy for ten years at NASA, the Very Large Array and the Naval Research Laboratory. In 2010 she transitioned to solar energy, working for a commercial scale solar installer, and then went on to consult for cleantech firms in Silicon Valley. Kristy has extensive experience in research, analysis and project management. She has recently completed WRI Greenhouse Gas Protocol classes for Scope 1-3.

Meet the GreenStep team!

AIR TRANSAT SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD WINNER

Congratulations to Eagle Wing Whale & Wildlife Tours — a Platinum Certified GreenStep #SustainableTourism Member — on winning the Air Transat Sustainable Tourism Award at this year’s Canadian Tourism Awards!

The Sustainable Tourism Award was awarded to the organization for having made outstanding contributions to the practice and promotion of responsible and sustainable tourism in Canada.

To learn more about Eagle Wing’s vision — which focuses on conservation, sustainability, research and education — click here!

Pictured is GreenStep’s Director of Sustainable Tourism, Jenn Burling; Eagle Wing’s General Manager, Nathan Bird; and GreenStep’s President and CEO, Angela Nagy.

2022 TIAC TOURISM CONGRESS

This month, our CEO and President, Angela Nagy, spoke at the Tourism Industry Association of Canada Tourism Congress in Ottawa.

Angela presented alongside a panel of industry-leading professionals in discussion on the future of travel, regenerative tourism, and highlighted destinations who are leading by example.

How do we create opportunities to make meaningful change? Here are six ways to get started:

1. Choose a not-for-profit that has nothing to do with you and go for coffee… innovation comes from looking outside your industry!

2. We need to work together.

3. Create a mindset of learning how tourism can support nature and the community.

4. Think outside the box!

5. Ask yourself what you want your business to be like in 20 years, and then reverse engineer how to make that happen.

6. Measure your impact and then take the Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge.

TIAPEI TOURISM CONFERENCE AND AGM

Earlier this month our team had the pleasure of attending the Tourism Industry Association of Prince Edward Island (TIAPEI) Tourism Conference and Annual General Meeting.

GreenStep’s CEO, Angela Nagy, lead a compelling session on Sustainable Tourism, alongside other presentations surrounding the challenges of being an employer during a labour crisis, how to understand & serve our 2SLGBTQ+ employees and customers, and more!

The conference was a great opportunity to network with the amazing tourism businesses and organizations in Atlantic Canada – and we even got invited to do goat yoga at Island Hill Farm, a local farm in Charlottetown!

It was inspiring to hear from so many business owners and leaders, as they shared their stories on persevering through a challenging few years – including a global pandemic and Hurricane Fiona – and to see so much interest in learning more about sustainability, and what that looks like in the tourism industry.

UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS

IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism Conference 2023

Hosted by: Destination Greater Victoria, Synergy Enterprises, Tartan Bond and Starrboard Enterprises
Date: January 23-25, 2023
Location: Victoria, British Columbia
Details: 3 days of great speakers, workshops and more centered upon IMPACT’s four pillars of Ecology & Environment, Community & Sense of Place, Culture & Heritage, and the Economy.

2023 BC Tourism & Hospitality Conference

Hosted by: Tourism Industry Association of BC and the BC Hotel Association
Date: March 1-3, 2023
Location: Prince George, British Columbia
Details: The 2023 conference theme is All Systems Go! After navigating through many pandemic-related challenges, the BC tourism and hospitality industry is ready to launch into a new season with strategies and tactics to build business, expand into new markets, develop new products and services, nurture relationships, and tackle issues such as sustainability, diversity/equity/inclusion, reconciliation, and other priorities as a strong, resilient and determined sector.

GREENSTEP SUSTAINABLE TOURISM CERTIFICATION

Are you considering a Sustainability Certification for your business or destination? Would you like to highlight your sustainability efforts in a way that helps you to share your achievements with your guests, visitors, and staff in a meaningful way?

GreenStep offers a comprehensive assessment and certification program based on globally-recognized criteria for Sustainable Tourism.

Learn More HERE, or Schedule a FREE Consult with our team.