In order for Panama's tourism companies to obtain the sustainability seal, they must undergo external audits on topics such as responsible management, quality control, safety, and others.
With the changes to Decree-Law 82 of December 23, 2008, companies and individual auditors can perform external audits and that large and micro tourism companies are interested in the implementation of the Sustainable Tourism Standard, informed the Tourism Authority of Panama (ATP).
On November 13th and 14th Costa Rican entrepreneurs of hotel brands, investment funds and real estate developers will be meeting in Costa Rica to discuss sustainable investments in the industry.
The event is being organized by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) and will take place at the Hotel Real Intercontinental.
Tender documents are being prepared for the construction of the new center in the province of Chiriqui, which will have an area of 4,000 square meters and capacity for 2,000 people.
From a statement issued by the Tourism Authority of Panama:
The first green convention center in Central America will be built in Boquete, Chiriqui province, in an area of 4000 m2 and will have capacity for 2,000 people.
When it comes to making a choice, there is a clear preference by travelers for "green" hotels and tourism products, confirming that the sustainability of the tourism business only makes sense when the sustainability of the area is guaranteed.
In her blog in Elfinancierocr.com, Katiana Murillo highlights the growing preference of tourists worldwide for hotels which have environmentally friendly practices, even if it means paying higher rates.
Tourist companies believe that sustainability is not an easy process, however it can be a good idea if it is about doing business.
Katiana Murillo in her article in Baños, reviews the opinion of some companies who participated in Expotur 2013, regarding the question of whether sustainability can be good business for tourism entrepreneurs.
For example, Hotel Arenal Kioro (4 leaves from the CST) says that travel agencies support hotels with green policies, in Europe there are agencies that only work with sustainable hotels and in the U.S. there is a move in this direction.It is also a way to educate the customer and employees, which creates motivation and both of these have an impact on savings.
In Costa Rica more and more hotels are being built with certified wood, use the sun's energy and provide comprehensive waste treatment.
Additionally, these hotels have their own organic gardens for preparing their food, use only biodegradable products and dry clothes in the sun, all part of a new trend to preserve the environment.
In the country the authorities have created a Certificate for Sustainable Tourism (CST), a kind of quality control for the environmental and social management of tourism enterprises.
The regional hotel sector will have a tool for improving their environmental performance.
The guide will enable environmently friendly actions to be taken using a practical approach to daily hotel management.
The guide is entitled "Biodiversity: My hotel in action," and with it FUNDEMAS-FIDES, IUCN and the Agrisal Group, aim to meet the needs of the hotel industry by providing information that allows the incorporation of environmental management practices into hotels of various sizes and characteristics resulting in more sustainable operations.
IDB, partners seek sustainable tourism projects for coastal and freshwater destinations.
The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the Inter-American Development Bank group, and two partners are seeking sustainable tourism proposals for coastal, waterway, and island destinations that protect the environment and strengthen the heritage and livelihoods of the local population.