Rachel McCaffery’s Post

It’s incredibly rewarding to witness when the company I'm coaching truly grasps the full scope and benefits of attaining a certification for their sustainability performance. 🤩 Initially, they may think it as a simple checkbox exercise, that would take just a few months to complete. However, they soon realize that working towards a certification offers much more than what was expected. This journey is an opportunity to leverage a robust framework and reporting system to spark new ideas, highlight areas of the business needing improvement, and to innovate. 🌟 It leads to significant enhancements in efficiency, operations, and overall results. 👊 And most importantly, in today’s rapidly evolving landscape of ESG reporting regulations, committing to a voluntary certification scheme is a proactive step. It prepares businesses by helping them start gathering and analyzing the data that will soon be mandatory to disclose by law. Even smaller organizations will eventually need to do it to remain competitive within their value chains. By working towards certification now, they’re getting ahead of the curve and ensuring they’re ready for future requirements. I am fully committed to supporting these efforts, fostering connections and sharing best practices within the tourism sector. Together, we can drive meaningful change. 🌻 Ps. A massive well done to the organizations I’ve had the privilege to work with, who have truly embraced the certification opportunity and embarked on this transformative journey. (too many to be mentioned one by one : ) mission : net zero, Travelife for Tour Operators, Green Tourism, Green Key International #sustainable tourism, #sustainnabilitycertifications

I've been pretty quiet online lately, but it’s because I’ve been fully immersed in some exciting work! Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of leading trainings to students of IHM Business School and Akademi Båstad Yrkeshögskola, and advisory sessions with DMOs across Sweden, all focused on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) criteria. Watching students apply these principles, evaluate organizations, and craft actionable plans and innovative solutions to strengthen sustainability efforts has been incredibly rewarding. A special shout-out to Sigtunahöjden Hotel & Conference and Clarion Hotel® & Congress Sea U for their commitment and active participation! In the midst of all this, I started reflecting on the massive changes coming with the #CSRD and #GreenClaimsDirective. These reflections led me to deepen my understanding of what these directives mean by seeking insights from experts. I've been provided a better understanding and now feel much more confident in offering advisory services and guidance on how to navigate the new requirements. However, awareness around these directives remains surprisingly low. Are travel and tourism organizations truly prepared for the significant shifts ahead? The impact on certification bodies will be considerable, raising important questions: · How transparent are CBs in their certification processes, particularly in assessing and verifying sustainability claims? · Are the sustainability claims being independently verified by third parties, as required to avoid greenwashing under the Green Claims Directive? · How are CBs aligning their criteria with the new ESG reporting requirements under the CSRD? · Are certification standards consistent across regions and globally, to ensure they remain credible and compliant with the evolving regulations? To organizations in the industry: Now is the time to aquaint yourself with these new directives and if you're a certified organization, proactively engage with your certification body. Ask them directly: What actions are being taken to ensure alignment with the new demands from the CSRD and Green Claims Directive? This conversation is critical to ensuring your certifications remain relevant and compliant moving forward. Maybe it's time to consider something new? I plan on posting more on these subjects from now on as I pick up more information and knowledge on it. The change is fast approaching - Let’s be ready for it! Don't hesitate to reach out!

How do you keep learning about sustainable tourism? Or what's your experience with this course? Please share your experiences in the comments! 👇 #SustainableTourism #ProfessionalDevelopment #GSTC #LearningIsGrowing #SustainableTourismConsultant 

Socially just, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable companies. 🤩♻️🔛✅ IN TOURS PORTUGAL is a company that never loses sight of its evolution as an organization while also aiming to have a positive impact on the planet, people, and the economy. 📈🥰 And that is why it joined the Tourism 360° Companies Program, a movement that encourages companies in the sector to report their sustainability performance, providing technical support in the integration of ESG factors – Environmental, Social, and Governance – into business strategy, management, and organizational culture, and guiding them in the regular reporting of information related to their environmental, social, and governance practices. #intoursportugal #dmcportugal #incomingagencyportugal #visitportugal

When it comes to sustainability claims, we know getting the language right can be challenging. 💡   Many of the travel businesses we work with face the same concerns:    ❎ Fear of coming across as greenwashing ❎ Worry about losing customers  ❎ Risk of being called out for unsupported claims   And we understand! 🙋♀️   Communicating your sustainability efforts is already tricky - and with new regulations on the horizon, it’s even more complex!    Which is why at the Good Tourism Institute we created the Green Claims Directive masterclass.   👉 To empower travel businesses like yours with the tools and knowledge to navigate these upcoming changes with confidence.    And the feedback? It speaks for itself. 🥳   Jo Hendrickx from Travel Without Plastic recently completed the masterclass and shared:    “𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵. 𝘐𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦. 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴." 💬   If you’re ready to feel more confident in making sustainability claims, enrol in our masterclass today! 👇 https://lnkd.in/dcug9k94 // #goodtourism #futureoftourism #masterclass #travelbusiness #tourismmarketing #greenclaimsdirective #communicatesustainability

The #Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality aims to align the #hospitalityindustry behind the most material and crucial issues, leading towards the #harmonisation of industry #sustainabilityprinciples. Created with insights from members of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, in consultation with #sustainability and industry experts, it aligns with the major #industrystandards, #ratings and #frameworks to lead towards the harmonisation of global #metrics, including: ➡ 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 World Travel & Tourism Council Hotel Sustainability Basics #GlasgowDeclaration for #ClimateAction in #Tourism GBTA | Global Business Travel Association RFP template Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (#GTPI) - One Planet network - 10YFP Travalyst Accommodation Framework ➡ 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 Corporate #SustainabilityReporting Directive (#CSRD) European Sustainability Reporting Standards Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (#SASB) Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (#TCFD) ➡ 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Industry Criteria Green Globe Certification Green Key Global ➡ 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 International Labour Organization Labour Standards Net Positive Hospitality Principles United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (#SDGs) Sustainable Markets Initiative Terra Carta #UN Global Compact UN Tourism Ethics in Tourism World Benchmarking Alliance Social Transformation Framework If your company is looking to meet the requirements of any or all of these standards, ratings or frameworks, access the Pathway now to get started on your journey, no matter your location, size or experience. Explore the free digital Pathway: https://lnkd.in/d25YqRrs #SustainabilityGuidance #SustainableHospitality #SustainableDevelopmentGoals #HarmonisingStandards #HarmonisingSustainability #CollaborationforChange

We know we've been a bit quieter lately. 🤫    But we've got some exciting stuff going on behind the scenes. Creating content is a big part of what we do at Good Tourism Institute.    We love bringing you thought-provoking insights a few times a week. 🤓   But we've also been busy with some really interesting projects. So, what's been happening?   1️⃣ First off, we've been focussed on expanding our Sustainable Marketing Program.    We realised it's not just travel businesses who want to master sustainable marketing. It’s accommodations and destinations as well!   We've collected lots of real-world case studies and will be adding them to our program soon. 🙌   2️⃣ Second, we’ve been diving into the EU Green Claims Directive.    With this directive coming up, we know there's a lot of concern about new the regulations regarding communicating sustainability. 😵💫   That's why we dedicated countless hours to studying the details and learning from legal experts in the field. Our goal: to make this complex topic understandable for everyone. ✅   The result?   📖 An eBook to help you understand the details of the Green Claims Directive 🎓 A masterclass to prepare you for the future of sustainability communication   We're not quite finished yet but hope to share more details soon.   Stay tuned – exciting things are ahead! 🎉 // #goodtourism #responsibletravel #successstrategy #eugreenclaims #sustainablemarketing #businessgrowth #travelbusiness #touroperator

Does your destination want to lead with action that sustains well-being for all? Find out how its tourism and events sustainability efforts compare to other participating cities by joining the 2023 #GDSindex*. https://lnkd.in/dm3vv3Ey "Strategic partnerships such as these provide a future platform and a voice to destinations that are embedding and implementing regenerative tourism." - Jessica Vandy, Senior Changemaker, AsaiPacific region, Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS-Movement). * #GDSindex is a destination-level programme that measures, benchmarks, and improves the social, economic, and environmental sustainability strategy and performance of tourism and events in cities and regions across the world. It is the global standard for tracking and better managing the regenerative contributions of a destination’s visitor economy.

Next week on Tuesday 09 July @ 10am, Ill be co-chairing my first AITO Sustainable Tourism Committee meeting. This is an exciting time for me 😁 (and perhaps I'm a tad nervous having not done anything like this before) as I embark on this chapter in life. For me, reviving this committee is to make a difference, to help those SME in our community that need it. To give them a starting point and a roadmap to follow to help each reach their goals of a sustainable operation. This is a marathon not a sprint! It will take time, but WE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Shameless plug 🙂 If you are an AITO member and happen to read this and would like to join us RSVP here: sustainabletourism@aito.com and you will be sent the link to join. Our key objectives are: 1.    Engagement and Collaboration: We want to create an inclusive space where every member can share their insights, challenges and ideas. Their experiences are invaluable and together, we can find the best paths forward. 2.    Education and Training: We recognise that understanding sustainability can be daunting. We will start with question and training sessions to demystify what sustainability means, discuss its benefits and explore the changing habits of consumers who are increasingly seeking eco-friendly options. 3.    Roadmap Development: Using the already established AITO toolkits, we aim to build a comprehensive roadmap. These toolkits will need updating and further development to better serve our needs. This roadmap will be a collective effort, ensuring everyone has a clear path to follow.   The proposed roadmap structure includes: ·        Initial Training Sessions: To help us all get on the same page about sustainability, its benefits and the evolving market demands. ·        Toolkit Updates: We'll update and develop the existing toolkits to make them more practical and effective for everyone. ·        Implementation Support: Continuous support will be provided to help integrate sustainable practices into your operations. ·        Monitoring and Feedback: We'll set up ways to monitor our progress and gather feedback to make necessary adjustments. My colleagues and peers - if you got this far reading this, thank you 🙏. Also, I'd welcome any feedback or advice you'd like to offer....always willing to learn!

📄🌎 The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is no longer a future possibility, it’s here! Curious about its influence on business travel? Wondering if your company will need to disclose scope 3 emissions? Dive into Advito's blog, where Amélie Losanes explores the impact of CSRD on business travel and how Advito can support you with the new reporting requirements. ➡ https://ow.ly/I5cy30sCbr5 #CSRD #SustainabilityReporting