Virtuoso Life - March/April 2009 - (Page 50) GO GREEN Here Today, Tourism for Tomorrow These awards recognize travel companies for their environmental stewardship, but the real winners are travelers themselves. BY COSTAS CHRIST ILLUSTRATIONS BY LEIGH WELLS I n tODAY’S trAveL WOrLD, it’s not just where you go that matters, but with whom. More and more people want to take “green” vacations – that’s the good news – but determining which companies are really practicing environmental stewardship (as opposed to PR spin) remains a traveler’s dilemma. No globally recognized green certification scheme yet exists for the multifaceted tourism industry in the way that, say, Michelin stars rate restaurants or AAA diamonds signify high-end amenities. The United Nations Foundation is working on crafting criteria for global sustainable tourism, but for now, one of the most reliable resources to help travelers make informed choices is the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards program (tourismfortomorrow.com). It is fair to say that not all tourism is good tourism: We’ve 50 VIRTUOSO LIFE
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