A best practice is a technique or methodology that, through experience and research, has proven to reliably lead to a desired result. A commitment to using the best practices in any field is a commitment to using all the knowledge and technology at one’s disposal to ensure success.

Below is a list of Best Practice resources relating to the following areas:

· Principles, Codes and Criteria
· Setting up a Sustainable Tourism Business
· Getting Certified
· Conservation of the Natural Environment
· Respecting the Social Environment
· Building „Green“
· Responsible Water Consumption
· Waste and Greenhouse Gas Reduction
· Energy and Electricity Usage
· Sustainable Food and Beverage

Principles, Codes and Criteria

Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Sustainable Tourism (National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy)

The Six Fair Trade in Tourism Principles (Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa)

Sustainable Tourism – Codes of Conduct for Tour Operators (Rainforest Alliance)

The Tourism Child Protection Code of Conduct: An industry driven responsible tourism initiative to pro-actively fight the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism

Setting Up a Sustainable Tourism Business

SME Toolkit South Africa – Understanding responsible tourism: A general article on responsible tourism enterprises in South Africa

Guide for Sustainable Tourism Best Practices:A step by step guide explaining the how-to’s for implementing best practices. (Rainforest Alliance)

Ecotourism Manual (Botswana Tourism)

Managing Sustainable Nature-Bases Tourism in Southern Africa: A practical assessment tool

Sustainable Tourism Business Operations: This portal provides information on Sustainable Tourism Planning, Product Development, Marketing, Business Growth and Development and Monitoring/Evaluation.

Business Planning: A helpful guide to assist you to focus on the potential viability and sustainability of your business

Communication: A helpful guide to assist you to communicate effectively in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Getting Certified

Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa: Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa (FTTSA) is a non-profit organisation that promotes sustainable tourism development. They do this through awareness raising, research and advocacy, capacity building and by facilitating the world’s first tourism Fair Trade certification programme.

Green Stay South Africa: GreenStaySA is an information resource that supports the move towards improved environmental performance for the accommodation sector. It provides guidance and support to facilities who wish to improve their environmental footprint and operate in an environmentally responsible manner.

Practical Steps for Funding Certification of Tourism Businesses (Rainforest Alliance)

Conservation of the Natural Environment

Parks and Culture: This portal provides ready access to information on managing nature-based and cultural tourism in natural areas with a particular focus on national parks. (Sustainable Tourism Online)

Guide to Best Practices for Sustainable Tourism in Tropical Forests: This guide presents detailed information about the tropical forest and the environmental resources most impacted by tourism in this ecosystem. It analyzes the potential problems resulting from tourism activity and recommends specific best management practices to minimize these impacts.

IUCN Guidelines for the Prevention of Biodiversity Loss caused by Alien Invasive Species: The goal of these guidelines is to prevent further losses of biological diversity due to the deleterious effects of alien invasive species.

Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas: Guidelines for Planning and Management

Indigenous and Local Communities and Protected Areas: Towards Equity and Enhanced Conservation Guidance on policy and practice for Co-managed Protected Areas and Community Conserved Areas: The above guidelines explore protected area approaches and models that see conservation as fully compatible with human communities – as managers, decision-makers, residents, users, caretaking neighbors – and that regard such communities as an asset to conservation rather than a liability.

Evaluation Effectiveness: A Framework for Assessing Management Effectiveness of Protected Areas: This document is based on the idea that protected area management follows six distinct stages (context, planning, inputs, process, outputs and outcomes).  This Best Practice Guideline is not intended as a ‘how to’ manual and does not contain a detailed methodology, but explains the steps in designing and conducting an assessment.

Landscaping (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Biodiversity Conservation (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Wildlife Species (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Wildlife in Captivity (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Interactions with Wildlife (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Social Environment

Destinations and Communities This portal includes guidelines for Destination Planning, Implementation, Destination Performance, as well as Tools and Case Studies. (Sustainable Tourism Online)

Community Development (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Local Employment (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Support Local Entrepreneurs (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Respect Indigenous Populations (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Exploitation (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Equitable Hiring (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Employee Protection (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Basic Services (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Building „green “

Green Building Council: How to build energy efficient, resource efficient and environmentally responsible

Water

Water Consumption (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Wastewater (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Waste and Greenhouse Gas Reduction

Greenhouse Gas (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Waste Management Plan (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Harmful Substances (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Other Pollutants (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Waste Management in South Africa (Enviro-Info 2001)

Energy / Electricity

Energy Consumption (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Sustainable Food and Beverage

Sustainable Food This page gives links to some practical advice for anyone interested in buying and using more sustainable food.

Fair Trade (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Purchasing Policy (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

Consumable Goods (Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria)

SASSI:The Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) was initiated in November 2004 in order to inform and educate all participants in the seafood trade, from wholesalers to restaurateurs through to seafood lovers.

SASSI Know Your Seafood: This booklet gives an overview of the seafood industry in South Africa, with a focus on consumer awareness.

SASSI Business Participation: The SASSI Participation Scheme is a business guide for sustainable seafood in southern Africa.  It is a tool designed to introduce businesses that buy and sell seafood to ways in which they can support sustainable seafood and in doing so, help to ensure the sustainability of their own business

SASSI Consumer Card: This printable pocket guide provides South African consumers with a list of seafood species that are legal and sustainable.  It categorizes species into green (best choice), orange (caution) and red (no sale).

Restaurant Participation Scheme: SASSI’s restaurant participation scheme was developed to enable SASSI to engage with individually owned and operated restaurants and restaurant chains with central procurement policies.

Sustainable Table: Sustainable Table celebrates local sustainable food, educates consumers on food-related issues and works to build community through food.

change.org: Choose sustainable food and read about the latest news