General Certifications
Essential Costa Rica country brand
The Essential Costa Rica country brand was created as a tool to make companies competitive, in both the export and tourism sectors. As such, companies that have high performance in the areas of the five brand values (excellence, sustainability, social progress, innovation, and Costa Rican origin) may carry the brand.
Tourism companies or organizations should comply with certain established requirements and parameters, and have a Tourism Interest Declaration or the Certificate of Sustainable Tourism (CST). They should also fill out a form that includes the requirements that the companies and the tourism activities should present to the ICT in order to request the brand use licensing.
The brand is issued for a period of 2 years.
Contact
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(506) 2299 5800 ext. 5771
(506) 2299 5800 ext. 5746
Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST)
The CST is a program of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute that is designed to categorize and certify tourism companies according to the degree to which their operations approach a model of sustainability. Four fundamental areas are evaluated for this: physical-biological context, service (lodging) / service management (tour-operating agencies), and customer and socio-economic context.
This award is issued by the National Accreditation Commission based in Costa Rica, which is comprised of the following members.
The CST certification is issued for a period of 2 years.
Code of Conduct to prevent the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents in relation to Travel and Tourism
The Code of Conduct came about as an initiative of ECPAT International, and is supported by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), which is developed both in countries of origin and in tourism destination countries. It aims for and promotes the participation and active commitment of the tourism industry to discourage and punish commercial, sexual exploitation of children and adolescents.
The Code of Conduct incorporates actions for hotels, tourism operators, travel agencies, car rental agencies, taxi companies, cruise personnel, and other related businesses, as well as key players such as public entities and NGOs that are competent in dealing with the changing factors that lead to commercial, sexual exploitation of minors through trips and tourism.
Contact
ICT
(506) 2299 5822
PANIAMOR
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(506) 2234 2993
Worldwide Tourism Code of Ethics
This is a collection of principles that were conceived in order to guide the main actors in tourism development. It is directed at governments, tourism companies, communities, and also tourists. Its objective is to help maximize the benefits of the sector while at the same time minimizing the possible negative consequences for the environment, the cultural heritage, and the societies around the world.
It was approved in 1999 by the General Assembly of the World Tourism Organization. Although the Code is not legally binding, it includes a voluntary application mechanism through the recognition of the role of the Worldwide Tourism Ethics Committee, to which the parties may direct any issues related to the application or interpretation of the document.
Contact
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GRI (Global Reporting Initiative)
The Global Report Initiative is an independent institution that created the first worldwide standards of guidelines for the completion of sustainability reports from companies that wish to evaluate their economic, environmental, and social performance.
It is an official center of collaboration of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), whose objective is to create a sustainable global economy in which organizations responsibly manage their performance and their economic, environmental, and social impacts, and make their reports transparently, with the reports of sustainability becoming a habitual practice.
Contact
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Global Compact
The United Nations Global Compact is an international initiative that helps to implement 10 universally-accepted Principles to promote Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the areas of Human Rights, Work Norms, Environment, and the Fight against Corruption in the activities and the business strategies of companies.
With more than 13,000 signatory entities in more than 145 countries, it is the largest voluntary corporate social responsibility initiative in the world. Backed by the CEOs of the companies that comprise it, the Global Compact is a practical framework to development, implant, and spread sustainable business policies and practices, offering its signatories a wide range of resources and management tools to help them implement business models and sustainable development.
Contact
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The Earth Charter
This is a declaration of fundamental ethical principles for the construction of a fair, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century.
The mission of the Earth Charter Initiative is to promote the transition to sustainable ways of life and towards a global society that shares a common ethical framework, which includes respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, universal human rights, respect for diversity, economic justice, democracy, and a culture of peace.
The initiative is a global, heterogeneous network of people, organizations, and institutions that participate in the promotion and implementation of the values and principles of the Earth Charter.
Contact
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(506) 2205 9060