Editing Ecotourism (section)

=== Regulation and accreditation ===
Because the regulations of ecotourism may be poorly implemented, ecologically destructive greenwashed operations like [[underwater hotel]]s and [[helicopter tour]]s can be categorized as ecotourism along with canoeing, camping, photography, and wildlife observation. The failure to acknowledge responsible, low-impact ecotourism puts legitimate ecotourism companies at a competitive disadvantage.

Management strategies to mitigate destructive operations include but are not limited to establishing a carrying capacity, site hardening, sustainable design, visitation quotas, fees, access restrictions, and visitor education.

Many environmentalists have argued for a global standard that can be used for [[certification]], differentiating ecotourism companies based on their level of environmental commitment, creating a standard to follow. A national or international regulatory board would enforce [[accreditation]] procedures, with representation from various groups including governments, hotels, tour operators, travel agents, guides, airlines, local authorities, conservation organizations, and non-governmental organizations.<ref name="Elper-Wood">{{cite book |last=Elper-Wood |first=M. |title=Ecotourism at a Crossroads: charting the way forward |year=1998 |publisher=The final report from the Conference of Ecotourism at the Crossroads |location=Nairobi, Kenya}}</ref> The decisions of the board would be sanctioned by governments so that non-compliant companies would be legally required to disassociate themselves from the use of the ecotourism brand.

In 1998, Crinion suggested a Green Stars System, based on criteria including a management plan, benefits for the local community, small group interaction, education value, and staff training.<ref name="Crinion">{{cite book |last=Crinion |first=D. |title=South Australian tourism strategy and the role of ecotourism |year=1998 |publisher=Down to Earth planning for an out-of-the-ordinary industry, presented at the South Australian Ecotourism Forum |location= Adelaide, Australia}}</ref> Ecotourists who consider their choices would be confident of a genuine ecotourism experience when they see the higher star rating.

In 2008 the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Criteria was launched at the IUCN World Conservation Congress.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Hocking |title=About GSTC |url=https://www.gstcouncil.org/about/ |url-status=live |access-date=2021-03-24 |website=Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710192457/https://www.gstcouncil.org/about/ |archive-date=2020-07-10}}</ref> The Criteria, managed by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, created a global standard for sustainable travel and tourism and includes criteria and performance indicators for destinations, tour operators and hotels.<ref name=":1" /> The GSTC provides accreditation through a third party to Certification Bodies to legitimize claims of sustainability.<ref name=":1" />

[[Environmental impact assessment]]s could also be used as a form of accreditation. Feasibility is evaluated on a scientific basis, and recommendations could be made to optimally plan infrastructure, set tourist capacity, and manage the ecology. This form of accreditation is more sensitive to site-specific conditions.

Some countries have their certification programs for ecotourism. Costa Rica, for example, runs the GSTC-Recognized Certification of Sustainable Tourism (CST) program, which is intended to balance the effect that business has on the local environment. The CST program focuses on a company's interaction with natural and cultural resources, the improvement of quality of life within local communities, and the economic contribution to other programs of national development. CST uses a rating system that categorizes a company based on how sustainable its operations are. CST evaluates the interaction between the company and the surrounding habitat; the management policies and operation systems within the company; how the company encourages its clients to become active contributors towards sustainable policies; and the interaction between the company and local communities/the overall population. Based upon these criteria, the company is evaluated for the strength of its sustainability. The measurement index goes from 0 to 5, with 0 being the worst and 5 being the best.<ref>{{cite web|last=Stater|first=Adam|title=Ecotourism in Costa Rica|url=http://www.anywherecostarica.com/sustainable/cst-sustainable-tourism}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Stater|first=Adam|title=The Certification of Sustainable Tourism|url=http://www.turismo-sostenible.co.cr/en/|access-date=2013-05-10|archive-date=2018-08-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180820190526/http://www.turismo-sostenible.co.cr/en/|url-status=dead}}</ref>