Biosphere for tour operators is a certification of tourism sustainability designed for tourist intermediation entities, travel agencies and tourism offices to improve their performance and reduce the negative impacts of the development of their activity, ensuring an adequate balance between the economic, socio-cultural and environmental dimensions.
The certification guarantees the fulfillment of requirements based on the principles of sustainability and continuous improvement, ensuring that certified Tour Operators carry out new non-aggressive tourism models, satisfying the current needs of their customers and users without compromising future generations. The Biosphere Tour Operator report significant benefits for themselves, the society and the environment.
Consumers increasingly demand new non-aggressive tourism models. Position yourself as a sustainable entity and communicate your commitment, with the Biosphere seal.
Receive proposals and recommendations to improve the work environment, consolidating a favorable climate with which to increase productivity, optimize customer and user service and achieve a positive perception of the target audience, improving their assessment of the image of the entity.
As a Biosphere Member, you will receive tools and support to manage and reduce the environmental impact of your entity, improving its quality and image, reducing costs and contributing to the preservation of the environment.
The best tour operators in the world with Biosphere certification united in a community to share experiences and resources
Activities that respect the natural, social and cultural environment of the community, promoting a positive exchange of experiences between residents and visitors, ensuring that the benefits of the activity are shared equally.
Sustainability and local development are in Winestyle Travel's DNA: by reserving their trips and hotels, you are contributing to the development of rural destinations and protecting the environment.
With their Responsible Tourism Policy, they are actively working towards a sustainable development of tourism and looking after people, cultural heritage and the environment.
The Biosphere certification process
Fill out the application form by choosing the desired certificate within the category of tour operators, determining the number of workers of your entity and filling the contact and billing data fields.
With the personalized help of the Biosphere team, follow the objectives set by the certification system, fulfill the requirements and implement the necessary sustainable policies to ensure the sustainability of your business and obtain the certificate.
The Tour Operator must pass an external audit to obtain the Biosphere Certificate, which will verify the compliance and the correct implementation of the requirements established in the certification system.
Workers | Annual certification price |
|---|---|
| 1 - 5 | 200 € |
| 6 - 20 | 500 € |
| 21 - 100 | 900 € |
| More than 100 | 1,200 € |
RTI provides the Biosphere community with an online certification system, with which it offers continuous assistance, tools, and the necessary support to guide any Camping in achieving the objectives set.
Within a maximum period of 10 days, an independent auditor of the Responsible Tourism Institute will perform an audit based on the evidence provided by the entity. The audit report may indicate issues to be improved or fixed. Once this report is made and validated by the RTI's Technical Committee, the RTI issues the entity's certificate.
Yes. The entity will pay the same fee every year based on its characteristics. In any case, through the management software, you can hire additional services (more precise analytics, training courses, etc.) at a competitive price, which will help you to improve your position in the tourism sustainability market.
To obtain the certificate; the entity must answer the requirements, through the 100% online certification system, by attaching evidence of compliance, as well as creating the minimum number of continuous improvement actions required.
The corresponding Biosphere Standard gathers the requirements an entity must meet to obtain the certification. This standard includes mandatory and voluntary requirements. The entity must comply with the first ones and interpret the second ones as continuous improvement objectives that should be achieved to become more sustainable.
Once the entity has obtained the certification, it will have to renew it on the same date of the following year. The renewal process consists of providing the results of the Action Plan developed by the entity in the previous year, as well as updating the out-of-date or incomplete evidence and paying the annual fee.
The goal of the Biosphere certification is to spread sustainability to the highest number of companies, destinations, and tourists around the world. If you think you are not ready to obtain the certification, at Biosphere, you will find all the documentary support and help to know what you must do to be more sustainable.
Winestyle Travel
Operadora Jalpa Extremo DMC