It’s not often that we see an Australian hospitality heavyweight partner up with a global certification body. Coming on the back of the Australian Government’s announcement of a National Tourism Accreditation Framework, the marriage of the Accommodation Association of Australia and EarthCheck sends strong signals that something big is afoot.

(TRAVPR.COM) AUSTRALIA - April 3rd, 2011 - It’s not often that we see an Australian hospitality heavyweight partner up with a global certification body. Coming on the back of the Australian Government’s announcement of a National Tourism Accreditation Framework, the marriage of the Accommodation Association of Australia and EarthCheck sends strong signals that something big is afoot.

The Accommodation Association of Australia is a specialist organisation that represents a cross section of industry members, from major chains like Accor, InterContinental, Toga Hospitality, Mirvac and Mantra to B&Bs, motels, caravan parks and single operator guest houses. With a national membership base of almost 2000 properties encompassing 110,000 guest rooms, the Accommodation Association are a strong voice from within the hospitality sector.

So when they recently wooed global benchmarking and certification body EarthCheck, it was little wonder that industry experts started sitting up and taking notice.

EarthCheck was developed by the federally funded Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC) and has emerged as a leading international player in its field. EarthCheck is trusted by more than 1100 organisations in over 65 countries to provide them with a scientifically robust and technically savvy environmental and business management solution.

The two have come together to help Australian hoteliers better manage the new expectations of government. When the National Tourism Accreditation Framework (NTAF) was announced by Canberra last week, it signalled a coming to terms with the market.

“It’s all about improving operational performance across a company,” said Accommodation Association Chief Executive Lorraine Duffy.  “Partnering with EarthCheck in this manner lets us offer our members a simple and affordable way to meet government requirements, while demonstrating that they’re applying global best practice.”

Certifying, measuring and reporting on sustainable operational performance are now being taken seriously across the world by leading companies,” explained EarthCheck CEO Stewart Moore. “The partnership between the Accommodation Association and EarthCheck provides Australian operators with an internationally recognised certification program that can all be delivered online.”

The joint solution aims to meet and exceed the NTAF guidelines, as launched at the Australian Tourism Exchange on April 2nd. “This should not be a race to the bottom,” continued Moore, “as Australian tourism businesses provide world-class experiences and should embrace the opportunity to measure and compare their commitment to quality and sustainability in a competitive international marketplace”. 

The Accommodation Association and EarthCheck partnership will be supported by an industry training and capacity building program, delivered through both the Accommodation Association Academy and online training facility.
 

Editor’s Notes:
EarthCheck is one of the world's largest certifiers of sustainable travel and tourism operators; with more than 1,100 clients in over 65 countries. EarthCheck certification complies with the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) 14064 range of standards for greenhouse gas accounting. Refer: www.earthcheck.org

The Accommodation Association of Australia is a specialist organisation committed to working for employers in the Accommodation sector. The Association was formed to represent the interests of registered accommodation operators and provides an experienced guiding and influential voice on behalf of the industry.

Media contact:

Accommodation Association
Lorraine Duffy
Chief Executive
Ph: 02 8666 9015/0401 410 242
Email: lorraine.duffy@aaoa.com.au

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