First Hotel Certified in Sustainable Tourism in Brazil
The hotel Canto das Águas (www.lencois.com.br) in Brazil´s beautiful
Chapada Diamantina region is the first hotel to be certified under
the official Brazilian Sustainable Tourism Standard (ABNT NBR 15.401).
The hotel was established more than 20 years ago in the historic
diamond town of Lençois in the Chapada Diamantina, one of Brazil´s
top outdoor adventure destinations. The hotel is known for is charm
and hospitality and its attention to its socio-environmental
responsibilities. It has been part of the Roteiros de Charme, an
independent hotel network that has an environmental code of conduct,
since 2003.
The Brazilian Sustainable Tourism Standard is one of the results of
Brazil Sustainable Tourism Program, coordinated by the Instituto de
Hospitalidade and financed by IADB and the Brazilian Government.
Apart from developing the standard and incorporating it into
Brazil’s official system, the program (called PCTS/Bem Receber in
Brazil) created best practice manuals and offered extensive training
programs for accommodations by destinations. Since 2009, two
organizations in Brazil are accredited at INMETRO to audit and
certify for conformity assessment with the NBR 15.401.
With this first certification for Canto das Águas, the Brazil-wide
investment in informing and preparing destinations and
accommodations, more hotels are expected to follow suit.
Source: www.ecobrasil.org.br
