STEP Sector Categories

STEP is designed as an Eco-certification program for businesses of all sizes that operate within the following segments of the travel and tourism industry. If you operate a luxury hotel, please consider applying for the Luxury Eco-certification Standard, whereas, if you offer tours to cruise lines or scuba diving tours, consider applying for Shore Excursions Standard.

Tour Operators >>

Tour Operators are defined as companies whose main business is taking individuals or groups of people to one or several places. Tours typically combine multiple vacation elements such as walking and driving and viewing and interacting with the environment. This category encompasses both in-bound and out-bound tour operators as well as tour wholesalers and travel agents.

Tour operators may offer air, land, or water-based transportation and or overnight accommodations as separate services, but these services are to be assessed separately.

Small- to Medium-sized tour operators are defined as tourism providers with 50 employees or less.

Large-sized tour operators are defined as tourism providers with more than 50 employees..

Accommodations >>

Accommodations are defined as facilities designed for transient occupancy to house overnight visitors or travelers. Accommodations typically include, but are not limited to bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, condominiums, cottages, eco-lodges, home-stays, hostels, hotels, inns, lodges, motels and resorts.

The accommodation may offer air, land, or water-based transportation and or tours as separate services, but these services are to be assessed separately. Please note that swimming pools, golf courses, or restaurants associated with the properties are not included in Eco-Certification.

Small- to Medium sized Accommodations are defined as tourism providers with 50 employees or less.

Large Accommodations are defined as tourism providers with more than 50 employees.

Luxury Accommodations >>

Attractions >>

Attractions are defined as facilities and or natural areas with fixed infrastructure that offers entertainment and or educational experiences for the public.

Attractions typically include, but are not limited to aquariums, heritage centers, museums, parks (city, state, regional, or national), theme parks, visitor centers and zoos. Please note, however, that aquariums and zoos associated with the attraction are currently not included in Eco-Certification.

The attraction may offer overnight accommodations, tours, and or air, land, or water-based transportation as separate services, but these services are to be assessed separately.

Transportation Service Providers >>

Transportation Service Providers are defined as companies whose main business is offering tourism-related, air, land or water-based transport services to individuals or groups of people. This category encompasses taxi, shuttle and charter services as well as small airlines, scenic cruises, off-road vehicle tours and the like.

The transportation service provider may offer overnight accommodations and tours as separate services, but these services are to be assessed separately.

STEP Eligibility

If you’re interested in self-assessing your business or want to be Eco-certified, you should first consider how you’re going to approach establishing a system for measuring and managing the environmental, socio-cultural and economic impacts associated with your operations. To help you through this process, STI has developed a Sustainability Management Framework and Self-assessment Tool, including a Planning & Reporting Guidebook, policy templates, and benchmarking tables.

An overview of some of the policy examples and methodologies you will find outlined in the Sustainability Planning & Reporting Kit are detailed below:

Sustainability Policy and Action Plan: A written policy incorporating relevant criteria under each principle category below appropriate to the location, nature and scale of your operations.

Environmental Impacts: Ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility.

Applicants must identify the ways in which their organization: 1) mitigates the negative environmental and ecological impacts associated with its operations and increases its positive environmental performance; 2) establishes reasonable and achievable targets related to environmental impacts and regularly monitors, records, reviews, and reports on the results.

Performance areas include but are not limited to: Ecosystem Preservation (e.g., transportation, endangered species, group size), Pollution Prevention (e.g., air, noise, vehicle maintenance), Energy Management (e.g., carbon management and offsets, business travel, client excursions), Waste Management (e.g., reduction of materials, recycling, supply chain management) Water Management (e.g., reduced consumption, waste water, non-point source pollution), and Chemical Management (e.g., cleaning supplies, paint, pesticides).

Socio-Cultural Impacts: On-going commitment to socio-cultural responsibility.

Applicants must identify the ways in which their organization: 1) mitigates the negative socio-cultural impacts associated with its operations and increases its positive socio-cultural performance; 2) establishes reasonable and achievable targets related to socio-cultural impacts and regularly monitors, records, reviews, and reports on the results.

Performance areas include but are not limited to: Fair Labor Practices (e.g., living wage, professional development), Local Purchasing (e.g., food products, indigenous art), Community Impacts (e.g., philanthropy, voluntourism, interpretation programs), Client and Employee Education and Training (e.g., sustainability, cultural sensitivity), Safety and Emergency Preparedness (e.g., first aid, safety planning).

Economic Impacts: On-going commitment to economic responsibility.

Applicants must identify the ways in which their organization: 1) mitigates the negative economic impacts associated with its operations and increases its positive economic performance; 2) establishes reasonable and achievable targets related to economic impacts and regularly monitors, records, reviews, and reports on the results.

Performance areas include but are not limited to: Supply Chain Management, Corporate Social Responsibility, Resource Efficiencies, Local Economic Development, and Community Support and Services.

Innovative Best Practices: Actions you've taken that demonstrate exemplary performance within the travel and tourism industry in any of the above areas.

For More Information

Contact us, call +503-488-5500, or Apply for STEP. Or choose to learn more about Fees, How to Apply, and have your FAQs answered.