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NEWS AND FEATURES
Travel Industry User's Guide to Sustainability Released

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Boulder, Colorado (May 2004) - Sustainable Travel International (STI), the U.S.-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable development within the travel industry, has released a User's Guide to Sustainability for travel providers, including tour operators, accommodations, attractions and the like.

Corporate social responsibility and environmental conservation are issues that are becoming increasingly important in the world of business. Traditionally, a company's success has been measured in terms of its financial bottom line. Sustainability requires companies to consider their influence in not one but three areas: the environment, the society in which they operate and their economic impacts.

This "triple bottom line" of sustainability supports the notion that the private sector should play a key role in enhancing the environment and society within its areas of influence. But how can a company measure its contribution to sustainability in a way that is meaningful to its own unique business? STI attempts to answer this important question with the release of its User's Guide to Sustainability.

Originally developed as a complementary tool to the organization's Sustainable Tourism Eco-Certification Program™ (STEP), the User's Guide to Sustainability is also designed for use by companies who are not ready to pursue eco-certification but are interested in sustainability.

"We designed the User's Guide to Sustainability to assist travel companies in implementing sustainable business practices, and help them to progress toward eco-certification," said Peter D. Krahenbuhl, STI Co-founder. "Since STI's mission is focused on educating the travel industry about sustainability, this new resource should prove to be invaluable."

The guide provides practical tips on how to measure and manage business-related impacts while improving business operations. It also provides advice for meeting sustainability-related objectives, and it includes a glossary of terms to help businesses gain a better understanding of related terminology.

The User's Guide to Sustainability is available on-line by visiting www.ecocertification.org and then clicking on "STEP User's Guide".