In September, more than fifty small and medium companies from the tourism sector in Galapagos participated in workshops about good management practices in sustainable tourism, planning and leadership, and restaurant service techniques.

The main goal of these workshops was to train the private sector in the development and adoption of good practices promoting sustainable activities.

Using practical case examples, the participants learned about identifying immediate measures that contribute to saving operating costs such as efficient use of water and energy; use of environmentally friendly water purification methods; measures to avoid exotic species propagation; use of recycled products; residual water treatment; and environmentally sustainable service policies.

The September workshops were part of the project “Promoting Biodiversity Conservation by Implementing Good Management Practices in Tourism Activities” executed by the Rainforest Alliance and Conservation International.  They worked in conjunction with Programme for Belize and the Ecuadorian Ecotourism Association (ASEC), and supported by the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) through the United Nations Environment Program (PNUMA). These workshops were also financed by the International Tour Operators Association (IGTOA).

Since Ecuador and Belize are two of the most megadiverse countries in the world, the project is aimed at promoting the concepts of forest and marine biodiversity conservation in those countries’ tourism industries in order to assure local, national and global environmental benefits.