Tourism Ministry inked an MoU with Ecotourism Society of India (ESOI) for formulating criteria for certification of accommodation and tour and travel operators within sustainable tourism guidelines.

• The ESOI will prepare a 10-year road map for advocacy and certification under the Sustainable Tourism Criteria for India (STCI).
• The road map will be based on regional workshops held with relevant stakeholders across the country.
•  ESOI, through stakeholder consultations, will formulate criteria and classification guidelines for certification for accommodation and tour/travel operators within STCI guidelines and later develop standards for destinations which will also be in sync with internationally accepted Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria.
•  Tourism Joint Secretary Suman Billa and ESOI Honorary President Steve Borgia signed the MoU in the presence of Tourism Secretary Vinod Zutshi.

   

About ESOI

• Ecotourism Society of India (ESOI) has been formed by a group of eminent professionals from the tourism industry as well as Environmentalists under the advice of Ministry of Tourism in 2008 as a non-profit organisation to promote environmentally responsible and sustainable practices in the tourism industry across the country, as a national body.
• ESOI shall work closely with Central and State Government bodies responsible for Sustainable Tourism, as well as network with like-minded regional / State players across the country to facilitate and support synergy of policies, initiatives and activities at the national and State level.
• The Society had initiated efforts to spread awareness and educate tourism service providers as well as local govt. officials on the urgent need to ensure perpetually sustainable tourism practices.
• The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has officially declared ESOI as their partner in helping them develop policy guidelines, code of conduct and ethical practices for Sustainable Tourism, to position India as a Global eco-tourism destination.