First announced at the 2024 Adventure Travel World Summit in Panama, the ATTA’s Membership Sustainability Commitment is designed to unite the adventure travel community in making a formal commitment to sustainable practices.
Members are asked to prove their commitment to responsible tourism and sustainability in one of three ways: through a third-party certification program like Travelife and B Corp, by demonstrating progress in working towards certification, or by participating in third-party sustainability assessments such as Nature Positive Tourism.
The goal of this initiative is to create a unified framework that encourages the ATTA community to engage in sustainable practices while sharing with each other their progress toward certification, challenges along the way, and learnings. With the help of key strategic partners, the ATTA’s aim is to help businesses achieve their sustainability goals in an easier, faster, and more accessible manner.
By joining the ATTA, members will have instant access to a network of resources, including access to exclusive discussion spaces about sustainability on the member HUB, dedicated webinars and workshops, and community support as they embark on the Membership Sustainability Commitment.
Let’s take a closer look at why this initiative is a major step for the ATTA, dive into the specific benefit this commitment brings to travel businesses, address some common questions, and share more about what this journey will look like over the next two years.
Why and How We Got Here: Twenty Years of Sustainability
The Membership Sustainability Commitment comes at a crucial time for the tourism industry, where the stance of the ATTA is that sustainable travel is no longer an option, but a necessity. Ever since a pivotal kayaking trip and conversation between Shannon Stowell, ATTA CEO, and Gustavo Timo, the ATTA Vice President of Sustainability and Impact, the aim of the ATTA has been to support a global community in facing social, economic, and environmental challenges together while being a leader in conservation and sustainability initiatives.
Over the years, this has included a commitment to climate action through incubating Tomorrow’s Air, a global collective dedicated to cleaning carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through education and action to support carbon removal and sustainable aviation fuel innovators. The ATTA was also one of the founders of the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund (ATCF), a nonprofit that provides funding, connections, and an international spotlight on projects that protect the cultural and natural resources which underpin the adventure tourism industry.
Earlier this year, the ATTA announced a new sustainability policy and fund, launched a Sustainability Resource Center, partnered with Tomorrow’s Air and Innovation Norway on a Year of Climate Action, and joined 1% for the Planet. The goal of these initiatives, coupled with the new Membership Sustainability Commitment, is to make sustainability easier to achieve, certification more affordable and accessible, and to create a network of support for our members to grow their businesses through responsible tourism.
Another important aspect is that while third-party certifications and assessments are not perfect, they are the most official way to prove commitment to sustainability. At a time when greenwashing is rampant and there are major gaps between travelers intentions versus actions, there is a growing need for third-party certifications. From the European Union to the platform Booking.com, efforts to make sustainability more than a buzzword have leaned toward a system of official certification. While self-reporting on sustainability can offer insight into a company’s values, third-party certifications provide a far more reliable and verifiable method for demonstrating a business’s environmental and social performance.
This, ultimately, is also good for business. Demand for responsible travel continues to grow, and the companies that can prove their sustainability claims will be the ones that thrive. While debates about the authenticity of such certifications persist, the rigorous standards of third-party assessments offer a reliable way for companies to prove their commitment to sustainability in an increasingly skeptical marketplace. As consumers become more conscious of environmental impact, and as governments tighten regulations on misleading green claims, the Membership Sustainability Commitment offers a path for companies to keep up with evolving global standards within a supportive, collaborative network of like-minded businesses.
This is how we got here, but everyone in the ATTA community has a unique story to share about their sustainability efforts and where they are in their journey. So, let’s take a look at the specific benefits, resources, and strategic partners that members have access to.
Where to Begin: Support From ATTA and Strategic Partners
Every business is vastly different – from size to geographic location to business model – so there is no one-size-fits-all approach to making a sustainability commitment. Instead, the ATTA has tried to create a framework that encourages adventure travel companies to actively work toward measurable, meaningful goals. This commitment involves practices that focus on environmental protection, social responsibility, and economic resilience.
A good place to start is reviewing the ATTA’s Membership Sustainability Commitment series. This is an excellent resource for all members, but is particularly useful for businesses that may have spent a lot of time in survival mode the last few years and have been less able to focus on sustainability. These four documents offer essential insights, practical tools, and real-life case studies tailored for adventure travel businesses. They are:
- Sustainability Implementation, Now What? Understanding what to do with Pledges, Guidelines, and Certifications: Explore key frameworks, certifications, and actionable steps to align with industry standards.
- Sustainability Certification Programs for Tour Operators: A Global Overview: This document provides a comprehensive introduction to sustainability certifications available for tour operators worldwide, including global, regional, and national options.
- Sustainability Certifications for Tour Operators: How to Decide the Best for your Company: This guide outlines key factors for selecting the most suitable sustainability certification, guiding businesses through standards, criteria, and certification processes.
- Sustainability Certifications for Tour Operators: Case Studies: This final chapter presents real-world examples from certified tour operators, highlighting challenges, successes, and the tangible benefits of sustainability certifications.
From there, members are encouraged to explore the Sustainability Resource Center, which has a variety of research, courses, on-demand webinars, toolkits, and guidelines that members can pick and choose from based on interest, relevance, and identified knowledge gaps.
Next, join a conversation! By creating a profile on the HUB, members have access to a conversation and networking space designed for general sustainability topics, as well as one dedicated specifically to the Membership Sustainability Commitment. The ATTA’s strategic sustainability partners are also excellent resources to achieve your goals; learn more about what they do and what they can offer your business:
- Animondial: ATTA’s partner in animal welfare
- BehaviorSMART: ATTA’s partner for activating the tourism supply chain for lasting sustainability
- Ecollective: ATTA’s partner for emissions accounting and reduction for travel businesses
- Equator AI: ATTA’s partner in carbon emission calculation
- Green Key (Coming soon)
- Travelife: ATTA’s partner in sustainability education and certification for tour operators
Any business member that already has a formal commitment to sustainability can submit documentation here and acquire your ATTA “Committed to Sustainability” badge. You will be prompted to sign a new values statement and submit your proof of commitment document. You can also do this at the time of your next membership renewal.
Submit Sustainability Documentation
The Roadmap Ahead
Making a commitment to sustainability cannot happen overnight, which is why the ATTA has laid out a timeframe of 24 months (by the end of 2026) for members to make a formal commitment. By starting now, members can begin to take action while learning from one another, and take advantage of the network of knowledge that this community offers.
As part of an effort to make the Sustainability Membership Commitment as accessible and inclusive as possible while still being consistent, any sustainability commitment that includes a third party assessment is welcomed. This can include certification programs or other frameworks like Nature Positive Tourism. The ATTA welcomes new credible solutions to support sustainability implementation, so to find out if a framework your business has implemented is recognized or to share a recommendation, please send an email to: [email protected]
As an organization, the ATTA has committed alongside all of you, and is actively working to become B Corp certified by the end of 2026. This journey toward B Corp certification is a reflection of a core belief that inspiring change in the broader tourism industry requires leading by example or “walking the talk.”
It is also important to note that prospective members do not have to be certified to join the ATTA. The Membership Sustainability Commitment is designed to meet businesses where they are on their sustainability journey, and provide resources along the way to make that commitment more accessible. By joining the ATTA, businesses become part of the largest sustainable travel community in the world, and help shape the future of a better tourism model.
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