Grand Cru Wine Tours is First Wine Tour Company to Earn Sustainable Tourism Certification
Monmouth, OR, April 10, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Willamette Valley’s Grand Cru Wine Tours (www.grandcruwinetours.com) has become the first wine tour company in the world to earn second party certification through the rigorous Sustainable Tourism Eco-certification Program™ (STEP) offered through Sustainable Travel International (STI). This certification demonstrates their commitment to developing a sustainable business from first sip to last nibble. Grand Cru Wine Tours is a leader in providing unique, eco-friendly wine-focused travel experiences.
Tourism accounts for 10 percent of the world’s economy (and 18 percent of Oregon’s), so dedication to sustainable tourism is critical for the health and welfare of our planet. “Sustainability is a way of life for me,” said Byron Williams, owner and wine guide at Grand Cru Wine Tours. “When we established our company, being green was a personal requirement. The certification was a way of showing our customers that we take sustainability seriously and are open to outside reviews of our practices.”
“I hate greenwashing,” Williams said. “I wanted to design our sustainability practices around a comprehensive framework reflective of industry practices, STEP offered that framework.” STEP is the pre-eminent standard in sustainable tourism certification, designed not only to enforce a minimum set of criteria for sustainability, but also to serve as an educational resource and management framework for businesses of all sizes and levels of expertise.
“Grand Cru Wine Tours has taken the first steps towards implementing an integrated sustainability management plan. To become second party certified, they have completed a thorough and comprehensive self-assessment, they have drafted their sustainability policies, collected baseline measurements of environmental, social, and economic impacts, and submitted evidence of implementation for numerous best practices,” said Robert Chappell, STI's Director of Standards Development. Grand Cru is now approved to schedule an on-site assessment by an independent party, known as third party certification. This rigorous process is the highest level of transparency and therefore offers a higher level of certification.
Grand Cru Wine Tours has implemented such progressive practices as using recycled papers and soy-based inks, reducing waste and maximizing recycling, carefully planning routes for fuel efficiency, and providing driver education regarding conservation techniques to minimize the use of fossil fuels against industry best practices. Grand Cru also purchases certified carbon offsets to ensure they remain carbon neutral overall.
Grand Cru also values preserving local culture and stimulating regional economies and as such, serves predominantly local meats, cheeses, nuts, breads, and chocolates on their tours, and places a strong emphasis on working with businesses who share their green aspirations. Additionally, Grand Cru serves the Oregon Rain water brand — locally collected Willamette Valley rain — packaged in a biodegradable bottle, rather than ground water. “Our community has given us the opportunity to provide tourism services and we need to minimize our impacts in order to preserve what we promote. A holistic approach to sustainability benefits the community, the company, and our clients,” said Williams.
About Grand Cru Wine Tours
Grand Cru Wine Tours aims to provide a luxury Oregon wine tour based on sustainable business practices. From plush seating during the ride to an exquisite array of local foods and wines to local cultural knowledge, Grand Cru leaves no detail unattended. Grand Cru also places significant emphasis on working to benefit other local businesses – both wineries and other companies. Grand Cru Wine Tours was formed in 2009 and conducted its first tour in April of 2010. Since then, the company has been conducting sustainable wine tours with increasing frequency and hopes to double the number of monthly tours in 2011.
About Sustainable Travel International
Sustainable Travel International (STI) is a non-profit organization founded in 2002 to encourage sustainable tourism development. The STEP standard and eco-certification program are fully aligned with the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria and impending global accreditation through the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. In addition to certification, STI offers a suite of sustainability solutions such as destination stewardship, carbon management, travel philanthropy, market access, and education and training. STI partners with micro to large tourism businesses, Fortune 500 corporations, alliance organizations, and destination-level tourism boards. STI’s market-based programs offer tangible results to help protect the environment, improve and preserve social welfare cultural heritage, and add contribute to economic development to Leave the World a Better Place®.
###
Tourism accounts for 10 percent of the world’s economy (and 18 percent of Oregon’s), so dedication to sustainable tourism is critical for the health and welfare of our planet. “Sustainability is a way of life for me,” said Byron Williams, owner and wine guide at Grand Cru Wine Tours. “When we established our company, being green was a personal requirement. The certification was a way of showing our customers that we take sustainability seriously and are open to outside reviews of our practices.”
“I hate greenwashing,” Williams said. “I wanted to design our sustainability practices around a comprehensive framework reflective of industry practices, STEP offered that framework.” STEP is the pre-eminent standard in sustainable tourism certification, designed not only to enforce a minimum set of criteria for sustainability, but also to serve as an educational resource and management framework for businesses of all sizes and levels of expertise.
“Grand Cru Wine Tours has taken the first steps towards implementing an integrated sustainability management plan. To become second party certified, they have completed a thorough and comprehensive self-assessment, they have drafted their sustainability policies, collected baseline measurements of environmental, social, and economic impacts, and submitted evidence of implementation for numerous best practices,” said Robert Chappell, STI's Director of Standards Development. Grand Cru is now approved to schedule an on-site assessment by an independent party, known as third party certification. This rigorous process is the highest level of transparency and therefore offers a higher level of certification.
Grand Cru Wine Tours has implemented such progressive practices as using recycled papers and soy-based inks, reducing waste and maximizing recycling, carefully planning routes for fuel efficiency, and providing driver education regarding conservation techniques to minimize the use of fossil fuels against industry best practices. Grand Cru also purchases certified carbon offsets to ensure they remain carbon neutral overall.
Grand Cru also values preserving local culture and stimulating regional economies and as such, serves predominantly local meats, cheeses, nuts, breads, and chocolates on their tours, and places a strong emphasis on working with businesses who share their green aspirations. Additionally, Grand Cru serves the Oregon Rain water brand — locally collected Willamette Valley rain — packaged in a biodegradable bottle, rather than ground water. “Our community has given us the opportunity to provide tourism services and we need to minimize our impacts in order to preserve what we promote. A holistic approach to sustainability benefits the community, the company, and our clients,” said Williams.
About Grand Cru Wine Tours
Grand Cru Wine Tours aims to provide a luxury Oregon wine tour based on sustainable business practices. From plush seating during the ride to an exquisite array of local foods and wines to local cultural knowledge, Grand Cru leaves no detail unattended. Grand Cru also places significant emphasis on working to benefit other local businesses – both wineries and other companies. Grand Cru Wine Tours was formed in 2009 and conducted its first tour in April of 2010. Since then, the company has been conducting sustainable wine tours with increasing frequency and hopes to double the number of monthly tours in 2011.
About Sustainable Travel International
Sustainable Travel International (STI) is a non-profit organization founded in 2002 to encourage sustainable tourism development. The STEP standard and eco-certification program are fully aligned with the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria and impending global accreditation through the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. In addition to certification, STI offers a suite of sustainability solutions such as destination stewardship, carbon management, travel philanthropy, market access, and education and training. STI partners with micro to large tourism businesses, Fortune 500 corporations, alliance organizations, and destination-level tourism boards. STI’s market-based programs offer tangible results to help protect the environment, improve and preserve social welfare cultural heritage, and add contribute to economic development to Leave the World a Better Place®.
###
Contact
Grand Cru Wine Tours
Byron Williams
877-987-4668
www.grandcruwinetours.com
Byron Williams
877-987-4668
www.grandcruwinetours.com
Contact
Categories