The subject of certification and certification systems is a vast, complex and at the same time topical subject, in recent years being increasingly associated with tourism and especially ecotourism. The concept of ecotourism and other sustainable forms of tourism have their origins in the ecological movement of the 1970s. Ecotourism became relevant in the late 1980s, after the Manila Conference on World Tourism in the 1981, where it was unequivocally stated that tourism causes more harm than good to people and destinations. To avoid this, emphasis has been placed on the development of ecotourism, that form of tourism that is often in a convergent relationship with nature. In turn, certification systems are processes designed to encourage and reward firms that choose to produce or market products that use the highest social and environmental standards in their production. Obtaining them involves consulting with a variety of stakeholders and uses primarily a performance-based system, but also a third-party audit. They may also include the creation or implementation of a management system to help establish better and more efficient environmental procedures. The basic purpose or motto of this type of program can be characterized as a risk reduction.
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Global trends and priorities change: more than ever the overarching challenge for the tourism sector is to remain competitive while also embracing sustainability recognizing that, in the long term, competitiveness depends on sustainability. In particular, climate change is now seen as a fundamental issue also requiring the tourism industry to reduce its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and the destinations to adapt to changes in the pattern of demand and in the types of tourism they offer.
The dynamics, depth and scale of transformations in all sectors of economic and social life are reflected, inter alia, in the change of economic structures, the hierarchy of the branches in accordance with the requirements of scientific and technical progress, the rational exploitation of the full potential of resources and the increase in efficiency, with the requirements of the life quality improvement. At the same time, major changes are taking place in economic growth models by focusing on intensive types, towards areas of sustainable development, globalization and integration. In this context, tourism manifests itself as a social component, with significant participation in general progress and,