Three Certification Levels

QALIA Sustainability Levels

Members begin with the ESSENTIALS level and through continuous implementation of sustainable practices can then progress to the ADVANCED and EXCELLENCE levels.

Our responsible tourism framework

Our framework is a progressive model comprising 100 criteria based on Four Pillars, with a focus on addressing certain United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). It is also inspired by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) guidelines and other best practices in hospitality.

Criteria requirements differ by level, considering both structural and local elements to ensure all are achievable. QALIA’s framework undergoes an annual review and update.

Each criterion is given a score that contributes to the certification result. While some criteria are required, others are recommended and enhance the overall score. The QALIA scoring system incorporates impact on specific UN SDGs, the complexity of implementation, potential costs, and effect on the guests’ experience.

In addition to our Certification Management System and our in-depth Knowledge Base, our team provides personal coaching to all members in their progress to ensure certification is reached.

Key benefits of QALIA endorsement:

Personal coaching programme, Certification Management System, Knowledge Base and downloadable templates
Recognition from an independent body enhances the integrity of your sustainable claims
Expand exposure and visibility within a competitive market
Increase brand reputation and differentiation
Appeal to conscious wealthy travellers who align travel with their values
Enhance employee attraction and retention who want to work for value-driven businesses
Create meaningful guests experiences with genuine storytelling

ESSENTIALS

Our entry-level encompasses 30 required criteria centered around adjustments in the operations that typically enhance the guests’ experience and initiate the journey with better choices at minimal to no capital investment. These practices can be rapidly adopted either by the in-villa staff or the concierge/operations team. Properties reaching the overall score of 55 points are rewarded with the ESSENTIALS certification.

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ADVANCED

Our ADVANCED level comprises an additional 25 required criteria within the Four Pillars that demonstrate your brand’s dedication to making a difference. It emphasizes engagement with communities and a heightened sense of responsibility in your operations for the environment, the guests’ well-being and commitment to society’s prosperity. Recognition is awarded when a property achieves an overall score of 65 points.

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EXCELLENCE

The EXCELLENCE level is the epitome of one’s commitment to responsible tourism through meaningful impact and a genuinely holistic approach. As the pinnacle of our responsible tourism standard, it includes 23 required criteria that deepen community engagement, conscious luxury experiences and responsibility to society. The commendation is conferred once these are met with an overall framework score of 75 points,

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How our endorsement works

INITIAL ASSESSMENT

We conduct a preliminary Q&A interview with all potential members. We cover all possible queries you may have about our organisation. We explain the sustainability label’s criteria, the process and the benefits of being endorsed. You will have the opportunity to discuss your current situation, long-term plan and what would be needed to meet the criteria within the label.

DOCUMENTATION

Each property is required to submit evidence that the criteria are met. You will submit evidence in the form of documents, video or images via our online platform. Prior to submitting the relevant information, we check everything to ensure a smooth and prompt upload process.

AUDIT & CERTIFICATION COMMITTEE

Our certified auditors in sustainable tourism will review and validate the evidence of compliance and may ask for new evidence to validate a criteria. Once a favorable decision is received, the auditor will create an audit report. It is then that our certification committee will review that all the documentation is aligned with our certification policy before issuing the certification along with the access rights to use the relevant level of the QALIA sustainability label.

SHARING YOUR ACHIEVEMENT

We will promote your property’s commitment to sustainability within the terms of the agreement you have approved. This would generally include PR campaigns targeting specialised agencies and luxury travel/lifestyle blogs and magazines that are looking for conscious luxury travel brands. Additionally, through a partner company, we can also help you develop your distribution strategy.

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