Alliances & IQC's

Solimar is a managing partner of the GSTA, a Leader with Associates Award that is a partnership of leading international organizations working together with USAID Missions to apply a holistic and market-driven approach to development of sustainable tourism projects. The GSTA is currently working in Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Mali, and Ethiopia with a goal to promote, implement, and support sustainable tourism interventions with emphasis on fragile and transformational states as well as high biodiversity areas. The international and local alliance members are innovators and leaders in a range of disciplines, combining resources and expertise to develop sustainable tourism with the greatest potential for attracting international visitors. For more information visit www.gstalliance.org

The PLACE ICQ addresses biophysical, economic growth and governance issues related to effective management and conservation of critical resources. PLACE provides USAID Missions and Operating Units technical assistance in carrying out activities that meet USAID's Biodiversity Conservation Code. On the PLACE ICQ Solimar has partnered with Chemonics International, Rainforest Alliance, Winrock International, Wildlife Conservation Society, Pact, University of Rhode Island, Colorado State University, AIS Development, International Land Systems, and International Projects Consultancy.

SAVE stands for Scientific, Academic, Volunteer and Educational Travel. The SAVE Alliance is non-profit “network of networks” that facilitates linkages between potential or developing tourism destinations and attractions, and the appropriate SAVE markets. This is a fast growing group market segment, which was identified and conceptualized by The George Washington University in 2003. Subsequently, Honduras became the first country to establish SAVE as a national tourism priority. Other countries are now considering SAVE as a tourism marketing strategy and development approach. The SAVE market includes travelers who engage in activities which can create significant positive contributions to the sustainability of a destination.

The Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC Partnership) is a coalition of 32 organizations working together to foster increased understanding of sustainable tourism practices and the adoption of universal sustainable tourism principles. The Partnership, which was initiated by Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Foundation, and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), launched the Sustainable Tourism Criteria at the World Conservation Congress in October 2008. These criteria will be the minimum standard that any tourism business should aspire to reach in order to protect and sustain the world’s natural and cultural resources while ensuring tourism meets its potential as a tool for poverty alleviation.

The Coalition for World Heritage Destinations is a partnership among four tourism-related organizations advocating for responsible travel and the adoption of sustainable practices. The members of the partnership include Solimar International, Sustainable Travel International, Robin Tauck & Partners, and the SAVE Travel Alliance. With a combined 95 years in promoting sustainable tourism development, the Coalition draws upon the extensive experience and expertise of its founding organizations to provide World Heritage destinations with winning strategies for sustainable tourism development.