New Podcast Episode: Why Sustainable Tourism is a Workforce Solution
by Sara Currier | May 6, 2025
In Episode 7 of Let's Talk Northern Ontario Tourism, host Karen Peacock sits down with Carol Greenwood, VP of Operations and Partnerships at the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO). They start with a discussion on TIAO's advocacy role and the key issues it’s raising with the provincial and federal governments before diving into its work to advance sustainable tourism across Ontario. Carol answers the questions of why TIAO became GreenStep certified, what that means for day-to-day operations, and why Northern Ontario tourism organizations and businesses should seriously consider getting certified too.
Listen to the episode now, or read on for a few highlights.
TIAO: The Voice of Ontario Tourism
TIAO plays a vital advocacy role in championing the needs and interests of Ontario's tourism sector with the provincial and federal governments. The organization listens to operators and organizations to understand their key issues then engages with policymakers to address them. Since COVID, the top issues have been transportation (regional airports and roads), the Canada-U.S. border, the Municipal Accommodation Tax, and sustainability.
What is Sustainable Tourism and Why Should Businesses and Organizations Care?
Carol describes Sustainable Tourism as avoiding negative impact on the natural environment, creating a good workplace, and building a resilient business.
It became a priority for TIAO after speaking to high school and post secondary students about careers in tourism and realizing that they don’t want to join workplaces where sustainability is ignored. Creating an inclusive workplace is also critical for recruiting newcomers.
Further, climate change is now undeniable and having major impacts everywhere, including Northern Ontario. In order to mitigate wildfires, floods, and other severe events, we need to take climate change seriously and take action to protect the North’s natural resources.
What is GreenStep Certification?
GreenStep Solutions is a sustainability consulting firm that helps tourism destinations and businesses improve their sustainability performance. TIAO has partnered with GreenStep to become certified in Sustainable Tourism and help Ontario tourism businesses become certified as well. After exploring a number of other programs, TIAO chose GreenStep because they’re the only organization in Canada recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and the only one offering certification for destinations.
What Getting Certified Means
On a day-to-day basis, Carol says becoming certified has meant that TIAO makes all of its operational decisions—from choosing office space to writing agreements—in a way that incorporates sustainability.
For example, when choosing an event venue, TIAO will ask about heating and cooling, whether they have a sustainability policy, and if they have inclusive HR policies. TIAO approaches these requests as conversations, and vendors have been willing to accommodate requests like having water stations instead of pitchers on every table to reduce water waste, or to invest in an adjustable podium to make a speaker with accessibility issues more comfortable.
Take the Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge
If improving your business or organization’s sustainability is on your mind, Carol recommends starting with signing the Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge. It just serves as a commitment to improve and hold yourself accountable. The Pledge is free and can be found at sustainabletourism2030.com/pledge.
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Next time on the podcast, Karen speaks with Dave Valente, the President of Blacksheep Mountain Bike Club, about the economic impact and growing potential of bike tourism. Follow us on your favourite podcast platform to be notified when the episode drops.