Visit GoodPlace is the first Slovenian company with a B Corp certificate
At the end of 2022, Visit GoodPlace joined more than six thousand companies with the B Corp certificate. The boutique outdoor tourism agency Visit Goodplace has been committed to high sustainability standards since the beginning of its operation and has set itself the goal of becoming a company that creates value for everyone. The main products of the agency based in Ljubljana are touring, MTB and gravel cycling tours, hiking, and wildlife-watching tours throughout Slovenia and the surrounding countries.
Smaller footprint, more value for everyone
Tourism is a sector that has several negative and positive impacts on both the environment and society. On the one hand, especially through transport, it contributes negatively to the climate crisis and creates pressure on nature, but on the other hand, it provides resources and strengthens the reasons for protecting nature, and creates a series of positive effects on local communities. Therefore, it is important that the development of tourism is sustainable and, above all, inclusive, thereby strengthening the positive effects of the activity and reducing and managing the negative ones.
Visit GoodPlace is already a recipient of the Travelife Partner certificate, a specialized certificate for sustainably operating tourist agencies, and the agency also holds the Slovenian Green Travel Agency certificate. By obtaining the B Corp certificate, Visit GoodPlace demonstrates that, through its operations, it not only introduces a range of practices in the field of managing the potentially negative impacts of tourism, especially on the environment but also actively thinks and acts in the field of introducing positive practices of cooperation and inclusion of all stakeholders, thereby building positive impact on wider communities. Visit GoodPlace is thus the bearer of changes in the thinking and perception of sustainable tourism management, thereby following the new Strategy of Slovenian Tourism, which sets itself the vision: “Smaller footprint, greater value for all”. With its successful integrated national approach to the development of sustainable tourism and the internationally recognized Slovenia Green certification scheme, Slovenia committed itself to this path in 2015. Today, the Slovenia Green family already includes more than 250 certified members.
Jan Klavora, director of the company Visit GoodPlace: “Ever since the establishment of the agency, we have been looking for ways for our activity to leave a positive impact in the local environment. We do not want the places where we grew up and to which we return today with tourists from all over the world to be trampled by massive tourism. And while we believe we’ve been on the right track since the beginning, we learned a lot again by joining the B corp. However, the certificate was only one of the steps, we are currently creating an action plan of innovations that we will introduce into our business and thereby further increase our positive impact. For the year 2023, we have set ourselves the goal of making all our tours carbon-neutral. Of course, we want our customers to recognize the value of the certificates, but even more so, we want as many companies from tourism and other industries as possible to look at business through the eyes of its impact on nature and society.”
The Visit GoodPlace agency hopes that as many Slovenian companies as possible will join the B Corp family and thereby commit to responsible and inclusive development, both from the tourism sector and from other industries. This is how we will build a society of the future that goes beyond the pursuit of profit and puts the well-being of people and the environment first. Currently, another company from Slovenia – the design studio Sito – is waiting for an assessment and wants to confirm its position as a leading partner in the sustainable development of new products and services with a certificate. By including several companies, Slovenia will successfully build a society of the future that goes beyond the pursuit of profit and puts the well-being of people and the environment first.
__________
About B Corp
Certified B Corp companies are companies that meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corp is accelerating a global cultural shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. B Corp Certification is the largest global sustainability certification standard that assesses a company’s impacts on all stakeholders. Companies that choose to obtain this certification complete a B Impact Assessment (BIA) and go through a rigorous certification process. Certified B Corp corporations are leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. Unlike other certifications, B Corp is unique in its ability to measure a company’s overall social and environmental impact. By doing so, the B Corp certification ensures that the company meets high standards of proven performance, accountability, and transparency regarding factors such as employee benefits and charitable giving, supply chain practices, and creating positive impacts for all stakeholders. B Corp companies strive for constant progress in the field of introducing sustainable practices, whereby the entire certification scheme serves as a tool that helps them on this path and through which they can constantly track their progress.
More than 87 countries with 6,168 certified companies in 159 different industries are included in the B Corp movement, which means that these companies have a positive impact on the working conditions of 511,540 workers. Among them are a whole series of large and successful companies such as Patagonia, Rituals, Danone, Alpro, and others. B Corp is thus the largest global sustainable movement and brings positive changes both in the working conditions of employees, as well as environmental protection and active addressing of the climate crisis, as well as fair and inclusive cooperation with all stakeholders. At the same time, research shows that the financial performance of B Corp companies also increases faster than non-certified companies.
Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State, wrote: “I often wonder to what extent a business can help society achieve its goals and alleviate poverty, preserve ecosystems, build strong communities and institutions… B Lab has proven that there is a way.”
