Scubaqua dive centre presenting itself at the Duikvaker fair in the Netherlands.
ST. EUSTATIUS--Scubaqua dive centre in St. Eustatius was recently upgraded to a three-star business certification by Good Travel Seal. Director of Tourism Charles Lindo offered his congratulations to the dive shop, which was the first business in Statia to achieve this certification, initially with a two-star rating.
Scubaqua has since then upgraded to meet additional requirements, after which they achieved a 95-per cent compliance score, thereby earning them the coveted rating.
“We did not settle for ‘just’ two stars, so after a few discussions they awarded us three,” Scubaqua’s Mike Harterink said.
To be granted such a high rating, Scubaqua’s online and on-site processes were audited by the Good Travel Seal qualifying body. The resulting assessment showed that Scubaqua has sufficiently adopted the required sustainability conventions.
In addition to the prestigious rating, Scubaqua was also the recipient of the Virus Aware Seal, which indicates that the business is fully committed to COVID-19 recovery strategies, and that they adhere to all government protocols to prevent the transmission of viruses. Scubaqua will now be listed on the St. Eustatius page of the Good Travel Guide.
The Good Travel and Virus Aware Seals are ecolabels focused on sustainability, health and safety. The high certification rates are to boost eco-travellers’ confidence in Statia as an environmentally-conscious destination.
Product development manager of St. Eustatius Tourism Development Foundation Maya Pandt said, “Our presence on the Good Travel Seal website, and also having these seals prominently displayed inside our local businesses and on their websites will be beneficial to us as we seek to attract more visitors to our island.”
She reminded businesses that have not yet done so to get certified.
