There is a significant need for global cohesiveness within ecotourism regulation and certification. Currently there are 104 “environmentally-friendly” labeling and certification programs within the tourism industry alone, and more are continually emerging (Medina 2005). Many stakeholders throughout the ecotourism industry are pushing for a standardized certification, as the numerous ecolabels have resulted in uncertainty amongst consumers (Medina 2005).

Quebec World Ecotourism Summit in 2002 several possibilities for this singular international certification program were explored (Crabtree et al 2002). The certification would have to be general enough to apply globally to a wide variety of ecosystems, yet still be applicable to local and regional systems (Crabtree et al 2002). Crabtree et al (2002) defined the essential postulates this certification program as:

• Ecofriendly processes and performances
• Quantifiable indicators that reflect a high functioning ecosystem, and require a ecotourism organization to compare their initiative against an ideal standard
• Standards that are well-researched and realistic, and multi-faceted to accommodate the diversity within ecotourism
• Regular evaluation to ensure standards are maintained within an ecotourism company
• Different branches of the program to allow for some specificity, such as accommodations, tours, and attractions
• High credibility through third-party evaluation, periodic review of criteria, and incentives for improvement.

Since 2002, these postulates have been distributed and implemented world wide as the International Ecotourism Standard (IES). Many ecotourism companies have based their specific value system on these concepts, and the IES label has become a recognized certification among ecotourists (Jamal et al 2008).

Despite these substantial improvements, Jamal et al (2008) note that further improvements to standard are necessary, particularly regarding socio-economic considerations and incorporation of them throughout the certification. Certification within ecotourism has developed and improved dramatically, however continual research and modification is necessary to accommodate the variant and evolving traits of ecotourism.