Fourteen Hawaii tourism companies have earned recognition as the state’s first Certified Ecotour Operators through a standards program developed by the Hawaii Ecotourism Association to improve and protect the destination.

Companies recognized with three-year-long gold certifications, the highest level established by HEA, included: Atlantis Adventures, Trilogy Excursions and Volcano Discovery.

Hawaiian Paddle Sports, Hike Maui, Jack’s Diving Locker, Kayak Kauai, Kualoa Ranch, Pacific Islands Institute, Pacific Whale Foundation and Wild Specialty Tours were among the companies earning silver certifications that are good for one year.

Bronze certifications, also good for one year, went to Annette’s Adventures, Bike Hawaii and Hawaii Forest and Trial.

The honors were presented Wednesday during HEA’s annual luncheon at the Hawaii Prince Hotel.

John Morgan, president of Kualoa Ranch, said his company supports the certification program because it accentuates the need to care for Hawaii’s resources by giving worthwhile recognition.

"Our overall goal is to preserve our land and to give our customers a glimpse of untarnished Hawaii," Morgan said. "We want to help our local communities and have our customers have a genuine and worthwhile experience with nature."

Atlantis Adventures General Manager Mark Almaraz said the company appreciates the effort HEA is making to use ecotourism to increase demand for Hawaii as a visitor destination while at the same time reducing tourism’s impact on the environment.

"From the time Atlantis started, ecotourism has been in the forefront," Almaraz said. "Our submarines are all-electric. We don’t release any pollutants into the water. We are proud to be recognized as stewards of the sea."

The certifications, which were made possible by a $17,000 grant from the Hawaii Tourism Authority and in-kind support from the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, promote stewardship of Hawaii’s natural and cultural resources, conservation and practices that reduce tourism’s impact on the environment.

"The purpose of the certification is to support, promote, educate and strengthen on-ground tourism practices with respect to honoring and caring for our natural and cultural resources, resulting in a better resource conservation, higher visitor satisfaction and more community support for the visitor industry," said Chris Colvin, president of HEA, a nonprofit that has worked since 1994 to diversify Hawaii’s travel industry by promoting ecotourism.

"Rating systems for movies, hotels and restaurants are common," said Linda Cox, community economic development specialist for the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. "We understand that a five-star hotel differs from a two-star hotel.