For Businesses

Benefits of Certification

Qurator can help your business grow.

By joining Qurator, you help potential customers recognize you for the good you put back into the community. Whether it’s cultural, environmental, or by promoting safety and equality, they’ll see where you shine.

Qurator has your back in a number of ways:

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Listing on the Qurator website, with complete details of your excellence

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We’ll issue a news release welcoming you into the program, and you can too

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We’ll send you digital and physical assets to use to promote your participation

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You’ll receive eligibility for our annual Awards Ceremony

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You’ll receive access to analytical data from partners, showing how Qurator has helped your business

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You’ll receive help from Qurator’s own marketing plan, connecting with tour operators and distribution partners globally.

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HTA offers further benefits to be announced soon!

Become a Certified Business

Begin your Qurator certification process today! It’s completely free, and by creating an account, you can save your progress and complete the questionnaire at your own pace. Most businesses finish the process in about an hour.

The questionnaire consists of straightforward yes-or-no questions that can typically be answered by manager-level employees. Once submitted, you can expect to receive your initial response within a week.

Qurator certifications are valid for one year.

Get Certified

Certification Tiers

Qurator Certified

Businesses which meet Qurator Standards across multiple categories are designated as “Qurator Certified.”

Qurator Honored

Significantly exceeding Qurator Standards across multiple categories earns our partners Honored status.

Qurator Elite

Elite status is awarded to businesses which meet the highest standards across all categories. Elite partners enhance the quality of life in Hawaiʻi while making efforts to protect our environment and culture.

Categories of Excellence

Click on a category for more information

Community

Environment

Safety

Guest Experience

Equity

Cultural Support

Categories of Excellence

Click on a category for more information

Community

Environment

Safety

Guest Experience

Equity

Cultural Support

Community

“Those who make a place special deserve to be able to live there.” By reducing their impact on the community, participating in community activities, and listening to local voices in their decision making, Community badge holders think local first.

Environment

Hawaiʻi is home to vast numbers of unique species and places. Partners with an Environment badge are contributing to the preservation of our place through reducing their waste and carbon output, educating guests on local wildlife, practicing water conservation, and integrating renewable energy and passive lighting and cooling.

Safety

Putting safety first is just the start for these partners, who go above and beyond requirements to prevent injuries, stop crime, prevent the spread of disease, train workers, protect privacy, and prepare for emergencies.

Equity

Partners with this badge offer fair treatment to their workers through equitable pay, good benefits, a diverse workforce, and a chance for advancement. When employees share in the success of the companies they run, customers are happy and communities are strengthened.

Guest Experience

Delighting visitors is a tradition in Hawaiʻi. A Guest Experience badge recognizes businesses who form special bonds with all guests, welcoming visitors of all types from all over the world, and providing them with an accessible, satisfying, and welcoming visit.

Cultural Support

Hawaiʻi has unique cuisine, fashion, language, sports, architecture, and music, most of which are not widely found elsewhere. Cultural Support partners exhibit a strong commitment to supporting culture in Hawaiʻi through the performance or display of local art, donations to cultural charities, and respect for tradition.

FAQs

What does Qurator Cost?

Qurator is sponsored and funded by Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority. There is no cost to participate in 2024. Future years may include participation fees.

Why should I get certified?

Help consumers and the community recognize the positive contributions you make to Hawaiʻi.
Benefit from the marketing efforts that Qurator and HTA are putting behind this program.
Learn more ideas about responsible tourism and how you can contribute.
For more information, see our Benefits of Certification section at the top of this page.

Who qualifies for certification?

Any travel and tourism business with a physical presence in Hawaiʻi. For more information, see our Criteria and Requirements

Is it hard to get certified?

No! The program is designed to recognize any and all positive contributions to Hawaiʻi and is designed for businesses of all sizes. Even if you don’t meet all the criteria, you can still be recognized in any of our six areas of excellence.
The program takes anywhere from 30-90 minutes to complete and is designed so that any manager level employee can answer nearly every question without needing to reference external resources.
The entire process can be done online, and you’ll have your answer in a matter of days

What is the difference between Certification and Badges?

A partner can earn a badge through excellence in any specific and narrow category, but to earn certification, they need to score well across all criteria.

Iʻm worried that I donʻt meet a lot of criteria. What is the minimum score to pass?

Minimum passing scores are quite low because the program is built for all businesses regardless of size or type. What you contribute may be very different than your competitors, so we don’t expect you to answer yes to all of the questions.

What if we don’t pass?

Even if you don’t pass the overall certification, you might still be acknowledged for your efforts in a specific category.
The criteria are designed for all businesses of all sizes and tasks to be successful. If you don’t meet the standards the first time through, Qurators will help you to find things you can do to raise your score and help put more good into the community

What happens after we complete the survey?

You’ll normally get an initial answer in a week or less, but sometimes longer
One of our team will follow up to schedule a quick welcome and audit
If you clear the audit, you’ll be provided with digital and physical collateral to display, and Qurator will send a press release welcoming you to the ʻohana, and notify our distribution partners that you’ve been approved.

What are the audit procedures?

After your initial scoring, we’ll contact you to set up a quick 25 question audit. The questions are a joint effort: we’ll verify some public records, we’ll ask for proof from some randomly selected questions, and we’ll ask a few follow up questions over the phone.
Qurator works on the honor system, and the program only has credibility if it can be trusted. So, we take truthfulness very seriously. Depending on the discrepancy discovered, actions range from clarification to correction, up to removal of certification and dismissal from the program for repeat violations and especially egregious lapses.
Some audit questions may be asked where we think you should be getting credit, but arenʻt. Have no fear!

How long does certification last?

One year from the date you’re certified. To requalify, you don’t need to answer all the questions again, just answer a few refresher questions, and any new questions which have been added.

What and who is Qurator?

Qurator is a program funded and managed by Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority. The program was designed by Kilohana with input from over 100 different industry and community groups. Administration of the program is handled by Kilohana.

Is this different from STAH and other certifications?

Yes. There are many great certification programs out there. Qurator is unique in that it is an HTA Program covering more businesses and more areas of excellence than any other certification. It’s also backed by a marketing budget for both wholesalers and consumers to help them make responsible choices.

Is Qurator accredited by Global Sustainable Tourism Council?

Global Sustainable Tourism Council currently certifies limited sectors of the travel industry. Qurator certifies all travel and tourism businesses, thereby exceeding the scope of GSTC. Qurator criteria are in line with those of GSTC, but also cover areas other certification bodies don’t cover, like executive pay, human trafficking, bereavement leave, and supporting ‘olelo Hawaiʻi

Business Directory

Best Practices Resources:

Qurator is a broad based certification system. We encourage partners to dig deeper into their efforts to continually improve.

Help Honor Hawaiʻi by accessing these resources:

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Hawaiʻi Green Business – State program to encourage businesses to focus on operational environmental excellence