The green tourism sector could soon need a sustainability certification to justify its environmental declarations.
Consultancy Green Tourism, has submitted its proposed Certified Standard to the UK accreditation body UKAS, aiming to create the first UK tourism benchmark built around independent verification rather than self-declared environmental claims.
The move comes ahead of sweeping European reforms that will require sustainability claims made to EU consumers to be backed by third-party evidence.
From September, tourism and hospitality businesses marketing themselves as green will need independent verification regardless of where they are based or where customers travel.
The EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive is intended to clamp down on vague or misleading claims and give travellers clearer information when choosing accommodation and destinations.
For UK firms selling into Europe, compliance will no longer be optional.
Verification is also expected to become a practical necessity for businesses wanting to appear in green search filters on major booking platforms, where sustainability credentials are increasingly scrutinised.
Without recognised certification, visibility in those channels could shrink.
The proposed standard is being developed as a formal certification scheme, separate from advisory or improvement programmes – and is intended to align with international norms including ISO requirements.
Audits would be carried out independently using digital evidence submission supported by targeted site visits where needed.
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