Why is an internationally recognized sustainable tourism certificate important?
On March 25, 2024, booking.com discontinued its previous sustainable tourism program based on its own standards and switched to using only certificates provided by international sustainable tourism certification systems to indicate sustainable accommodations – thus now providing a prominent appearance for Green Destionations Good Travel Seal for those who have obtained the certification. This has reduced the number of sustainable accommodation options available on the booking portal in Hungary to 18 – while the same number exceeds 110 in Slovenia, more than 170 in Denmark, over 280 in Italy, and even more than three dozen in Estonia – to name just a few examples. But why is international certification important and what benefits can an accommodation offer by obtaining the certification?
Credibility and trust
International certifications based on GSTC standards follow a strict set of rules that represent the same set of values around the world, proving that a business is truly implementing sustainable practices. This increases credibility and trust among tourists and partners. The Green Destionations sustainable destination rating system is present in 90 countries, for example, Good Travel Seal The certificate, which applies to service providers, currently represents the same quality in 24 countries. The international trademark therefore significantly increases the credibility of sustainability messages.
Competitive advantage
Just as booking.com has introduced the practice of only displaying the sustainability of accommodations that meet international standards on its portal, and outdooractive.com also prominently displays the GSTC-based certification, sustainable tourism filters are expected to appear more and more on the websites of tourist information agencies in the coming period.
With the Good Travel Seal program, we offer a solution to maintain a competitive position, offering a preparation package available in Hungarian, an audit in Hungarian, and personalized prices to all tourism businesses.
Increasing compliance with market expectations
Sustainability is increasingly becoming an expectation in the global tourism market. International certifications help businesses meet these expectations and thus better position themselves in the market.
Starting in 2024, large companies will be required to prepare an ESG report, which outlines the steps they are taking to ensure environmental, social and economic sustainability. This also means that they are increasingly choosing tourism services for their corporate programs – whether it be accommodation, event venues, restaurants or attractions. The international sustainability certification based on GSTC standards makes the work of marketing and HR staff easier, as tourism businesses with the certification are certain to meet the ESG criteria.
Responsibility
Certified businesses can serve as role models for others, encouraging them to adopt sustainable practices as well. This helps to spread sustainability concerns more widely in the industry.
In addition, certified businesses are actively involved in shaping sustainability attitudes for both their employees and guests, which increases awareness and commitment to sustainability.
Would you like to know more about the Good Travel Seal certification?
Nagy Júlia, managing director and tourism expert, is at your disposal!
E-mail:
julia.nagy@innotime-hungary.com
Phone:
+36 70 635 2584
