Travalyst, the non-profit coalition established by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has taken a significant step towards standardizing sustainable accommodation certifications within the travel industry. This initiative, which involves major travel tech providers and global platforms such as Booking.com, Expedia Group, Google, and Tripadvisor, has created a list of 49 sustainable accommodation certification schemes that meet rigorous standards developed by the organization and its independent advisory group.
Since its inception in 2019, Travalyst has been dedicated to promoting sustainability within the travel sector. This latest initiative aims to enhance the alignment and credibility of sustainability certifications for hotels and other accommodations, ultimately providing travelers with more reliable and standardized information about the sustainability practices of their chosen properties.
The newly introduced criteria for certification encompass three key components:
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Third-Party Audit:
Each certification must undergo a third-party audit, encompassing an on-site or remote online assessment of the sustainable practices declared by the property. This ensures independent verification of the property’s claims.*
Publicly Available Standards:
The standards underpinning the certification must be publicly accessible, promoting transparency for consumers and industry stakeholders. This allows travelers and other interested parties to understand the criteria used to assess the property’s sustainability.*
Alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
The certification must evaluate the impact of social, economic, or environmental factors in alignment with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This ensures that the certification process considers the broader societal and environmental impacts of the property’s operations.Travalyst emphasizes that these criteria represent an initial threshold designed to support the certification industry in meeting evolving regulatory requirements. The list of compliant certification schemes includes notable names like the EU Ecolabel, Earthcheck, Green Key Global, the Green Leaf Foundation, Fair Trade Tourism, and the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC’s) Hotel Sustainability Basics.
Sally Davey, CEO of Travalyst, highlighted the importance of this initiative, stating, “This list is the first milestone in a long-term commitment to enhancing the integrity of sustainability information for consumers and the industry at large. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders to monitor the fast-evolving legislative landscape and adapt our approach to certifications accordingly.”
Travalyst’s initiative marks a crucial step towards ensuring consistent and transparent certification of sustainable tourism practices across the industry. By establishing clear criteria and promoting alignment among certification bodies, Travalyst aims to foster greater consumer trust and support the global travel industry’s transition to more sustainable operations.
