Green Tourism has submitted a new sustainability certification standard to the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), marking a significant moment for the hospitality sector. The initiative is designed to align with upcoming European anti-greenwashing legislation and signals a shift in how tourism and hospitality businesses will need to prove their environmental claims in the coming years.

For hotel operators, this represents a strategic opportunity to demonstrate credibility and secure visibility on key online platforms, where independently verified sustainability credentials are increasingly influencing consumer choice.

The proposed Green Tourism Certified Standard is intended to help tourism and hospitality businesses meet the requirements of the European Union’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive. From September 2026, any company promoting environmental or sustainability claims to European consumers will need independent, third-party verification. The legislation applies regardless of where a business is based or where its customers travel, making it particularly relevant for UK hotels targeting European guests.

The EU rules aim to prevent greenwashing by requiring claims to be clear, accurate, and backed by independent evidence. Businesses that fail to comply may not only face regulatory scrutiny but could also lose visibility on major online platforms. Booking.com, Expedia, and Google are already aligning their “green” search filters with these criteria through the industry collaboration organisation Travalyst.

Andrea Nicholas, chief executive of Green Tourism, describes the submission to UKAS as a critical step. “As expectations around sustainability claims change, it is increasingly important that businesses can demonstrate what they are doing in a way that is credible, transparent and independently verified,” she says. “Creating the Green Tourism Certified Standard and submitting it to UKAS is a significant step in supporting the sector as new regulatory requirements come into force.”

UKAS accreditation is significant because it is the UK’s sole national accreditation body. Established in 1995, UKAS assesses the competence of organisations providing certification. In a market where sustainability labels have often appeared without consistent standards, UKAS accreditation offers an external guarantee of impartiality, technical competence, and adherence to international standards. By seeking UKAS recognition, Green Tourism is elevating its programme from a voluntary guidance and award scheme to a formal certification system.

“We have invested heavily in making our GreenCheck platform accessible, affordable, and scalable for businesses of all sizes. This eliminates duplication and simplifies the verification process.” – Andrea Nicholas, CEO of Green Tourism

Historically, Green Tourism operated as a business development and award programme. Its Bronze, Silver, and Gold assessments guided businesses on energy efficiency, waste reduction, and other environmental practices. Over 30 years, the programme has expanded to include social responsibility, biodiversity, and community impact. The organisation now supports more than 3,000 members globally and has completed over 50,000 assessments. Against this backdrop, the submission to UKAS marks a clear evolution from providing expert guidance to delivering independent, third-party verification.

Green Tourism’s evolution from guidance to verification

The new standard will be delivered through Green Tourism’s GreenCheck digital platform, which has supported the awards programme for more than five years. The platform allows businesses to upload evidence once for auditor review, which can be assessed remotely before any site visits.

“After 30 years of developing the Green Tourism programme, we have ensured that transitioning to the certified standard will be straightforward for our businesses,” Nicholas explains. “With the new functionality we have built into our GreenCheck platform, the shift is seamless and all the evidence they have already submitted will automatically transfer to the certified programme.”

Control Union, an international certification and inspection body, has been appointed to carry out audits for the new standard. The organisation is extending its UKAS accreditation to include Green Tourism Certified. A dedicated certification manager has been appointed, and auditor training programmes are being developed in partnership with a recognised training organisation. A spokesperson for Control Union noted that the integration with GreenCheck enables “efficient, evidence-based verification and consistent reporting by auditors”.

The regulatory context for the Green Tourism Certified Standard centres on the EU Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive, adopted in 2024 and coming into effect in September 2026. The directive prohibits vague environmental claims unless they are substantiated by recognised certification schemes or public authorities. This includes bans on claims such as “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” unless there is demonstrable evidence of environmental performance.

Meeting EU regulations and OTA expectations

t claims are scientifically substantiated and independently verified before they are published. For UK hotels listed on European booking platforms, compliance is not only a legal requirement but also key to maintaining visibility in “green” search filters.

Nicholas maintains that Green Tourism has been proactive in preparing for these changes. “At Green Tourism we always strive to be ahead of any new requirements, trends, legislation to ensure our programme and our members are future proofed,” she says. “It was essential to begin discussions with UKAS as early as possible to incorporate any of their requirements into the new programme and we were pleased to learn that we are the first UK programme to approach UKAS for recognition under the new Empowering the Consumer for the Green Transition Directive.”

The organisation has also worked closely with online platforms to ensure its standard aligns with industry expectations. Nicholas notes, “We have collaborated with Booking.com for several years on behalf of our clients, supporting their efforts to identify consumer and business trends around sustainability. Over the past year, we have worked very closely with their industry programme to promote credible certification to partner businesses and consumers via their green filter. Booking.com is also a leading member of Travalyst, founded by the Duke of Sussex, which aims to improve sustainability across tourism and travel.”

Smaller operators and boutique hotels may see independent verification as costly or administratively burdensome, so Green Tourism has sought to address this through the GreenCheck platform. “We have invested heavily in making our GreenCheck platform accessible, affordable, and scalable for businesses of all sizes. The latest enhancement is a dedicated auditing module that enables the independent auditors to review evidence uploaded by certified businesses directly within the system,” Nicholas explains. “This eliminates duplication and simplifies the verification process. The platform supports non-compliance tracking, action planning, and automatically generated certificates – making independent verification efficient and cost-effective, particularly for smaller operators.”

Digital tools and international reach

As the September 2026 deadline looms, businesses that do not adopt independently verified standards risk falling behind in both compliance and market visibility. Those that adopt credible certification can demonstrate compliance with EU rules, reduce administrative burden through digital evidence management, and maintain or improve positioning in OTA sustainability filters. Certification may also influence commercial negotiations and marketing communications as the regulatory landscape tightens.

Green Tourism has positioned the new standard as an international certification programme, which makes sense seeing as Green Tourism has been globally recognised for more than two decades and has members in over 50 countries. “Interest is especially strong in Europe and other regions such as Africa, North and South America where many businesses are looking to attract European consumers,” Nicholas says. “A certification standard that meets EU requirements will be increasingly important for these markets, and we anticipate substantial growth in international uptake.”

The move from advisory and award programmes to accredited certification reflects broader trends in hospitality. Sustainability claims are increasingly seen as verifiable infrastructure rather than optional marketing language. The perks brought about by accreditation are seen as essential for businesses that want to remain competitive, credible, and visible to regulators, consumers, and distribution platforms.

“As expectations around sustainability claims change, it is increasingly important that businesses can demonstrate what they are doing in a way that is credible, transparent and independently verified.” – Andrea Nicholas, CEO of Green Tourism

In practice, hotels and other accommodation providers will need to embed sustainability into their operations and reporting. Evidence must be collected, stored, and presented in formats compatible with certification standards and digital audit systems, according to Green Tourism. Platforms that previously relied on self-declared green claims may increasingly filter search results to include only accredited operators. Engaging early with accredited standards such as Green Tourism Certified may provide a clear commercial advantage.

The combination of EU legislation, UKAS accreditation, and alignment with online platform criteria represents a convergence of regulatory, technical, and commercial pressures. For hotel owners, understanding these pressures and acting early can reduce risk and create opportunities for differentiation. The Green Tourism Certified Standard provides a structured path for verification, digital evidence management, and third-party assessment.