Certifications initiative

There are a wide range of approaches to sustainability certifications, creating confusion for travellers, accommodation providers, and the wider industry. At the same time, European regulation is reshaping minimum requirements that sustainability labels must meet.

Our Certifications initiative provides a mechanism that supports certification schemes, accommodation providers, and booking platforms to prepare for incoming regulation and tighter requirements for making sustainability claims to the consumer. Namely, the EU Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (ECGT). This regulation strengthens consumer rights by banning misleading claims and ensuring clearer, more transparent product information.

A mechanism for transparency

We provide a transparent mechanism for certification schemes to declare their compliance with the ECGT, and offer industry-wide visibility into which schemes are compliant. Certifications compliant with the updated criteria are suitable to be displayed and distributed to the consumer on industry platforms.

This transparency is beneficial for all stakeholders:

For partners and the wider industry: We are providing clarity into which schemes are suitable to be displayed to European consumers by Travalyst partners and the wider industry.

For certification schemes: We are supporting schemes navigating regulatory change by providing a guidance note and a standardised declaration form.

For accommodation providers: We offer clarity on which schemes declare compliance with governance and transparency requirements.

For travellers: We are continuing to enable better access to consistent, compliant and clear sustainability information, enabling more informed decisions at the point of booking.

As new certification schemes self-declare their compliance, we update our list. For more information, see our FAQs.

EU regulation and sustainability certification

The EU Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (ECGT) establishes a mandatory minimum threshold for certification schemes in order to display their corresponding sustainability label to EU consumers from 27 September 2026. This threshold focuses on transparency, governance, and independent verification – fundamentals for consumer trust – and is expected to have a global impact.

To support the industry through this shift, our certifications initiative provides:

A public, transparent list of certification schemes that declare compliance with the ECGT criteria, hosted on our website and soon on the Data Hub
An open, accessible reference point for the industry
Supportive guidance for schemes preparing for regulatory compliance

By adopting the ECGT criteria in a global context, we are helping to scale a consistent, minimum threshold for certification schemes across regions and markets, reducing fragmentation and improving comparability.

Travalyst’s Certifications initiative is open to schemes which are applicable to the accommodation sector, and relate to the room stay. Schemes must meet the requirements set out by the ECGT.

For any questions relating to eligibility, please contact [email protected].

Compliance Criteria

Eligible certification schemes are invited to declare they meet the following criteria, which are mandated by the ECGT:

The certification scheme is open under transparent, fair, and non-discriminatory terms to all accommodation providers willing and able to comply with the scheme’s requirements;
The certification scheme’s requirements are developed by the scheme owner in consultation with relevant experts and stakeholders;
The certification scheme sets out procedures for dealing with non-compliance with the scheme’s requirements and provides for the withdrawal or suspension of the use of the sustainability label by the accommodation provider in case of non-compliance with the scheme’s requirements; and
The monitoring of the accommodation provider’s compliance with the scheme’s requirements is subject to an objective procedure and is carried out by a third party whose competence and independence from both the scheme owner and the accommodation provider are based on international, European Union or national standards and procedures.

We aim to support certification schemes in understanding and preparing for the ECGT by offering a clear overview document, a standardised declaration form, and an accessible guidance note developed by expert legal counsel. This helps schemes of all sizes navigate regulatory change. The following guidance note has been developed by our legal counsel, Vedder, to support the industry in the application of the criteria as set by the Directive.

How to declare

Certification schemes can submit their self-assessment and declaration through this interim form:

Travalyst does not assess or review certification schemes. It provides the mechanism that enables schemes to declare compliance. Legal responsibility for compliance remains with certification schemes and the accommodation providers who use their labels.

Resources

Contact

Please familiarise yourself with the information shared in the FAQs below. The Certifications team will address any additional queries via [email protected].

FAQs

Please find the answers under the lists below:

Certifications Initiative
Q: What role is Travalyst playing in the certifications ecosystem?
Q: Can all certification schemes apply to the Travalyst Certifications initiative?
Q: How long is the self-declaration valid for?
Q: Where and how will the list of self-assessed compliant schemes be made available?
Q: Will all Travalyst partners display all listed schemes?
Q: Where does legal liability for regulatory compliance lie?
Q: How is Travalyst supporting schemes to prepare for ECGT?
Q: How is the second iteration of the initiative different from the first?
Q: How was the second iteration developed and finalised?
Q: What happens to certifications, schemes and standards which were involved in the first iteration?
Q: What happened to the 2024 Travalyst Certifications List logo?

EU ECGT
Q: How does the ECGT define a certification scheme and corresponding sustainability label?
Q: Why align specifically with the ECGT?
Q: Why phase in alignment with the ECGT criteria ahead of the 27 September 2026?
Q: Do the ECGT criteria or Travalyst help ascertain how sustainable the accommodation is?

Certifications Initiative and the Data Hub
Q: What information will be hosted on the Data Hub?
Q: Are certification schemes participating in the Certifications Initiative required to contribute property data for the Data Hub?
Q: How is Travalyst supporting its partners by providing certified properties data?
Q: How will the certified properties data be used in the Travalyst Data Hub, and who will use it?

What role is Travalyst playing in the certifications ecosystem?

The sustainability certifications landscape is varied, with differing criteria and verification approaches, creating confusion for travellers and accommodation providers.

Travalyst provides:

A public, transparent list of schemes that declare compliance with the ECGT criteria,
An open, accessible reference point for the industry,
A supportive pathway for schemes preparing for regulatory compliance.

This initiative is free and accessible to accommodation schemes of any size that meet the Directive’s definition.

Can all certification schemes apply to the Travalyst Certifications initiative?

The initiative is directed at certification schemes that fit the ECGT’s definition of a certification scheme (see FAQ ‘How does the ECGT define a certification scheme and corresponding sustainability label?’), and it is currently open to schemes in the accommodation sector only, which specifically relate to aspects of the room stay.

Travalyst reserves the right to review schemes for eligibility, and where applicable, to not include a scheme on the list that is deemed to not meet the eligibility criteria.

The Directive itself is sector-agnostic; Travalyst is applying it first to accommodation.

Where and how will the list of self-assessed compliant schemes be made available?

Initially, the list will be available on Travalyst.org. From June 2026, it will also be hosted on Travalyst’s’ Data Hub. The list will function as a live repository by being:

Continually updated as schemes submit declarations that are successfully accepted.
Open-access for stakeholders and consumers.

Travalyst does not approve, endorse or verify the schemes on the list. Travalyst reviews the declaration form submitted, but does not play the role of an assessor of compliance. Instead, Travalyst makes transparently available the information that schemes share on the declaration form.

Where does legal liability for regulatory compliance lie?

Under the ECGT:

Certification schemes are responsible for meeting the criteria for their corresponding sustainability labels to be displayed to European consumers.
Accommodation providers (traders) are responsible for ensuring their sustainability claims are compliant with the corresponding requirements.

Travalyst:

Provides digital infrastructure and transparency via the declaration mechanism,
Does not verify regulatory compliance,
Does not assume legal liability.

How is the second iteration of the initiative different from the first?

In its first iteration (2024), our Certifications initiative focused on reviewing accommodation sustainability certifications, standards, and schemes against a set of Travalyst-defined criteria designed to increase transparency globally.

Now, the second iteration builds on this foundation but shifts to full alignment with the legally mandated criteria of the ECGT. At Travalyst, we no longer assess schemes; instead, we publish a list of entities that self-declare compliance. This transition ensures that the initiative supports both regulatory alignment and system-level transparency for the entire industry.

In the second iteration onwards, Travalyst no longer “assesses’’ schemes; instead, it:

Publishes a list of schemes that self-declare compliance,
Hosts this (in time) on its open-access Data Hub,
Enables partners to choose what schemes to display.

What happens to certifications, schemes, and standards which were involved in the first iteration?

To participate in the Second Iteration list of compliant schemes:

All schemes, including those on Travalyst’s first iteration list, are required to self-assess and declare compliance with the ECGT-mandated criteria, by submitting the declaration form.
Whilst the first iteration was open to various entities within the certifications landscape, the second iteration is open only to certification schemes in alignment with the ECGT.

The first iteration list of certifications has now been retired. Please contact [email protected] if you request this list.

What is the ECGT?

The EU Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (ECGT), set to enter into application in the European Union on 27 September 2026, mandates all sustainability labels displayed to European consumers to be based on certification schemes that meet criteria set by the Directive:

“(Recital 7) the displaying of sustainability labels which are not based on a certification scheme, or which have not been established by public authorities should be prohibited by including such practices in the list in Annex I to Directive 2005/29/EC.”

It is important to note that this Directive has already been adopted by the Commission, and leaves no room at EU level for the industry to suggest changes to the criteria. It strengthens consumer rights by banning misleading claims and ensuring clearer, more transparent product information.

The Directive references and distinguishes between:

Trader (i.e. accommodation provider making the claim)
Certification scheme (and corresponding sustainability label)
Third-party auditor

How does the ECGT define a certification scheme and corresponding sustainability label?

The ECGT defines a certification scheme as:

“A third-party verification scheme that certifies a product, process or business against defined requirements, enabling a sustainability label.”

A certification label is defined as:

“A symbol or logo placed on a product, service or business to show that it has been independently verified as meeting specific standards set by a certification scheme.”

Why align specifically with the ECGT?

Alignment with the ECGT:

Provides a mechanism for consumer-facing platforms to display sustainability labels.
Establishes a mandatory minimum threshold for all certification schemes operating labels in the EU.
Criteria focus on transparency, governance and independent verification — fundamentals for consumer trust.
This enables access to clear, consistent and compliant sustainability information, aligned with Travalyst’s mission.

Why phase in alignment with the ECGT criteria ahead of 27 September 2026?

From September, compliance will be legally required for sustainability labels displayed to EU consumers. Early alignment gives the industry time to:

Prepare,
Identify challenges,
Build shared understanding.

Early alignment is also important because the ECGT impacts all industry stakeholders, not just certification schemes, meaning other entities have time to prepare as well.

Travalyst is monitoring and will continue to iterate in line with the latest regulatory guidance expected to have a global impact.

Do the ECGT criteria or Travalyst help ascertain how sustainable the accommodation is?

No. The ECGT criteria do not assess the impact of sustainability practices.
Instead, the ECGT lays a minimum threshold for governance processes that a scheme must have to display a sustainability label to the consumer. This is the first and important step to increasing consumer trust in sustainability labels that Travalyst’s Certifications Initiative is aligning with.

Although not our current focus, Travalyst is scoping work in this area for future iterations. We welcome industry feedback on this.

Are certification schemes participating in the Certifications Initiative required to contribute property data for the Data Hub?

No, contributing data on certified properties is not a requirement to participate in the initiative.

Travalyst encourages schemes that have signed the self-declaration to participate in this additional step, to help promote greater transparency for the industry on which properties are certified by schemes that have declared compliance with ECGT.

How is Travalyst supporting its partners by providing certified properties data?

Travalyst is collating data on certified properties (i.e. supply data) and making it free and openly accessible for ingestion by industry stakeholders, including partners. From June 2026, this data will be available via our Data Hub.

It is up to individual partners to ingest this certified properties data. Several partners have indicated they will ingest this data once technically available. While Travalyst creates all the conditions to ingest this data, it cannot guarantee that industry stakeholders and partners will ingest and display this data.

Partners determine their ingestion timeline given organisational considerations.

How will the certified properties data be used in the Travalyst Data Hub, and who will use it?

The certified properties data Travalyst is collating will be freely accessible and open access. The Data Hub is not being used by Travalyst to power any downstream scoring, benchmarking, or commercial functionality.

The Data Hub aims to create a single source of truth for sustainability data covering key aspects of travel and tourism, to help people make more informed travel decisions.

Current use cases include:

For display of sustainability supply data by platforms and other stakeholders.
Providing tabular visibility and transparency of this property data ingested in the Data Hub to all stakeholders.

Data contributors will be continuously consulted on other use cases for this data. We welcome the opportunity to explore other ways in which this data might be used in future to further benefit transparency in the industry.