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The future of transparency in travel: The Data Hub

The industry has long struggled with the fact that sustainability information in travel is not readily available, is lacking transparency, and different everywhere you look.

Travel operators and data providers are asked for the same data in multiple formats, on multiple platforms. Those platforms bear the burden of collecting this information to meet growing demands for transparency—whether from regulators, consumers, or corporate clients. And the traveller? Rarely provided with the clear, trustworthy information they need to make better, more informed choices.

Currently no single, reliable source for data exists that consistently captures, consolidates, and distributes environmental, social, and economic impact information in travel, until now.

What we’ve developed

We’ve created a platform to unlock sustainability data, at scale. A centralised place for travel and tourism operators and data providers to share their impact data, once, serving a range of industry use cases; from sharing information with travellers, to reporting, analytics or industry innovation.

The Data Hub will be the industry’s shared infrastructure; it will:

  1. Ingest sustainability data from both individual operators and large-scale data providers,
  2. Process that data into clear, compliant1, and comparable formats, and,
  3. Distribute that information to support a variety of end uses — from display-ready applications on booking platforms to internal reporting systems, analytics dashboards, baseline creation, and destination benchmarking.

This version processes data for the accommodation sector, but soon this will expand across other key areas of travel, including rail and other sector verticals.

In our launch version, we’ve set up an interoperable ecosystem that can ingest a selective amount of data from larger data providers, and share that with OTAs and business travel platforms that are already part of our coalition. As we begin ingesting data and can iterate and expand our capabilities, we’ll work towards increasing the number of data points, types of data, and the volume of data so that eventually, we can tell the sustainability story of every business and every trip.

 1 This version is GHG protocol compliant. Future iterations will align with PEF/LCA as appropriate.

Why we’ve developed it

To drive positive change in the travel and tourism industry, we must make the relevant information visible where it matters – at the point of decision making.

For the industry, it means efficiency, and accessible information on a global scale.

For travellers, the ability to make more informed choices.

The Data Hub will help tell the sustainability story of every business and every trip, by unlocking the flow of fragmented and hidden data into credible, compliant information.

Travalyst has been instrumental in aligning the broader industry on core sustainability initiatives, such as the Travel Impact Model in aviation. We believe that the accommodation space is the next big area for the industry to drive change, and we are excited to see Travalyst focusing on this area. – Yannis Simaiakis, Director Travel and Local Partnerships EMEA, Google

Validation and verification: ensuring trusted sustainability data

Credible sustainability data is essential for a transparent and legally compliant travel industry. The Data Hub is designed to deliver both data validation and data verification to build trust and integrity across the system.

Validation ensures data accuracy at the point of capture. The Data Hub’s launch version (2025) includes built-in quality checks – duplicate detection, anomaly flagging, and hierarchy rules that prioritise real data over estimates – to confirm consistency and reliability before data is shared.

Verification adds a layer of independent assurance. This third-party process will confirm that data meets regulatory and standards requirements. While not yet live, the Data Hub already has the foundation in place – blockchain tagging, audit trails, and unique property IDs – to enable verification when new European regulations take effect, including the Empowering Consumers Directive (2026) and Green Claims Directive (2027/28).

By contributing now, accommodation providers and partners can prepare ahead of compliance deadlines, strengthen their sustainability credentials, and build trust with travellers, corporate clients, and policymakers.

FAQs

Q

What is the Data Hub?

A

The Travalyst Data Hub is an interoperable system that collects, compares and distributes sustainability data for the travel and tourism industry — starting with accommodation. It enables credible, compliant*, and consistent information to flow across platforms, reducing duplication and supporting better decisions by travellers, businesses, and policymakers.

* This version is GHG protocol compliant. Future iterations will align with PEF/LCA as appropriate.

Q

Who is the Data Hub for?

A

The Data Hub is designed for the entire travel ecosystem: data contributors (e.g. hotels, certifiers, SusTech platforms), distributors (OTAs, GDSs, TMCs), and eventually end users such as travellers, corporates, and policymakers.

Q

Why is this needed now?

A

Sustainability data in travel and tourism is fragmented, inconsistent, and often behind paywalls. The Data Hub solves this by creating a shared, open-access infrastructure that makes credible information available at scale — supporting compliance, operational efficiency, and informed consumer choices.

Q

Who can contribute data?

A

For the launch phase any organisation with access to accommodation sustainability data — such as hotel groups, booking platforms, certifiers, membership bodies, or SusTech providers — can contribute. Direct onboarding of smaller, independent, and individual properties will be added in later phases.

Q

Who can access the data?

A

The current release is available for testing purposes to Travalyst Coalition partners. Wider industry access will be rolled out in future versions (starting in 2026).

Q

What kind of data is included?

A

The launch version includes three categories:

  • Attributes (e.g. renewable energy use, % of consumption from renewables)
  • Certifications (e.g. which scheme, validity, expiry)
  • Carbon footprint (Scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions, expressed per bednight)
Q

How is data protected and governed?

A

The Data Hub follows strict governance protocols, including GDPR compliance. Only standardised outputs — a coalition-approved “unified string” — are shared. Raw data remains secure and is not exposed.

Q

What sets the Data Hub apart?

A
  • Interoperable with multiple systems and data formats
  • Open access (progressively rolled out)
  • Non-commercial and neutral
  • Compliance-aligned with evolving regulation
  • Designed to enable, not compete with industry use cases
Q

How does this benefit smaller accommodation providers?

A

By integrating their data into mainstream distribution channels, the Data Hub levels the playing field. Small independents gain visibility alongside larger chains without the need for bespoke integrations.

Q

Is the Data Hub aligned with legislation?

A

The launch version is GHG Protocol-compliant and is being aligned with current and forthcoming international and EU frameworks, including the Empowering Consumers Directive, the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR), and potentially the Green Claims Directive.

Q

Who owns the data?

A

Ownership of the input data shared remains with the contributor. Data is licensed to Travalyst under agreed terms. Only the agreed unified outputs, not raw data are shared.

Get involved

To help us develop and scale the Data Hub, please contact us on this form.

To stay up to date with our progress, and receive invitations to live webinars, sign up to our newsletter below. 

To read more about our work in the accommodation sector, click here.

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