In celebration of World Earth Day 2025, we are delighted to spotlight some of our members who have placed sustainability and responsible tourism at the heart of their business.
Green Tourism is a leading sustainability certification programme supporting tourism businesses across the UK and beyond. For over 27 years, it has helped thousands of organisations reduce their environmental impact, improve social responsibility, and gain recognition for their sustainability efforts. In this feature, Scott Maclean, Managing Director at Green Tourism, reflects on how the sector’s approach to sustainability has evolved over nearly three decades.
Green Tourism has been championing sustainable tourism for over 27 years – how has the industry’s approach to sustainability changed during this time?
Increased awareness of and commitment to sustainability over this period are undeniable, although the pace of that progress has varied depending on external pressures within the industry.
Hotel groups are now placing much greater emphasis on coordinating sustainability efforts across their operations. Senior colleagues are seeing sustainability added to their portfolios, and there is now far greater involvement from departments such as procurement, marketing, and sales.
Attractions and independent hotels are implementing more comprehensive initiatives than ever before, and there has been a notable increase in the measurement and reporting of carbon emissions. Many now integrate sustainability messaging skilfully into the customer experience – and also, importantly, into the journey of potential customers.
An unprecedented number of DMCs have joined Green Tourism in recent years and are showing growing interest and creativity in how they can bring sustainability attributes to life for their clients.
For destinations, the rise of the Global Destination Sustainability Index has been a transformative development. It has raised the commercial value of a sustainability focus and encouraged greater use of expert guidance and support.
Overall, the relationship between the industry and sustainability has changed significantly over the past five years, and this momentum appears to be building.
Are there any misconceptions from businesses that still linger?
One of the most persistent and limiting misconceptions is the belief, particularly among those without deep sustainability expertise, that they have little to contribute. Industry colleagues frequently underestimate the value and power of their leadership skills, strategic thinking, internal networks, planning abilities, perseverance, and team-building strengths.
These misconceptions often remain unspoken but become evident when our team builds trusted relationships with the pioneers within a business – those individuals bold enough to take the first steps. Recognising their existing strengths can unlock significant progress, often faster than expected. I’d encourage anyone curious about how sustainability can play a role in their business to reach out to the Green Tourism team for a discussion.
What are some common barriers that prevent businesses from starting or furthering their sustainability journey?
The industry is currently facing significant economic pressure. One of the most important steps for many businesses is recognising that sustainability is also a commercial, branding, and sales opportunity.
Often, a shift in emphasis is triggered when businesses recruit new sustainability expertise, however this can also happen with the arrival of new marketing or sales professionals or when a commercial strategy is refreshed and underpinned, at least in part, by a commitment to sustainability progress.
To support this, we have developed a comprehensive ‘Marketing Playbook’ for our members and award-winning businesses. In addition to offering template copy, it also suggests social media strategies, content, and other promotional materials.
What are some steps that businesses can take to start becoming more sustainable today?
Having worked with thousands of businesses, we’ve refined Green Tourism’s offering over the years. This evolution has been designed to support members at every level – from those just starting their sustainability journey to experienced sustainability practitioners who are well on the way to net zero. Members benefit from an industry-recognised framework, support resources, webinars, and access to expert technical advisors.
For businesses unsure how well they will perform in the Green Tourism assessment, and keen to build confidence and sustainability expertise, I recommend a five-step process:
- Take the Free GreenCheck Quiz on the Green Tourism homepage. It’s a very accessible and informative first step.
- After joining, explore the resources and templates in the Knowledge Hub and reflect on how you can apply them to your business.
- If specific areas interest you, grab a cuppa and watch the relevant masterclass webinar recording from our Technical Team.
- If questions arise, simply arrange a call with a member of the Technical Team – we’re here to support.
- Open your GreenCheck portal and begin working through the criteria. You may well be surprised to find you’re already doing more than you thought.
Green Tourism can help every step of the way.
In the 2024 Sustainable Travel Report from Booking.com, 83% of respondents stated that sustainable travel is important to them. However, over a third also said that being sustainable feels pointless if they can’t see sustainability practices in action within a destination. What can businesses do to educate and encourage their guests to travel more sustainably?
Alongside achieving and proudly displaying a Green Tourism award, one of the most straightforward ways businesses can demonstrate their commitment to sustainability is by clearly displaying their carbon footprint.
Green Tourism’s new Carbon Tracker will allow users to generate accurate, graphic carbon reports by simply inputting their data. The new Tracker is an incredibly powerful strategic tool and is completely free to our members. It provides businesses with a practical starting point, empowering them to start measuring carbon and establish a baseline to inform their future strategy.
For more advanced businesses, the Tracker also enables the measurement of scope 3 emissions, allowing them to demonstrate their impact in greater depth. The tracker is particularly useful for Groups, allowing them to monitor and compare all of their sites from a single dashboard.
Given our strong relationship with UKinbound members, I would be delighted to have an exploratory conversation with colleagues considering Green Tourism membership.
To find out more, please get in touch with Scott MacLean or contact 07912268414.
