Fair Trade Tourism SA has been named among the top 20 certification schemes for sustainable tourism. Seychelles Sustainability Label and Green and EcoTourism Certification Program Botswana were also included in the list.
The list was published in the Tourism and Greenwash Report, which is published by Totem Tourism, and aims to provide an analysis of green tourism certification schemes and expose misleading green marketing.
According to the report, there are a number of factors increasing tourism’s energy consumption, including growing numbers of international tourist arrivals, trends to travel further and stay for shorter periods of time and the use of energy-intensive transport modes.
There are currently over 150 green branding certifications. However, the rise in awareness around green issues has led to more businesses being keen to publicise green credentials, even when these are non-existent, the report notes.
According to the report, the top certification schemes are as follows:
1. Green Tourism Business Scheme, UK and Canada
2. Travelife, International
3. Biosphere Responsible Tourism, International
4. Green Globe, International
5. Fair Trade Tourism South Africa
6. TourCert CSR Tourism
7. Ecotourism Romania
8. Ecotourism Norway
9. Ibex Fairstay, Switzerland
10. Peak District Environmental Quality Mark, UK
11. ECO Tourism Australia
12. Environmentally Sustainable Accommodations International Standard Japan
13. Europarc, Europe
14. PanParks, Europe
15. GREAT Green Deal, Guatemala
16. Control Union Green Choice, Peru
17. EcoCamping, Europe
18. QualityCoast, International
19. Seychelles Sustainability Label
20. Green and EcoTourism Certification Program Botswana
