Travalyst shares the first 49 sustainability certifications for accommodation compliant with its criteria. This is the first milestone in its certifications initiative to strengthen credibility and create consistency in which certifications are displayed on travel booking platforms.
Founded in 2019 by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Travalyst is a not-for-profit global coalition of some of the biggest brands in travel and technology aiming to bring sustainability information to the mainstream to help people make more informed travel choices.
Research carried out by Travalyst’s coalition partner, Booking.com, revealed that 45% of travellers view accommodation that is labelled more sustainable, as more appealing. But travellers want consistency; the research also found that 67% of travellers agree that all travel booking sites should use the same certifications and labels.
By asking certification bodies to meet a set of criteria, Travalyst aims to enable industry alignment behind accommodation sustainability certifications. These criteria are designed to establish an initial threshold that supports the certification industry to meet evolving regulatory requirements. They represent the first step in a broader, ongoing effort to improve the sustainability governance of certifications for the accommodation sector.
Following an independent review of their processes, the certifications listed are compliant with three initial criteria developed by the Travalyst coalition and validated by its Independent Advisory Group:
Third-party audit4 that includes on-site and/or remote online assessment of sustainable practices reported by the property. Publicly available standards upon which the certification is based. Focuses on evaluating the impact of social and/or economic, and/or environmental factors, among others, as encompassed within, but not restricted, to the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Sally Davey, CEO of Travalyst says “There are a huge number of certification bodies globally that focus on sustainability within the accommodation sector. We hear time and time again that this can be overwhelming and confusing, not only for people wanting to book a more sustainable stay but also for accommodation providers and booking platforms. We’re working to make things simpler and easier to navigate.”
Find out more at www.travalyst.org
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