Tourism Sustainability Certifications Alliance launched to eliminate greenwashing

Tourism Sustainability Certifications Alliance launched to eliminate greenwashing

Leading global tourism Certification Organisations have announced the launch of the Tourism Sustainability Certifications Alliance (TSCA), a registered association dedicated to fostering a global tourism industry that thrives on sustainability.

With sustainability being embraced by all major industries, tourism businesses are calling for simpler solutions to assist with sustainable management, attaining independent certification, and achieving continuous improvement.

At the same time, the popularity of sustainability is causing a proliferation of greenwashing and targeting tourists with unsubstantiated green claims.

TSCA Chairperson, Elissa Keenan notes “our industry and travellers are demanding a transparent system of certification that can be trusted to promote the best in sustainable tourism and eliminate greenwashing.”

The TSCA has been incorporated by its founding members as a collaborative certification platform for the tourism industry and to ensure that travellers make informed choices based on reliable sustainability standards.

Under this new alliance, the TSCA has established a minimum sustainable tourism standard, which serves as the baseline that all members will align with. This standard, alongside independent auditing procedures ensures consistency and credibility in sustainability management.

The minimum standard will continue to serve all currently certified businesses and destinations while providing a unified system to meet the growing demand for independent certification of sustainable tourism management and performance.

The next steps for the TSCA will be to assist tourism businesses in satisfying the requirements of emerging consumer protection legislation, such as the upcoming EU Green Claims Directive introduced to eradicate greenwashing.

To provide greater access to certification for more tourism businesses, the TSCA will continue to streamline systems and refine and align reporting standards, criteria, benchmarks, and other requirements related to certification.

By growing the number of certified businesses, travel consumers will benefit from being able to purchase travel options with green credentials independently audited and supported by documented evidence.

Keenan added “Collectively, TSCA members are responsible for certifying more than 19,000 travel and tourism enterprises, organisations, and destinations.

“For over 30 years, the world’s most recognised travel brands and destinations have relied on us to provide independent and creditable certification of their sustainable practices.

The trust and recognition we have built over decades, with businesses and travellers alike, is the ongoing legacy the TSCA will build on to ensure that travel & tourism remains a positive force for communities, enterprises, and the environment.”