Nowadays, many different tourism labels co-exist and their quality varies. It is not always easy to know which label to choose for its organisation, which one is reliable or not. This section will describe the key elements of the main labels used in Europe.
It is important to make the difference between the 2 main types of certification:
| Environmental performance labels | Environmental management labels |
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These labels are awarded only if the organisation meets a list of pre-defined criteria. But once the label is awarded to the organisation, the latter just has to ensure it continues to comply with those criteria. These labels generally have mandatory criteria and optional criteria. |
These labels or certifications are tools that enable organisations to evaluate and report their environmental impact. The main difference here is that firstly, an assessment of the environmental impact is done. Then, the organisation must show that their environmental management is effective and that they have improved themselves compared to the audit that has been done previously.
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Example: EU Ecolabel, Green Key…
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Example: EMAS, ISO14001…
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