Global Recognition

Global and international expectations are changing as increasingly travellers, the community and governments demand authentic, unique, culturally responsible and environmentally sustainable experiences and the removal of greenwashing. Regulatory frameworks and international standards around certification labels and brands are expected and increasing. These changes strongly align with Ecotourism Australia’s values and our Certified Operators and Destinations because it represents transparency and credibility.

Travellers don’t just want destinations and tourism operators to say they are sustainable; they want them to prove and demonstrate it. More and more research show a growing demand for genuine ecotourism and sustainable tourism experiences that align with travellers’ conscious consumer values. This highlights the need for operators and destinations to step up their sustainability initiatives – and communicate them effectively.

Tourism Sustainability Certification Alliance

Ecotourism Australia is a founding member of the Tourism Sustainability Certifications Alliance (TSCA), a global association for sustainable tourism established in January 2025. This global collaboration, covering more than 19,000 certified tourism entities worldwide, have been essential in setting and upholding international sustainability criteria for over 30 years. By working with these bodies, we promote quality management, continuous improvement, and independent verification audits, ensuring our certification aligns with recognised global standards.

The nine founding members of TSCA – Ecotourism Australia, Biosphere, Green Globe, Foundation for Environmental Education (Blue Flag and Green Key), Good Travel Seal, Green Globe, Green Key Global, TourCert, Travelife for Accommodation, and Travelife for Tour Operators have aligned our respective certification programs’ minimum criteria and auditing processes under a new standard (the TSCA Standard).

TSCA has been incorporated by its founding members as a unified certification platform for the tourism industry to ensure consistency and credibility in sustainable tourism management and to enable travellers to make informed choices based on the highest sustainability standards. By joining TSCA, we have an even bigger opportunity for our certification programs to achieve further recognition internationally.

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United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Ecotourism Australia’s certification programs align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by embedding environmental, socio-economic, and cultural sustainability principles into tourism operations. Through a robust set of criteria across eight key sections, certified businesses demonstrate a tangible commitment to global sustainability objectives. These criteria encompass key areas such as responsible consumption, climate action, biodiversity conservation, and equitable economic growth, ensuring that tourism plays a role in advancing a more sustainable and resilient future.

See how our criteria align with the SDGs

European Union Green Claims Directive (GCD) 2027

The rising demand for sustainable travel has led some businesses to engage in greenwashing, making false or misleading claims about their environmental practices to appear more eco-friendly than they are. To combat this, the European Union, a leader in sustainability standards, is introducing the Green Claims Directive (GCD) in 2027. This directive will apply to all consumer products, including tourism, to protect buyers from deceptive claims. Research by the EU found that over 50% of green claims contain vague or misleading information, and more than 40% lack supporting evidence. The GCD will require businesses to verify any environmental claims they make, ensuring that only substantiated claims can be used for commercial gain.

For Australia’s tourism industry, this means as global suppliers, businesses here will need to comply with these rigorous standards. Although certification is not currently required, once the GCD takes effect, it will become essential for operators and destinations to validate their claims to prevent greenwashing. Ecotourism Australia is working with the world’s top certifying bodies worldwide to ensure that sustainable tourism standards meet the upcoming EU requirements. Now is the time for Australian operators to proactively align with these standards, setting their sustainability practices in order well ahead of 2027.

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Did you know?

The Global Sustainable Tourism Industry is expected to hit USD $11.4 trillion by 2032 (Sustainable Tourism Market report, Travel and Tour World, 2024).

75% of global travellers say that they want to travel more sustainably over the next 12 months (Booking.com, 2024 Report).

Recognised best practice standard and working globally to support the Australian visitor economy

Ecotourism Australia’s strategic partnerships with international organisations and key industry bodies continue to strengthen Australia’s sustainable tourism industry. We collaborate with world-renowned groups such as:

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
UN Tourism
Sustainable Tourism Certifications Alliance
Green Destinations
WWF-Australia, Parks Australia
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA)

As demand for sustainability certification grows, Ecotourism Australia and our global partners remain committed to rigorous standards, ensuring that our certification process aligns with global best practices and emerging consumer protection regulations, like the European Union’s Green Claims Directive. This collaborative approach allows us to provide accessible, affordable certification options, particularly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which make up a large portion of the tourism industry.

Together, we ensure that sustainable tourism certification remains a credible benchmark and a driving force for positive environmental and social impact across the global visitor economy.

We are proud to be recognised by:

Booking.com

Booking.com, as one of the world’s largest Online Travel Agencies (OTA), use globally recognised third party certifications, like Ecotourism Australia’s ECO and Sustainable Tourism Certification to validate sustainability claims. Accommodation with a recognised third-party certification have a clear sustainability label on the site which can also be used by travellers to filter their search.

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Google

Google has introduced a way for certified hotel owners to highlight their sustainability practices to environmentally-conscious consumers. Due to our rigorous certification criteria, ECO and Sustainable Tourism Certification have been included among a selection of highly regarded certification programs worldwide approved by Google.

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Travalyst

A global initiative offering sustainable insights guiding travellers to make informed choices. Through this recognition, ECO and Sustainable Tourism Certified Operators (excluding Nature Tourism level) will be highlighted through global platforms such as Booking.com, Google, Expedia, Trip.com, Tripadvisor, Amadeus, Sabre, Skyscanner, Travelport, Visa and Mastercard. This recognition not only raises our Certified Operators’ profiles but also assists travellers in making responsible, informed choices.

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Accor

Accor has partnered with Ecotourism Australia to certify their hotels in Sustainable Tourism Certification. Ecotourism Australia was one of just three global certification providers chosen to independently certify Accor’s portfolio of hotels, resorts and apartments, with the organisations entering strategic partnership in 2023. Today Ecotourism Australia has certified more than 190 hotels across Australia. Underscoring their commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism, Accor is targeting Sustainable Tourism Certification across their entire global group. Accor operates 19 international brands across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and French Polynesia, such as Sofitel, MGallery, Art Series, Pullman, Swissôtel, Mövenpick, Grand Mercure, Peppers, The Sebel, Mantra, Handwritten Collection, Novotel, TRIBE, Mercure, BreakFree, ibis, ibis Styles and ibis budget.

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Association of British Travel Agents

ABTA is a trade association for UK travel agents, tour operators, and the wider travel industry. For over 70 years, ABTA has supported its members in running successful travel businesses while providing travellers with advice, guidance, and support.

ABTA works closely with its members to raise and maintain standards, aiming to build a more sustainable travel industry. Whether for business, leisure, or visiting family and friends, travellers can relax and enjoy their trips when they book with an ABTA member.

Ecotourism Australia’s Standards (ECO Certification and Sustainable Tourism Certification) are included in the list of certification schemes and labels that share their ambitions, with some already accredited or committed to achieving accreditation by the end of 2026.

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Australian Tourism Export Council

ATEC’s Tourism Trade Checklist — an industry-led platform which aims to promote quality tourism sellers who comply with Australia’s operational law and regulations. The checklist allows for sellers to easily upload their trade relevant information to a directory, which is then accessed by Australian-based and international buyers and trade partners. As a participant, we not only support accessible compliance information but also enhance the quality and sustainability of Australia’s tourism industry.

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