Which sustainability certification is best for your business?

Many businesses have been asking this question due to a notable surge in recent times in consumers seeking sustainable products. This trend is particularly evident in the tourism industry, where research indicates a growing preference for sustainable options. However, issues arise around where consumers can find such products without businesses providing evidence of their impacts.

This is where a sustainable certification can help increase responsible businesses' visibility. However, currently, large corporate organisations have greater access to these schemes. This is because they can afford the high costs and may have more manpower to work through the rigorous process. Recently, there has been a growth in the number of schemes on the market, bridging this gap and targeting SME businesses.

The following blog and accompanying resource have been developed to support UK-based tourism businesses of all sizes in deciding which scheme is best for them.

Understanding Sustainability Certification

Measuring and monitoring your environmental and social impact is crucial to reducing your negative footprint. Business certification schemes for sustainability serve as excellent tools for this purpose, offering standardised assessments of business performance based on specific criteria and guidelines for sustainable management.

The true value of certification lies not in the initial achievement, but in the continual progress, businesses make over time. It's essential for companies to not only obtain certification but also to strive for improved scores each year, thereby increasing their positive impact.

Moreover, major online tour operators (OTAs) like Booking.com and Google are aiding consumers in identifying certified sustainable businesses, thus informing their booking decisions and raising awareness.

Why Invest in Sustainability Certification?

In an era rife with greenwashing, it is increasingly challenging for consumers to distinguish between genuinely sustainable organisations and those merely claiming to be eco-friendly. Certification schemes play a vital role in preventing greenwashing and helping your business stand out.

Beyond enhancing customer satisfaction, certification can lead to cost reductions, higher profits, and improved employee retention and satisfaction.

Choosing the Right Certification Scheme

We know that picking the right certification scheme can be a difficult decision. We have, therefore, laid out some key criteria that one should consider before a final decision is made. These are as follows:

• Cost: The scheme should be affordable, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

• Transparency: results should be transparent and provided to the business, or ideally, made public.

• External Audit: audits should be conducted by external auditors.

• Market Recognition: The scheme should be recognised and understood by customers.

• Travalyst Recognition: choose a scheme recognised by the Travalyst group to ensure promotion through major OTAs like Booking.com and Google Travel.

• GSTC Recognition: opt for a certification scheme that uses a standard that has been Recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), which ensures that the standard used for certification is equivalent to the GSTC Criteria, the global standards for sustainable travel and tourism.

Do you need help deciding what scheme works best for you? We have developed the following resource that includes a comparison table of the top schemes in the UK used within the tourism industry to support your journey.

Alternatively, please feel free to contact our Director Alison Burgh, alison@acorntourism.co.uk for more information.