Key Sustainability Certifications in Tourism

International Certifications

Travelife for Travel Agencies & Tour Operators

For travel agencies and day tour operators seeking to follow sustainable business practices.
Based on GSTC principles (no longer GSTC-recognized).
Assesses companies on management, social responsibility, and environmental performance.
Certification levels: Travelife Engaged+, Travelife Partner, Travelife Certified.
Note: Travelife has separate certifications for agencies/tour operators and accommodation.
I'm the contact person for Iceland: m.gudjonsdottir@travelife.info

For cities, towns, and destinations working systematically toward sustainable development.
Supports destinations in improving management, nature conservation, cultural protection, and social impact.
GSTC-recognized standard, meaning it aligns with GSTC Criteria.
GSTC-accredited, meaning Green Destinations can certify destinations according to the standard.

Divided into Sustainable Destination, Evaluation, and Business Standards,
covering hotels, travel agencies, airlines, and destinations.
Measures energy use, water use, waste management, climate impact, and more.
Business and Evaluation standards are GSTC-recognized; Sustainable Destination is GSTC-accredited.

For accommodation, restaurants, conference venues, tourist information offices, and museums.
Criteria include energy saving, waste reduction, eco-friendly products, and more.
Based on GSTC principles (no longer GSTC-recognized).
Issued by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

For beaches, small harbors, and tourist boats aiming for high environmental standards.
Evaluates water quality, safety, education, and nature conservation.
Recognized by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).

Issued by the Responsible Tourism Institute (RTI), an independent organization founded in 1995.
Biosphere Sustainable is a management system for tourism enterprises and destinations,
focusing on continuous improvement.
Actions link to the UN 2030 Agenda’s 169 Sustainable Development Goals.
Suitable for organizations seeking a proactive and measurable system to improve
social, cultural, and environmental impact.

For companies demonstrating strong social responsibility, environmental awareness, and transparent governance.
Assesses management, employees, community, environment, and customers.
Based on the B Impact Assessment, with minimum scores required.
Certified companies commit to stakeholder-oriented governance, not just shareholder profit.
Recertified every three years to ensure continuous improvement.
Issued by B Lab, an international non-profit organization.

Developed by Hostelling International as an international quality and management system.
HI-Q&S adds sustainability and environmental criteria to the original HI-Q system.
Recognized under the Sustainable Tourism Framework (STF).
Accommodation must meet extensive service and sustainability criteria to achieve certification.

Nordic environmental label for accommodation, restaurants, conference venues without lodging, and events.
Requirements on minimum carbon emissions, energy saving, and environmentally friendly practices.
Recognized by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

EU environmental label for accommodation and tourism-related products (food, cleaning products, supplies).
Assesses companies on energy use, water saving, waste management, and more.
Recognized by the European Union.

Vakinn – Quality System for Icelandic Tourism

Certification from the Icelandic Tourist Board for companies demonstrating
quality, safety, and sustainable practices.
Includes criteria on environmental protection, quality management, and staff training.
Based on GSTC Standards but does not provide GSTC certification.
Divided into quality recognition for tourism, accommodation, and environmental certification (silver, bronze, gold).

Græn Skref (Green Steps) – Not a certification

For institutions, ministries, and public organizations working to
reduce environmental impact and implement sustainable actions.
Implemented in five stages with recognition for commitment to environmental goals.
Managed and audited by the Environment and Energy Agency.
All working tools are publicly available.

All are certified by accredited certification bodies.

GSTC does not certify companies or destinations directly.
GSTC provides two types of recognition:

GSTC-Recognized Standard – A standard that aligns with GSTC criteria.
Using it does not mean the company is certified.
- Examples: EarthCheck Evaluate and Company Standard.
GSTC-Accredited Certification Body – Certification bodies accredited by GSTC.
Those are companies that are allowed to certify companies according to GSTC standards.
Companies certified through these bodies become GSTC-Accredited Certified.
- Examples for hotels and tour operators: UCSL (Nordics contact is me : nordics@ucsl.eu), Bureau Veritas, Control Union
- Examples for destinations: Green Destinations, EarthCheck Sustainable Destination

Here are examples of sustainability certifications used in other Nordic countries: