There are plenty of tourism ecolabels in the world, each of them awarding tourism establishments in a different manner and on the basis of different criteria. On this page, you will discover what makes Green Key one of the leading ecolabels in tourism.
High quality ecolabel with high standards
Just like in your establishment, quality comes first in the Green Key programme. In ecolabelling, quality is defined by the transparency of the programme, regular on-site audits conducted by well-trained Green Key auditors and third-party verification. Green Key fulfils all these requirements. Both the Green Key criteria and the award process are available on our website, meaning that everyone can understand how and why an establishment has been awarded. The criteria of the Green Key programme are recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. All Green Key awarded establishments receive regular on-site audits conducted by well-trained Green Key auditors.
Non-profit driven
Green Key is managed by the Foundation for Environmental Education which is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation. As the programme is non-profit-making, the participation costs are comparably low.
Dialogue-based programme with 20 years of experience
Going green and implementing sustainability from the bottom to the top of your establishment is not an easy task. Green Key acknowledges that no establishment is like another and that different businesses face different struggles when it comes to sustainability. Therefore, our programme offers support all the way through, from the application to the award. Developed in 1994, Green Key already has over 20 years of experience in the field of tourism ecolabelling, with an extensive knowledge base that is shared with applicant and awarded establishments.
International ecolabel with national support
Green Key has over 2900 awarded establishments in 57 countries, which makes it one of the most geographically widespread tourism ecolabels in the world. In 40 countries, national Green Key operators are responsible for the management of the programme, which means that you receive support in your own language. Most importantly, our national operators understand the national context
