On September 27th DG Environment from the European Commision, promoted the EU Ecolabel at first Global Green Destination Day conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Global Green Destination Day is an annual event which covers all all topics related to responsible and green tourism on the global level. The events includes a number of presentations as well as workshops and panel discussions by the experts in this field. This event was also a key way to promote quality EU Ecolabel tourist accommodations just months before the UN-declared International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.[1]

During the plenary session, DG Environment explained the foreseen evolution of the the current criteria, which is split into two product groups (tourist accommodation and campsites) to one single criteria. This criteria, which is expected to be adopted in time for the new year  will focus on tightening criteria requirements for environmental hotspots relevant for the tourist accommodation sector.

Tourist accommodation services who obtain the EU Ecolabel see considerable savings in water and energy consumption and a reduction in waste production. These reductions and savings are furthermore translated into economic savings.

When asked about the most challenging requirement of EU Ecolabel for business, DG Environment pointed out that while initial costs of implementating energy-related requirements (in terms of purchasing new, energy efficient equipment’s) can be burdensome, its return on investment are nevertheless seen in the long term. With the adoption of the new criteria in line with the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the EU Ecolabel will continue to encourage tourist accommodations to join in on the movement towards sustainable tourism to facilitate travelers to choose sustainably, even when on holiday.