Sustainability in Tourism: The Role of EMAS and Latest Developments

EMAS is playing an increasingly important role in promoting sustainability across the tourism sector, helping businesses to reduce their environmental impact while encouraging greater transparency and innovation. 

The tourism sector is a significant part of the global economy, representing approximately 10% of global GDP and contributing around 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Given this, making tourism more environmentally sustainable is crucial for ensuring a greener future. A key element in achieving this is creating standardized methods to measure, compare, and improve the environmental impact of tourism services, particularly in the accommodation sector. 

Tourism has become a key focus area for EMAS, with more than 140 companies in the tourism industry already registered. EMAS registration can be applied by any business in the tourism value chain, e.g. accommodation providers, catering businesses, transport companies, cultural institutions, art businesses, parks, botanical and zoological gardens, travel agencies, tour operators and many others. From helping businesses reduce waste and improve energy efficiency to promoting greater transparency with customers, EMAS is a good tool to green tourism operations. Registering to EMAS enables companies to adopt an encompassing environmental management system to enable them to identify their environmental impacts, quantify them and set up actions to reduce them over time. It also makes EMAS registered companies to become part of a community of practice, learn from frontrunners and adopt innovant eco-solutions. 

For instance, recently several flagships are launched in the tourism sector to promote exchange of good practices in the tourism sector such as:   

• a webinar on the role of EMAS in sustainable tourism,  
• the relaunch of the "Take a Green Step" website explaining good practices and benchmark of excellence and specific indicators for the tourism sector 
• the display of EMAS-certified accommodations on Booking.com or 
• the success story of EMAS registered, La Ballena Alegre, a Spanish campsite recognized for its eco-friendly approach. 

Webinar: How EMAS can support improving the sustainability of the tourism sector 

On September 27, 2024, in celebration of World Tourism Day, the EMAS Helpdesk will host a webinar focusing on how EMAS can assist tourism businesses in improving their environmental performance. This webinar is aimed at both EMAS-registered and non-registered organisations that want to put sustainability at the heart of their activities. 

During the event, participants will gain an understanding of how EMAS can help reduce the environmental footprint of tourism businesses while also increasing transparency with customers. Therefore, attendees will hear success stories from tourism companies that have successfully implemented EMAS. A key part of the webinar will also look at the sustainability strategies of key players such as booking platforms and provide information on the latest actions of climate ambassadors to promote greener tourism in Europe.  

Register now and start your journey towards a more sustainable business: Click here to register. 

Additional EMAS Initiatives in Sustainable Tourism 

• Tourism Success Story La Ballena Alegre: A leading example of sustainability in tourism, this Spanish campsite has embraced renewable energy and waste reduction as part of its eco-friendly business model. Their efforts include engaging staff, suppliers, and guests in their sustainability journey. 
• Take a Green Step Website Relaunch: The European Commission has relaunched its "Take a Green Step" website to help tourism businesses improve their environmental performance. It provides practical advice and connects eco-conscious travellers with sustainable accommodations and services. 
• EMAS-Certified Accommodations on Booking.com: EMAS-certified hotels and accommodations from various EU countries are now featured on Booking.com, allowing sustainability-conscious travellers to find eco-friendly options more easily. If your business is already EMAS-registered, linking your certification to Booking.com can increase your visibility to potential guests. 

Join the Movement – Register for the Webinar Now! 

For businesses not yet registered, the webinar “How EMAS can support improving the sustainability of the tourism sector" offers a perfect opportunity to explore how EMAS can support your sustainability journey and enhance your business. Whether you're already working towards a more sustainable future or just beginning your journey, this webinar will provide the tools and knowledge to take the next step.  

Don't miss the opportunity to contribute to the sustainable transformation of the tourism sector!