Sustainable Tourism Certifications

Reading beyond the Label

Towards a "Green" Standard in Sustainable Tourism

The Canary Islands welcome over 16 million visitors each year. Tourism is the backbone of the islands’ economy, but it is also one of the main pressures on the ecosystems, water resources, and communities that make these islands worth visiting in the first place. This is the paradox at the heart of modern tourism: the very industry that depends on these places also puts them under strain.

There are no simple solutions to this. But within that tension, some businesses are choosing to operate differently by reducing their footprint, investing in local communities, and being held accountable for their actions. Certifications are one way of recognising and communicating these efforts, allowing businesses to show their commitment and helping travellers identify them.

This is part of how we move, gradually, towards a greener future: by choosing and supporting higher sustainability standards.

When travelling to the Canary Islands, you may notice many different sustainability certifications or eco-labels displayed by hotels and tourism businesses. These badges are meant to signal environmental or social responsibility, but they can also be difficult to understand or compare.

This page explains the most common sustainable tourism certifications used in the Canary Islands, how they work, and how they can help you when choosing where to stay or which services to use.

While certifications can be a useful signal that a business is engaging with sustainability, they vary in their criteria, transparency, and level of verification. Understanding these differences can help you make more informed and responsible travel choices.

For us at Canary Green, transparency around sustainability in tourism is an important step toward a greener future for the Canary Islands.

What are "Sustainable Tourism Certifications” and “Ecolabels”?

Sustainable tourism certifications and ecolabels are labels that show a tourism business — such as a hotel, tour operator, or even a destination — meets certain sustainability criteria.

These labels can take different forms, including:

Eco-labels
Environmental management systems
Quality or sustainability programmes
Voluntary standards or awards

They are designed to show that a business is taking steps to manage its environmental and social impacts more responsibly. Below you can find a list of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) for recognized labels in 2025.

Why are there so many different labels?

Over the past decades, many organisations, governments and industry groups have created their own sustainability certifications for tourism.

As a result, there are now many different labels around the world. Research and international policy reports often describe this system as large and sometimes confusing.

A global assessment commissioned by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) already identified more than 100 voluntary initiatives worldwide. These certifications reflect different regional priorities, industry needs, and levels of ambition — but they can make it difficult for travelers to compare them.

What does sustainability in tourism include?

Sustainability in tourism goes beyond small actions like recycling or towel reuse.

One widely used reference is the framework developed by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). It describes four main areas of sustainable tourism, that have to be adjusted to local and global contexts:

Sustainable management
Policies, monitoring systems, and continuous improvement.
Socioeconomic impacts
Fair employment and support for local communities and businesses.
Cultural impacts
Respect for cultural heritage and local identity.
Environmental impacts
Responsible use of water and energy, pollution reduction, and protection of biodiversity and landscapes.

Together, these areas show that sustainable tourism involves how businesses are managed, how they interact with communities, and how they protect natural resources.

Do sustainability certifications actually work?

Research suggests that certifications can help tourism businesses structure and monitor their sustainability efforts, particularly smaller organisations. They often provide a framework for setting goals, tracking performance, and communicating sustainability actions.

A large review of academic research found that certifications can support improvements over time. However, the actual environmental and social outcomes can vary depending on the certification and the local context.

In other words, certifications can encourage better practices, but their impact is not always the same everywhere. Thus, they can be a helpful tool but still often are not sufficient as sole solution.

How should tourists use certifications?

Certifications can be a useful signal that a business is engaging with sustainability. Labels that publish clear criteria and involve independent auditing generally offer more credibility than self-declared claims.

However, no certification guarantees a “zero-impact” or fully sustainable holiday. Tourism always has environmental and social impacts — especially in island regions like the Canary Islands where resources such as water are limited.

For travelers, certifications can be a helpful starting point. You can also look for additional signs of responsible practices, such as:

Whether the certification is current and officially listed
Whether the criteria or reports are publicly available &b up-to-date
Visible practices or indicators on site (for example water use, energy systems, waste management, or local sourcing)

The 8 Sustainability Certifications found across the Canary Islands

Certification isn’t just a badge; it’s proof that a business has been independently assessed against set standards for environmental, social, and quality practices. Below is a quick look at what the most present ones each stands for and in the link you can find the full info:

Biosphere

Travelife

Ecostars

Green Key (Llave Verde)

EMAS

ISO 14001

ISO 9001

SICTED

Biosphere