AMSTERDAM—Booking.com, one of the world’s leading digital travel platforms, has announced the latest evolution of the partner-focused facet of its sustainability program, putting the needs of accommodations front and center by testing an improved pathway to third-party certification.
Sustainability now plays a core role in business operations across the travel and tourism industry, and substantiating these efforts through third-party certifications is increasingly critical. At the same time, global travelers are seeking new levels of clarity and consistency with almost half (45 percent)* sharing that coming across an accommodation labeled as more sustainable is increasingly appealing and more than two-thirds (67 percent)* agreeing that all travel booking sites should use the same sustainable certifications or labels. However, certifications are not yet widespread across global accommodation supply; 63 percent** of Booking.com partners surveyed shared they would like to know which third-party certifications are available in their region, while 75 percent** would like to know which practices to implement. The new program sets out to address these questions.
From today, via their individual Booking.com extranet, partners will be able to access tailored insights that guide them towards third-party certifications best suited to their property’s profile, needs and operations. During the early testing phase, a subset of third-party certifications will feature, with sustainability software provider BeCause making it easier for both accommodation partners and certification providers to share their data at scale. In parallel, partners will also receive targeted tips and resources related to the actions they could start taking across categories including water, food waste, energy, plastic and local community. The guidance is generated based on their responses to a detailed survey that gathers the accommodation’s characteristics, location and existing sustainability efforts and credentials.
Access to Educational Resources
With almost a quarter (24 percent)** of partners sharing concerns that the cost of third-party certification is too high, Booking.com will also provide information on organizations that provide funding, discounts on certifications and reduced fees for ongoing subscription. In addition, partners will maintain access to educational resources, from a wide variety of materials on the company’s Partner Hub, including a handbook on more sustainable hospitality, to online courses developed in partnership with UN Tourism.
Accommodations that have achieved a third-party certification will continue to have that information clearly displayed on Booking.com which, coupled with the ability to filter searches accordingly, further helps travelers easily identify corresponding properties. To date, more than 18,000 accommodations have a third-party certification displayed on the platform.
“A resounding 83 percent* of travelers surveyed shared that traveling more sustainably matters to them. Our commitment to support accommodations in their individual journeys to operate more sustainably and in turn, make it easier for travelers to make those more mindful choices, remains unwavering.” said Danielle D’Silva, Director of Sustainability at Booking.com. “While many of our partners are already making great strides in their journey, for others it can be challenging knowing where to start or what certification may be best suited to their needs. In empowering partners to make more informed decisions and accelerate their progress, our ultimate goal is to help bridge the gap between the number of accommodations with third-party certifications and the breadth of choice available in the market.”
Booking.com’s approach continues to be developed in consultation with independent experts and organizations such as the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), UN Tourism and Travalyst, with industry-wide collaboration playing a vital role in how best to address some of the challenges travelers face in making more sustainable choices and the operational barriers faced by accommodations and beyond. As the program rolls out, Booking.com will further explore the most impactful role it can play in this space, maintaining its support of its partners, customers and the broader industry as they mutually strive to make more sustainable travel the way everyone can experience the world.
*Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a sample of 31,550 respondents across 34 countries and territories.
**Research conducted by Booking.com with a sample of 5,340 accommodation providers from 18 countries. The survey was taken online in January/February 2024.
