UNESCO and Expedia Group have announced that Green Key, a environmental responsibility standard for the tourism sector, is joining the UNESCO Sustainable Travel Pledge.
The endorsement means a further 3,200 properties across more than 60 countries will become part of the UNESCO Pledge, taking the total to more than 9,000 properties worldwide.
The Green Key eco-label initiative rigorously audits the environmental standards of hotels, hostels and other accommodation.
Priorities include increasing the use of environmentally friendly and sustainable methods and technology to reduce resource waste and helping to create sustainable behavioural change in the hospitality and tourism industry.
The partnership comes after a survey from Expedia Group revealed that nearly two in three (59%) travellers are willing to pay more to make their trip more sustainable.
Jean-Philippe Monod, SVP Government and Corporate Affairs Expedia Group, said: “The number of organisations, hotels and properties signing up to the UNESCO Pledge is increasing at an astonishing pace, with more than 9,000 properties now committed to the cause.
“We are delighted to partner with Green Key – a champion of sustainable tourism – and this announcement demonstrates that more and more travel businesses are willing to make concrete and transparent commitments to sustainability as the threat of climate change becomes more real by the day.”
