New scheme launched makes it easier for customers to make sustainable choices

10^th November 2022: To coincide with the launch of TUI UK&I’s Summer 2024 holidays going on sale, the UK’s largest tour operator has announced its ‘Green & Fair’ label, which will highlight hotels that have been certified as sustainable by an independent organisation. This means the hotel meets a strict standard of sustainability credentials, known as the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Criteria. Not only will this make it easier for customers to identify hotels with more planet-friendly practices, but when a customer books a Green & Fair hotel, TUI will donate £1 per adult and £0.50p per child to the TUI Care Foundation, generating valuable additional funds for the foundation.

The GSTC Criteria* works as the worldwide standard for sustainability in travel and tourism and is focused around four key areas: sustainable management; environmental protection; social and economic support of the local community and recognising and promoting cultural heritage. Examples of this include purchasing policies favouring environmentally sustainable suppliers, energy consumption being measured with steps taken to minimise overall consumption and favouring reusable, returnable and recycled goods.

TUI currently has more than 650 hotels now on sale that have been badged with the Green & Fair kitemark on the TUI website and are spread across some of the globe’s must-see cities and beach spots. Las Vegas, Cancun, Cyprus, and Majorca are just a few of the destinations that customers can choose from. TUI awards the Green & Fair label to any hotel in its portfolio that has been certified as sustainable by the independent organisation. This process involves a third-party assessment to certify that the hotel complies with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Criteria or an equivalent standard. The portfolio of Green & Fair hotels will be reviewed three times a year and any hotels that have been certified will be granted with the Green & Fair label.

When a customer books a Green & Fair Hotel, TUI will be donating to The TUI Care Foundation which will help fund initiatives worldwide. With more than 30 projects in 25 countries, the Foundation uses the positive power of tourism to improve the lives of young people, care for the natural world and help local communities thrive. It focuses on the unique needs of a destination – from coral reef restoration in Bali, to keeping sand and sea plastic free in Cyprus or to vocational training at the TUI Academy for young people in the Dominican Republic.

Richard Sofer, commercial director at TUI UK&I commented: “We’re proud to be launching our Green & Fair Hotels label, making it easier for customers to recognise which hotels offer a more sustainable option. Research shows that consumers want brands to offer more eco-friendly options, but they want this to be as straightforward as possible, so we want our customers to know that we are taking care of it behind the scenes. What’s more, we’re donating into the TUI Care Foundation every time a customer chooses a holiday in a Green & Fair hotel to show our commitment as a responsible holiday operator.

He continued, “By staying in a Green & Fair hotel, your holiday choice goes a few steps further to help our planet and worldwide communities. Whether you’re travelling as a couple or fancy a more planet-friendly family getaway, our Green & Fair hotels cater to all group sizes in a huge variety of destinations, meaning there is something for every type of traveller and for all budgets.”

For more information on Green & Fair Hotels, visit https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/info/sustainability