Travalyst, the not-for-profit coalition of travel and technology companies founded by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, has unveiled the latest iteration of its accommodation certifications initiative.
The update aims to help certification schemes, accommodation providers and booking platforms navigate the EU’s forthcoming Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive.
The Green Transition Directive, which should come into effect in September 2026 and spans industries, brings in mandatory requirements around transparency and independent verification of sustainability claims.
The Travalyst update builds on its initiative first launched in early 2024, which was its first step towards standardization around accommodation sustainability schemes. The body now aims to provide a framework for certification schemes to work as they prepare for the regulation.
“What they want to do is instill trust. They want to make sure that when consumers see sustainability data, it can be trusted,” said Kees Jan Boonen, head of compliance and public affairs at Travalyst.
He added that some certification programs might not survive the process, which would lead to a less fragmented and more trustworthy landscape.
The certifications initiative will help accommodation providers see which external sustainability programs meet transparency and governance requirements. It will also help online travel platforms to display properties that are independently verified for their sustainability claims and avoid falling foul of regulations.
Travalyst hopes to apply the standardization driven by the EU directive more widely, bringing transparency to sustainability certification schemes globally.
Jan Boonen said the directive “basically creates a de facto standard” given the global nature of many travel platforms and their customers.
He also said there is a clear business argument for accommodation providers to invest in a trusted certification process because it attracts customers who want to travel sustainably.
Travalyst was created in 2019 and counts Booking.com, Expedia Group, Google, Amadeus, Sabre and Skyscanner among its members. Last August, the organization named Julie Cheetham CEO, replacing Sally Davey, who had led Travalyst since its inception.