Certification Terms

Green Tourism Certification Terms
Agreement between you and Green Business UK Ltd. Version 8.1, effective 16 October 2026.

These terms are published at https://www.green-tourism.com/certification-terms/, where the current version can always be downloaded. When you apply, you confirm on the application form that you have read and agree to them. The version that applies to you is the one published on the date you apply, as updated under section 24.

1. How Green Tourism works

Green Tourism helps tourism and hospitality businesses run more sustainably and prove it. Green Tourism Certified is an independent certification for businesses that meet our standard, checked by an auditor using evidence, not self-declaration.

To keep certification fair and independent, the work is split between two companies.

Keeping advice and audit apart. Within Green Business UK Ltd, the people who support and advise you are never the people who audit you or decide on your certification. If you have had advice from someone, they will not be involved in your audit.

In these terms: “we” and “us” mean Green Business UK Ltd unless we say otherwise. “You” means the business applying for or holding certification or membership. “The standard” means the Green Tourism Certified standard and criteria. “The logo” means the Green Tourism Certified logo, in any format we supply.

Contact: enquiries@green-tourism.com. Green Business UK Ltd, company number SC227139, registered in Scotland, VAT registration number GB789 029 874. Green Tourism Certified Ltd, company number SC895325, registered office 21 Lansdowne Crescent, Edinburgh EH12 5EH, Scotland.

2. What these terms cover

These terms cover your membership of Green Tourism, the support we give you, and your Green Tourism Certified certification. Annex A, the Certification Logo and Claims Rules, explains how to use the logo and talk about your certification. It forms part of these terms.

3. What certification means

Green Tourism Certified confirms that a business met the Green Tourism Certified standard when it was audited, and has kept meeting it since. There is one level of certification. There are no grades or scores.

Certification covers one site and one business scope (for example, hotel, self-catering or attraction). If you run several sites, each one is certified separately. A certificate is valid for three years, as long as you keep meeting the standard and these terms.

4. Who can join

Any tourism or hospitality business that fits one of our business scopes can join and work towards certification, wherever in the world it is based. We apply the same fees, requirements and process to every business of the same type and size.

Before we accept your application, our certification team confirms that your business fits one of our scopes. This is a yes or no check, not advice. You must also sign our Code of Conduct, published at https://www.green-tourism.com/code-of-conduct/. Due-diligence checks on your business form part of your certification audit. If they raise a serious concern, we may decline certification or, if you are already certified, withdraw it.

5. What membership includes

• Access to learning and evidence modules for your business scope.
• The Readiness Check, to show where you are and what to focus on.
• GreenCheck, our certification portal, where you submit your evidence.
• Support from a Green Tourism Advisor by phone, email and video call.
• Guides, templates, webinars and resources in the Members Area.
• Your certification audit.
• Access to the Carbon Tracker.
• Once certified: your digital certificate and the logo to download, marketing guidance, and a listing in the Find a Certified Business directory.

Membership does not guarantee certification. Certification depends only on whether your business meets the required standard, as confirmed by audit.

6. How advisor support works

Your advisor helps you understand the standard, plan your work and find the right evidence. They will not do the work for you, and they cannot tell you whether you will be certified. Advisors are never involved in auditing your business or deciding on your certification.

Using advisor support is optional. It does not affect your audit either way. Decisions about your business, and the evidence you submit, remain yours.

7. Joining

1. Apply online. On the application form you confirm that you have read and agree to these terms and the Code of Conduct.
2. We confirm your application and business scope, and send an invoice.
3. Your membership starts when we receive and confirm payment. We send your welcome pack and login details.

You do not receive any logo when you join. The logo is only issued once you are certified.

8. How certification works

1. Readiness Check. A short check that shows where you are now and what to focus on.
2. Build your evidence, working through nine modules covering the standard’s 45 ESG indicators. Most businesses take around 12 weeks, but you can go at your own pace up to 12 months. If you want to submit after 12 months, you will need to renew your annual membership first.
3. Submit your evidence online through GreenCheck, our certification portal.
4. Online audit. An independent auditor reviews and verifies your evidence online in GreenCheck. They will not have advised you.
5. Findings. If anything does not yet meet the standard, we tell you in writing what and why. You have 4 weeks to put it right.
6. Decision. A member of our certification team who was not involved in your audit or any advice makes the certification decision.
7. Certificate. If you meet the standard, your digital certificate is available to download in GreenCheck and the logo in the Members Area. We also add you to the public register.

9. What you agree to do

• Be accurate and honest. Give us evidence that is true, complete and up to date. You may get help preparing it, but the evidence must be about your business and you are responsible for it.
• Keep meeting the standard for the whole time you are certified, not only at audit.
• Keep records that support your evidence for at least three years.
• Let us check. Give our auditors reasonable access to your site, records and staff, including for checks at short notice.
• Tell us about changes within 30 days: a change of owner or operator, a change to how or what you operate, a major refurbishment, a serious environmental or safety incident, or any legal or regulatory action related to the standard.
• Use the logo correctly and only talk about your certification in ways that are accurate, following Annex A.
• Keep your membership up to date. Give us the right contacts when you apply, tell us promptly when they change, and pay your membership fees on time.
• Follow the Code of Conduct and treat our team with respect.

10. What we promise to do

• Audit every business fairly, consistently and against the published standard only.
• Use trained, competent auditors who declare any conflict of interest. If you think an auditor has a conflict, tell us and we will assign someone else.
• Keep advice and audit separate, as described in section 1.
• Explain our findings and decisions in writing, with reasons.
• Keep your information confidential (see section 20).
• Give you at least 6 months’ notice of changes to the standard, and time to adapt.
• Keep the public register accurate and up to date.
• Meet the service standards below.

If we cannot meet a target, we will tell you why and when to expect a response.

11. Your certificate

Your digital certificate shows your business name, site address, business scope, certificate number, and issue and expiry dates. You will also appear on the public register at www.green-tourism.com, which anyone can use to check your certification. We no longer issue physical plaques, to cut waste and carbon.

12. Staying certified

• Checks. We may check any certified business at any time, remotely or on site. We also act on complaints.
• Renewal. Before your certificate expires, you complete a full re-audit. If you do not renew, certification ends on the expiry date.

13. If the standard changes

Green Tourism Certified Ltd reviews the standard at least every three years. We will tell you what has changed, when it takes effect, and how long you have to meet any new requirement.

14. If your business changes

• New owner or operator. Certification ends on the date the business changes hands. It does not pass to the new owner. The new owner can join straight away and we will offer a priority audit within 90 days. They may not use the logo until they are certified.
• Other changes. If you change how or what you operate, we may need to re-audit some or all of your certification. We will tell you what is needed and why.

15. If something goes wrong
Suspension. We may suspend your certification if you stop meeting the standard, give us misleading information, misuse the logo, refuse a reasonable check, or do not pay fees. We will tell you in writing why, what you need to do and by when (usually up to 90 days). While suspended you must stop using the logo, and the register will show your certification as suspended. When the issue is fixed, we lift the suspension.

Withdrawal. We may withdraw your certification if a suspension is not resolved in time, or straight away for serious issues such as deliberately false evidence or conduct that seriously harms the environment, people or the reputation of the scheme. You must then remove the logo from everything within 30 days, and you may reapply after 12 months.

16. Appeals

You can appeal any certification decision, suspension or withdrawal. Write to enquiries@green-tourism.com within 30 days of the decision, saying why you disagree. Someone who had no part in the original decision will review it and reply within 30 days. If you are still unhappy, you can ask Green Tourism Certified Ltd, as scheme owner, to review how the process was followed. A suspension stays in place while an appeal is considered.

17. Complaints

Anyone can complain about our service, our auditors, or a certified business. See our Complaints Procedure at https://www.green-tourism.com/complaints-procedure/. We use complaints to improve, and we will never treat you less fairly because you complained.

18. Fees, payment and renewal
Fees. Fees are a one-off registration fee and an annual membership fee, as shown on our Fees page at https://www.green-tourism.com/membership/our-fees/. The annual fee covers your membership, support and certification, including your audit. Prices exclude VAT. Paying a fee never guarantees certification.

Your membership year. Your membership year starts on the date we receive and confirm payment of your first invoice. That day and month becomes your renewal date each year, unless we agree with you to change it. We remind you 30 days before renewal, and give at least 30 days’ notice of any price increase.

How to pay. You can pay by bank transfer (BACS) or by cheque in pounds sterling (GBP). Depending on where you are based, we may also offer online payment by debit or credit card, PayPal or Direct Debit. Any bank transfer fees are the responsibility of the person or business making the payment.

Paying in US dollars or euros. If you ask, we may be able to invoice you in USD or EUR. The amount is the equivalent fee in GBP, based on a mid-market exchange rate on the invoice date, plus a currency conversion charge of 3%.

Purchase orders. If your organisation needs a purchase order (PO) number on our invoices, it is your responsibility to give us the PO number before your renewal date. If you need a pro forma invoice to raise the PO, please ask us for one in good time.

Paying by Direct Debit instalments. At your request, we may agree to split your annual membership fee into instalments paid by Direct Debit. This does not change your agreement to pay the full annual fee for that membership year. You have the right to cancel your Direct Debit mandate. However, if you cancel it before the schedule ends without telling us and arranging another way to pay, you will be in breach of these terms and the remaining instalments are still owed.

Late payment. Invoices are due within 30 days. If a payment is more than 21 days late, we will remind you. If it is still unpaid after another 14 days, we may pause your access and suspend your certification.

19. Cancelling and leaving
If you cancel. You can cancel your membership at any time by telling us in writing at least 14 days before you want it to end. If you cancel within the first six months of your first year, and you have not yet been audited, we refund the annual fee. The registration fee is not refundable. Otherwise, fees already paid are not refunded. If you pay by Direct Debit instalments, the remaining instalments for that membership year are still due.

If we cancel. We may end your membership if fees are unpaid, if you seriously or repeatedly break the Code of Conduct, if you give us misleading information, or if you behave abusively towards our team. We will tell you why in writing and, except in serious cases, give you a chance to put things right first.

When membership ends, your certification ends too. You must stop using the logo, and we will update the register.

20. Your information

We keep your evidence and audit records confidential. We only share them with Green Tourism Certified Ltd, so it can check the standard is applied correctly; with accreditation bodies and their assessors, who check our work; or where the law requires it.

We publish your business name, website, site address, scope, certificate status and dates on the public register.

If a tourism board, local authority or other partner pays for all or part of your membership, we may share with them your business name, that you are a member, your certification status and dates, and how far you are through the certification journey. We will tell you who the funder is when you join. We do not share your evidence.

We handle personal data in line with UK data protection law. See our Privacy Policy at https://www.green-tourism.com/privacy-policy/.

21. Our materials

The modules, guides and training materials are for your own business use. Please do not share them, or your login details, outside your business without our written permission. The standard and logo belong to Green Tourism Certified Ltd. Our training and support materials belong to Green Business UK Ltd.

22. Code of Conduct

By joining, you agree to our Code of Conduct, published at https://www.green-tourism.com/code-of-conduct/. It must be signed by an owner or senior manager, and we cannot certify your business until you meet it. In summary, it asks you to:

• Meet the minimum standards that apply to every certified business. These cover legal compliance, honest marketing and sustainability claims, responsible planning and building, respect for local communities, heritage and wildlife, animal welfare, and the safe handling of water, waste and pollution.
• Appoint a green coordinator to look after your sustainability work and be our main point of contact.
• Keep improving your sustainability practice over time.
• Be honest and transparent in your audit, your evidence and any claims you make about your certification or sustainability.
• Keep a professional relationship with us, including treating our team with respect and paying fees on time.
• Protect the reputation of the
  scheme, and do nothing that would bring Green Tourism into disrepute.

Serious or repeated breaches of the Code of Conduct can lead to suspension or withdrawal of your certification and the end of your membership.

23. Responsibility and liability

We provide our services with reasonable skill and care. Certification shows you met the standard when audited. It is not a guarantee of everything about your business, and you remain responsible for your own legal obligations and any claims you make. We are not responsible for business decisions you make based on general guidance, for losses caused by misuse of the logo, or for incorrect information you give us. Our total liability to you in any year is limited to the fees you paid us in that year, except where the law does not allow a limit.

24. Changes to these terms

We will email you at least 30 days before any change to these terms takes effect, explaining what is changing, and publish the new version at www.green-tourism.com. Previous versions remain available on request. If you do not agree with a change, you can cancel your membership before it takes effect.

25. Law and disputes

If we disagree, we will first try to sort it out together, then through mediation. These terms are governed by Scots law and the courts of Scotland. If these terms are translated, the English version applies.

Annex A — Certification Logo and Claims Rules
Rules set by Green Tourism Certified Ltd, owner of the standard and the logo. Applied by Green Business UK Ltd, which issues the certificate and the logo. Version 8.1, effective 16 October 2026.

This annex forms part of the Green Tourism Certification Terms. It can also be shared on its own with your marketing team, web designer or booking partners.

A1. Why these rules matter

The Green Tourism Certified logo tells guests, booking platforms and partners that a business has been independently audited. That trust depends on every business using the logo accurately. Laws on green claims are also getting stricter, including the UK’s consumer protection rules and EU rules that apply when you sell to guests in the EU. These rules help you stay on the right side of them.

A2. Who owns the logo and who issues it

Green Tourism Certified Ltd owns the Green Tourism Certified name, standard and logo, and sets these rules. Green Business UK Ltd, as the certification body, makes the certification decision, issues your certificate and gives you permission to use the logo. It also checks the logo is used correctly and acts on any misuse. The logo is never sold. Your permission to use it is free and non-exclusive, and ends when your certification ends.

A3. When you can use the logo

• Only while you are certified. Not before your certificate is issued, and not while you are suspended.
• Only while you are a current member. If your membership lapses or ends, you must stop using the logo.
• Only for the site and business scope on your certificate.
• Your designers, printers and booking partners may use it on your behalf, following these rules. You are responsible for how they use it.

A4. How to use the logo

• Use the files we supply, unchanged. Do not redraw, recolour, stretch, crop or add words to the logo.
• Follow the size and spacing guidance in the [brand guidelines] in the Members Area.
• Online, link the logo to your listing on the public register so people can check it.
• In print, show your certificate number or the register address alongside the logo where space allows.
• Do not make the logo part of your own logo, business name or web address.

A5. What you can say

Keep it factual, specific and current. These statements are approved:

• “[Business name] is Green Tourism Certified.”
• “[Business name] has been independently audited against the Green Tourism Certified standard.”
• “Green Tourism Certified until [expiry date]. Certificate number [number].”
• “To become Green Tourism Certified, [business type]s are independently audited against 45 ESG indicators.”

You can also describe specific things you do, as long as each one is true, measurable and something you can prove. For example: “All our electricity has come from a renewable tariff since [year].” You must keep evidence for any claim you make.

A6. What you must not say

A7. Groups and multiple sites

If only some of your sites are certified, show the logo only with those sites. A group may say “[number] of our [properties] are Green Tourism Certified” and name them.

A8. When you must stop using the logo

A9. If the logo is misused

We check how the logo is used and act on reports from the public and partners. If we find misuse, we will ask you to correct it by a set date. Serious or repeated misuse can lead to suspension or withdrawal. Where needed to protect guests, we may publicly correct a misleading claim. We will take action against anyone using the logo without permission.

A10. Bronze, Silver and Gold labels

Bronze, Silver and Gold labels are being replaced by Green Tourism Certified. You may continue to use your Bronze, Silver or Gold label until the date of your first Green Tourism Certified audit, or 31 March 2028, whichever is sooner. After that, only the Green Tourism Certified logo may be used.

A11. Questions

If you are unsure whether a claim is acceptable, email enquiries@green-tourism.com before you publish it. We will reply within 5 working days.