Turn destination sustainability plans into measurable progress

Green Tourism helps destination organisations turn sustainability ambition into practical action across the visitor economy.

Our destination offer combines strategy, carbon measurement and business certification, giving local teams a clear way to set priorities, build evidence and support businesses to make measurable progress.

Use one programme on its own, or combine all three around the needs, scale and objectives of your destination.

What the programmes can help you do

Set a clear strategy

Turn destination objectives into a practical roadmap with defined priorities, responsibilities and a clear route into delivery.

Measure what is changing

Build a consistent carbon baseline across participating businesses and track progress over time.

Support local businesses

Give businesses practical guidance, tools, training and a structured route to independent certification.

Strengthen your evidence

Give buyers, funders, partners and stakeholders clearer evidence of progress and performance.

Three programmes for destination-wide progress

1. Destination Sustainability Strategy

A focused seven-day programme for destinations that need a practical sustainability strategy they can act on. Delivered remotely by two senior sustainability specialists, the programme reviews your current position, brings key stakeholders into the process and produces a clear roadmap for tourism and hospitality.

1. Know where you stand

A clear baseline of current activity, strengths and gaps, plus a map of the organisations and businesses that need to be involved.

2. Agree the priorities

A strategy workshop where key stakeholders agree what matters most and set practical objectives.

3. Plan and measure

An action plan, a way to measure carbon with the Carbon Tracker, and the business case for local businesses to take part.

4. Communicate and deliver

A clear, credible way to talk about your destination’s sustainability work without overclaiming, and a roadmap your team can act on.

You leave with:

A destination baseline, agreed priorities, stakeholder map, action plan, reporting approach and a practical roadmap for delivery.

2. Carbon Tracker for Destinations

One consistent measurement approach.
One clearer business carbon baseline.

Give businesses across your destination one practical way to measure their carbon footprint, while helping your destination build a clearer evidence base across the participating business community.

Participating businesses use the Carbon Tracker to enter their own operational data and calculate Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions using one consistent methodology. Where businesses have given permission for their data to be shared, Green Tourism can bring the results together to establish a baseline across the participating business base, identify patterns and track change over time.

The programme is designed around business participation. It measures the footprint of participating businesses in the destination — not the full geographical footprint of the place, such as roads, transport infrastructure or activity outside those businesses.

The Carbon Tracker supports different business types, so participation can extend beyond traditional tourism and hospitality businesses where that is relevant to the destination programme.

Green Tourism members in your destination already have the Carbon Tracker included in their membership.

The Carbon Tracker’s methodology has been independently validated by Control Union against ISO 14064-3, one of the first tourism and hospitality carbon trackers in the world to achieve this validation.

Give businesses across your destination one practical way to measure their carbon footprint, while helping your destination build a clearer evidence base across the participating business community.

What your destination can receive

  • a coordinated Carbon Tracker programme for participating businesses
  • one consistent measurement approach across the participating business base
  • an aggregated business carbon baseline, using data participating businesses have agreed can be shared
  • an annual report summarising agreed participating-business data and progress
  • training and webinars to help businesses understand carbon and complete their data
  • regular review meetings with the Green Tourism team
  • year-on-year data to support reporting, planning and communications

What participating businesses get

  • a practical way to calculate their Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions
  • guided fields and a consistent methodology across the programme
  • reports they can use for internal planning, tenders, procurement and client requests
  • support to understand what data to gather and how to improve it over time
  • a clearer starting point for carbon reduction planning

Support can be tailored to the destination. An enhanced option can include more hands-on help for participating businesses, including onboarding and support with data collection.

Businesses that want to go further can also work with Green Tourism on their own carbon reduction strategy and action plan.

3. Business Sustainability & Certification Programme

Help local tourism and hospitality businesses turn sustainability activity into structured improvement and credible evidence. This supported programme gives participating businesses a practical route through Green Tourism Certified, with guidance, tools, Carbon Tracker access and an independent audit.

What participating businesses receive

  • a 12-week programme built around ten practical ESG modules
  • clear actions, evidence requirements and digital resources
  • support from a Green Tourism Support Advisor
  • access to the Carbon Tracker
  • an independent certification audit by Green Business UK Ltd, a separate company from the scheme owner
  • a recognised certification mark and directory listing once certified

Commercial value for local businesses

Certification gives businesses independent evidence they can use with customers, corporate buyers, procurement teams and partners. It can support RFP responses, strengthen sustainability communications and give businesses a clearer framework for managing performance.

Eligible certified accommodation businesses may also benefit from sustainability visibility on participating online travel agencies. Green Tourism is included on Travalyst’s Certifications list; individual travel platforms decide which certification information they recognise and display.

Why destination-wide action matters

Destination teams are increasingly expected to provide credible data and evidence of progress, while local businesses need support that is practical enough to use day to day. A coordinated programme creates consistency without expecting every business to solve the same problems alone.

A shared strategy, comparable business carbon data and independently audited businesses also give destination teams a much stronger basis for reporting and communications than broad sustainability claims on their own.

Training and support are an important part of the picture. Carbon measurement can still feel unfamiliar or complicated to many businesses, so programmes need to make participation practical, explain what data is needed and help businesses build confidence over time.

Tourism expertise built around practical delivery

Green Tourism works with tourism organisations, destinations and partners on sustainability strategy, carbon measurement, standards, business engagement and practical delivery in the UK and internationally.

Our destination programmes are designed to move beyond plans and intentions. The aim is to give destination teams a practical route into delivery, evidence they can report, and support that helps local businesses take part.

Green Tourism Certifies Assessment Portal

Build the right programme for your destination

You may need a focused strategy, better carbon data, a business certification programme or a combination of all three. We can shape the programme around your destination, participation targets, business base and reporting needs.

Talk your plans through with our Destinations team.