Labels, brands, standards, certifications… today there are many possibilities for making your commitment known to your customers. Mainly intended for accommodation, these tools are also sometimes intended for restaurants but also for visit and reception sites. Even more than a commercial asset, they are above all useful for planning and organizing your action plan for a more sustainable management of your activity.
We offer you a presentation of three labels recognized by ADEME. You will also find at the bottom of this article an exhaustive document produced by the association Actors of Sustainable Tourism and ADN Tourisme.
Green Key
- Who is it for? Accommodation and restaurants. 1564 certified accommodations and restaurants in France in 2024;
- Repository: approximately 60 mandatory and recommended criteria;
- Cost: between €395 and €495 for audit fees (every 3 years) and between €160 and €1700 for annual participation fees (reduction for UMIH and FNHPA members);
- Procedure: free registration on the Clef Verte website (professional space) until mid-April, then visit of the auditor during the summer (with possibility of support if necessary) and presentation of the file to the jury in autumn.
- Information: How to apply for the Clef Verte label – La Clef Verte.
European Ecolabel
- Who is it for? Accommodations. 288 labeled accommodations in France in 2024;
- Repository: 67 criteria including 22 mandatory and 45 optional;
- Cost: between €200 and €1200 for admission and examination of the file; between €665 and €1635 for the field audit (every 2 years) and between €200 and €750 for usage rights.
- Procedure: contact AFNOR to receive the reference documents, the approach and the prices. It is possible to make a free self-assessment thanks to the ADEME toolbox.
- Information: AFNOR Grand Est – AFNOR Group
Natural Hotels®
- Who is it for? classified hotels (two stars minimum) located on a protected territory (National Park, Regional Natural Park, Geopark…). 18 hotels in France in 2024;
- Referential: 106 criteria including 72 mandatory and 34 recommended;
- Cost: annual fee of €250 to €600 depending on the number of stars + €250 to €500 depending on the number of rooms + €15 to €30 per room;
- Procedure: contact the leader of the “Hotels au Naturel®” Group
- Information: Become a Natural Hotel – Natural Hotels (hotels-au-naturel.com)
But also:
For accommodation:
- Environmental display – The environmental labeling of hotels – Betterfly Tourism (betterfly-tourism.com)
- CSR Committed – CSR Committed Label (afnor.org)
- Panda Cottages – Holiday rental – Panda WWF | Gîtes de France® (gites-de-france.com)
- Green Globe – Green Globe
- ISO 14001 – AFAQ ISO 14001 certification (afnor.org)
- THE EQUITABLE TOURISM LABEL (ates-tourisme-equitable.org)
For restaurants:
- Ecotable – Écotable – For eco-responsible catering (ecotable.fr)
- CSR Committed – CSR Committed Label (afnor.org)
- Food Index for Good – FiG • The indicator of eco-responsible restaurants
- Green Globe – Green Globe
- ISO 14001 – AFAQ ISO 14001 certification (afnor.org)
- THE EQUITABLE TOURISM LABEL (ates-tourisme-equitable.org)
For visiting and leisure sites:
- CSR Committed – CSR Committed Label (afnor.org)
- Green Globe – Green Globe
- ISO 14001 – AFAQ ISO 14001 certification (afnor.org)
- THE EQUITABLE TOURISM LABEL (ates-tourisme-equitable.org)
- NF Environment Visit Sites – NF Environment Visit sites (afnor.org)
- ISO 20121 (event activities) – ISO 20121 Certification – AFNOR Certification
For Tourist Offices and ADT/ART:
- ISO 14001 – AFAQ ISO 14001 certification (afnor.org)
- THE EQUITABLE TOURISM LABEL (ates-tourisme-equitable.org)
- ISO 20121 (event activities) – ISO 20121 Certification – AFNOR Certification
- CSR Committed – CSR Committed Label (afnor.org)
- Green Globe – Green Globe
To download the free guide to labeling procedures for sustainable tourism, go to the website of acteurs du tourisme durable: Resources – Guide to labeling procedures for sustainable tourism | Sustainable tourism (tourisme-durable.org)