Legislation
22 July 2026
Stricter rules on green marketing claims apply from September 2026
Legislation
22 July 2026
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From 27 September 2026, tourism businesses making environmental claims in their marketing will need to meet tougher substantiation requirements under the EU's Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive.
Editorial team
European Commission
Topics
Albania
Armenia
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Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
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Denmark
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EU-27
Finland
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Greece
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Netherlands
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Türkiye
Ukraine
Other
Academic / Research and VET Institutions
Business Support Organisation
Company with 250 or more employees
Cluster Organisations
Consumer Organisations
Cultural and Heritage Organisations
Destination Management & Marketing Organisations
EU Institutions
Financial Institutions and Investors
Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce
International Organisations
Local Authorities
Media / Journalist Organisations
National authorities
Networks and Federations / Confederations
NGOs / Non-profits
Notified Bodies
Regional Authorities
SMEs (a company with less than 250 employees)
Social Economy Entity
Trade Unions
Other
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Specific types of tourism
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Adventure tourism
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Coastal, maritime and inland water tourism
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Cultural tourism
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Ecotourism
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Education tourism
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Festival tourism
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Gastronomy tourism
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Health and medical tourism
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MICE tourism
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Mountain tourism
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Religious tourism
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Rural tourism
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Sports tourism
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Urban/city tourism
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Wellness tourism
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Transition Pathway Strategic Areas
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Accessible tourism services
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Best practices, peer learning and networking
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Changes in tourism demand and opportunities
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Circularity of tourism services
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Coordinated information on travelling
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Cross-border travelling
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Digitalisation of tourism SMEs and destinations
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Equal and fair tourism jobs
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Funding and support measures
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Governance of tourism destinations
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Green Transition of Tourism Companies and SMEs
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Improving formal education
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Improving statistics and indicators
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Innovative tourism services
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Multimodal travelling
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Online visibility of tourism offer
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Pact for skills
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Promoting PEF/OEF methods for tourism
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R&I on climate-friendly tourism
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R&I on digital tools for tourism
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Short-term rentals
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Skills needs for twin transition
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Sustainable mobility
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Tools for data on tourism
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Tourism strategies
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Training opportunities
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Well-being of residents
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Business activities
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Activities of amusement parks and theme parks
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Activities of associations and other organisations supporting tourism
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Air passenger transport
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Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks
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Events catering and other food services
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Festivals, cultural and entertainment activities
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Gardens and nature reserves activities
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Holiday Housing / Apartments and other short stay accommodation
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Hotel and similar accommodation
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Mobile beverage services
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Mobile food services
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Museums
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Operation of historical sites
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Other
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Other accommodation
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Other amusement and recreation activities
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Other food and beverage services
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Other holiday reservation services
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Other tourism transportation activities
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Rail Passenger transport
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Recreational and sport activities
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Restaurants, cafes and bars (Food and Beverage serving activities)
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Road passenger transport
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Tour operator activities
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Travel agency activities
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Water (sea, coastal and inland) passenger transport
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Directive (EU) 2024/825 bans vague or unsubstantiated green claims – such as “eco-friendly” or “carbon neutral” without supporting evidence – and requires that any sustainability label be based on a recognised certification scheme or one set up by a public authority.
For hotels, tour operators and destinations that promote their environmental credentials, this means marketing material will need clear, verifiable evidence behind every claim, whether that is an EU Ecolabel, a recognised sustainability certification, or documented performance data. The rules apply EU-wide across all sectors, but are particularly relevant for tourism, where sustainability claims are a frequent – and, regulators note, frequently contested – part of destination and accommodation marketing.
#Sustainabletourism #Responsibletravel #Sustainabledestinations #Destinationmanagement
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