What is certification, and what is validation?

The certification process is the procedure by which a third party (i.e. the awarding body) gives written assurance to the consumer (and the industry in general) that a product, process, service, or management system conforms to specified requirements. But with more than 100 sustainable tourism labels, how do we know who to trust? Validation is the process of ensuring the certification bodies operate to high standards.  Validation is a process that is now endorsed by Visit Wales and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board.

Why does VisitEngland endorse only sustainable tourism certification programmes that have been validated?
VisitEngland has a duty of care to promote only tourism service providers that meet high standards. The process of validation ensures that the certification programmes that VisitEngland endorses are fit for purpose, and that claims of sustainability and environmental friendliness are genuine.

What does it mean when VisitEngland says a tourism supplier is green?

It means that it has been certified to meet the standards of one of the validated certification bodies. It does not mean everything that company does is sustainable or environmentally friendly, but that they have met the minimum requirements set by that body, at the level they have been certified.

How to be validated as a scheme
If you operate a sustainable tourism certification scheme in England and you wish to apply for validation, please contact the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) at Leeds Metropolitan University (Dr Xavier Font 0113 8125880, www.icrtourism.org (www.icrtourism.org/)) for more information.  Further information can also be found in the documents to download section of this page.

ICRT are an impartial academic body with international research and consultancy experience in sustainable tourism standards, standard setting processes and certification. Staff from ICRT have conducted the feasibility study for a Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council, the Fair Trade Labelling Organisation’s tourism standards, assessments for the United Nations Environment Programme on certification, consultation studies for the UN World Tourism Organisation, as well as having written numerous journal articles and book chapters on sustainability certification and validation.