{"id":1932,"date":"2026-03-17T15:00:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T15:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/does-a-label-make-sense-for-me\/"},"modified":"2026-06-09T12:24:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T12:24:45","slug":"does-a-label-make-sense-for-me","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/does-a-label-make-sense-for-me\/","title":{"rendered":"Does a label make sense for me?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the administrative burden is often seen as a barrier, the landscape is shifting such that a sustainability label is becoming a strategic advantage and a necessary protection even for <strong>small-scale lodgings<\/strong> (such as B&amp;Bs).<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">PROS<\/h2>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">P1. Protection from stricter EU legislation (Consumer Empowerment). <\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The European Union is introducing strict rules to address &#8220;greenwashing&#8221; through the <strong>Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition<\/strong> and the proposed <strong>Green Claims Directive<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Credibility as a shield:<\/strong> Vague claims such as &#8220;we are green,&#8221; &#8220;we are carbon neutral&#8221; will soon be legally risky. The new rules recognize the importance of <strong>independent, third-party verified information<\/strong>. A label provides that necessary burden of proof.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Focus on transparency:<\/strong> Consumers must be able to trust the sustainability information they receive. For a small operator, a label provides assurance that their claims will stand up legally without having to substantiate every detail themselves to inspections. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">P2. Crucial visibility on Booking Platforms <\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Large online travel agencies (OTAs) such as <strong>Booking.com<\/strong> can play a key role in promoting sustainable lodging.<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Filtering by labels:<\/strong> There is growing industry demand for <strong>stronger integration and promotion of labeled lodgings<\/strong> on these platforms.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Targeting the &#8216;Active Greens&#8217;:<\/strong> Research shows that <strong>37% of the market<\/strong> (the &#8216;Active Greens&#8217;) are actively seeking information about sustainability labels. Without a label, chances are you are missing out on this capital-rich group who are willing to pay a premium price. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Distinctiveness:<\/strong> Although price and location take precedence, a sustainability label often acts as the <strong>deciding factor<\/strong> (the tie-breaker) when lodgings are otherwise equivalent.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition, there are some other platforms where a sustainability label is a door opener. Consider <a href=\"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">EcoBnB<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eco-logies.nl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Eco-Logies,<\/a> etc&#8230;. <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">P3. Labels become &#8220;SME-friendly&#8221; <\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Certification bodies realize that a &#8220;one-size-fits-all&#8221; approach disadvantages small businesses.<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Simplified criteria:<\/strong> A specific <strong>Annex II framework<\/strong> for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is being developed for the EU Ecolabel. This will replace technical and administrative requirements (such as complex Building Automated Control Systems) with <strong>feasible, less burdensome actions<\/strong> appropriate to a small scale. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Digital tools:<\/strong> There is a strong focus on providing digital templates and tools to reduce paperwork.  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">P4. Labels help save money <\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, some operational tasks become more expensive if you implement them strictly sustainably. But in many cases, the sustainable actions actually help you save money. Labeling then gives you a handbook, so to speak, of actions that could potentially save you money. Throughout the website we try to refer to this as much as possible, but here already some examples:   <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>use microfiber wipes reduces your consumption of detergents (Green-Key)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>economy showerheads reduce your water consumption and thus your bill (Green-Key and EU Eco Label)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>solar panels depreciate after only a few years while drastically reducing your CO2 emissions (Green-Key and EU-Ecolabel)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Waste sorting creates smaller waste bill (Green-Key and EU Eco-label)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">P5. Professional structure for the &#8216;Placeholder&#8217; <\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In <strong>Travel to Tomorrow&#8217;<\/strong> s vision, you are a host who takes care of the place. A label provides you with a structured framework for this: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Management without staff:<\/strong> Where large hotels have a sustainability team, a label helps you as a small business owner make systematic improvements in energy, water and waste without having to become an expert yourself.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Appeal of authenticity:<\/strong> PXL&#8217;s research confirms that guests appreciate sustainability when it <strong>feels authentic<\/strong>. A label like Green Key or EU Ecolabel gives that authenticity an official stamp of reliability, which removes distrust from skeptics. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">CONS<\/h2>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">C1. The additional administration <\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Documenting all that you do in terms of sustainability will always involve additional administration. It is that very administration that makes it more objective and credible.   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The amount of extra work depends on the type of label, the size of your company , on the level of ambition, etc.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">C2. The additional cost <\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Acquiring an official label costs money. It can&#8217;t be done for free. But again, there are many criteria that determine the price. Again, size and type of label play a role. Always there is an entry price, sometimes an annual premium is added. E.g.:       <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>for a small-scale accommodation of less than 10 full-time equivalents and less than 2 million Euro turnover, it costs 350 Euro once for the EU Eco-label<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>for an annual turnover of more than 10M or more than 50 FTE you pay 2000 Euro once and 1000 Euro annually for the same label<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Note: There are several provinces and municipalities that provide subsidies for obtaining certification. So be sure to inquire there as well. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the combination of stricter consumer legislation and growing support from booking platforms, a label is no longer an &#8220;extra&#8221; for big players, but a tool that can also help small lodgings become <strong>more competitive and future-proof<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every situation is different and therefore should always be properly evaluated. Depending on the circumstances, it may certainly be that a label requires far too much investment and is therefore not feasible. Or there may be certain reasons why you throw yourself at a different target audience. The choice is yours.   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Already want to test how far off you are? Take the <a href=\"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/green-key-quick-test\/\">durability quick test<\/a>.   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Although the administrative burden is often seen as a barrier, the landscape is shifting such that a sustainability label is becoming a strategic advantage and a necessary protection even for small-scale lodgings (such as B&amp;Bs). PROS P1. Protection from stricter EU legislation (Consumer Empowerment). The European Union is introducing strict rules to address &#8220;greenwashing&#8221; through &#8230; <a title=\"Does a label make sense for me?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/does-a-label-make-sense-for-me\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Does a label make sense for me?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1932","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1932"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1932\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1934,"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1932\/revisions\/1934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fairhospitality.coop\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}