In recent years, sustainability certificates have gained increasing popularity. But what is a sustainability certificate, what are their characteristics and how can we as consumers identify those that are good and reliable?

Find the answers to these fundamentally important questions and more, answered by Patricio Azcárate Díaz de Losada, from the Responsible Tourism Institute and Biosphere Tourism as well as Vita Jankovič from the Institute for Youth, Sports and Tourism Metlika and Destination Bela krajina Certificates.

In a series of 21 mini-videos, Patricio Azcárate Díaz De Losada and Vita Jankovič explain the importance and background of sustainability standards and certifications, comment on their benefits for destinations and stresses the importance of communicating sustainability certificates integrative by including all stakeholders of the industry, such as decision and policy makers, tourist and local inhabitants.

Both experts provide a detailed insight into the world of sustainability in tourism and certification standards. Amongst others, the interviewees provide theoretical input and explain what a certification is, what their characteristics are, why destinations should certify, how the COVID-19 pandemic influences the market, what kind of decision-making processes are connected to the choice of gaining a certification and much more.

Additionally, the series provides an insight into Bela Krajina, a region along the border of River Kolpa in Slovenia and their experience with sustainable certifications. Bela Krajina, an area that appears to be an excellent example of a sustainable tourist destination.

The mini-series was published by the project Labelscape “Integration of sustainability labels into Mediterranean tourism policies”, financed by Interreg MED Programme and seeks to provide informational videos explaining how sustainability certificates and standards in tourism are effective and inclusive tools for development and improvement of sustainable destinations.

Labelscape works to providing transparent insights into existing sustainability standards in tourism. Its mission is “to reconnect tourism with hosting territories in a sustainable and responsible manner for the benefit of all involved parties […] to make tourism a real driver of sustainable development in the whole region and to keep providing tourists with extraordinary experience