The European Commission has highlighted growing uptake of the EU Ecolabel among tourist accommodation businesses as new data showed 3.1 billion overnight stays in the EU in 2025.
A Commission webinar on 16 March looked at how the EU Ecolabel can be used by hotels and other accommodation providers, according to the EU executive’s statement issued on Wednesday.
The EU Ecolabel is a voluntary certification scheme for products and services designed to help consumers identify options with lower environmental impact.
Overnight stays across the EU rose 2 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024, reaching 3.1 billion.
Małgorzata Gołębiewska, the Commission’s EU Ecolabel team leader, said the number of tourist accommodation services with the label has been growing faster than in any other sector.
“Conscious travellers are increasingly looking for accommodation that has reduced environmental impact,” she noted.
Gołębiewska said the label covers areas including energy and water use and food waste, and is linked to lower emissions.
Hotels and platforms cite certification benefits
David Meixner, general manager of Ibis Styles Wien City, said the Accor Group is looking to obtain sustainability certification, including the EU Ecolabel, across its hotels.
His hotel was awarded the EU Ecolabel in 2024, he said.
“Sustainability is now at the heart of the business,” Meixner said, adding that certification had become “a question of transparency, credibility and market relevance”.
Benjamin Förtsch, owner of Hotel Luise in Erlangen, Germany, noted the main challenges in applying for the EU Ecolabel were documentation, technical expertise and data collection.
He said the benefits included external support, data produced during the process and international recognition of the label.
Booking.com has launched a landing page to guide accommodation providers through certification and connect them with certification bodies, Sustainability Programme Manager Thomas Loughlin said.
“This process has allowed us to dramatically increase the number of accommodations with certification on our platform,” he added.
The Commission’s Joint Research Centre is revising the EU Ecolabel criteria for tourist accommodation, project officers Zahara Pérez and Judit Rodríguez Manotas informed.
They said the updated approach will distinguish between large establishments, small and medium-sized establishments, and campsites, and is intended to be more user-friendly for applicants.
