Travel agents will be able to identify more than 800 hotels for their green credentials in Jet2holidays’ programme from today (Tuesday).
More hotels will be encouraged by the operator to gain certification for being sustainable with future expansion of the labelling scheme.
Hotels certified as sustainable meet Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) recognised standards, according to the operator, which flagged the initiative at Travel Weekly’s Sustainability Summit last month.
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Jet2holidays is also supporting properties to gain Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) Green Key certification – a GSTC-recognised standard for sustainability – as part of a new sustainable hotel charter.
This will see the operator further expand its ‘certified sustainable hotels’ collection.
The entire portfolio can be viewed on a new landing page on the company’s trade website covering destinations including the Canary Islands, mainland Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Malta, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria.
GSTC-recognised standards are based on actions around sustainable hotel management, social and economic support of the local community, promoting positive cultural impacts and environmental protection.
Jet2 chief executive Steve Heapy said: “As well as enjoying the award-winning experience of a Jet2holiday, customers increasingly want to know that their holidays are more sustainable.
“The launch of our certified sustainable hotels labelling scheme gives independent travel agents the ability to easily search and book with that in mind, so that they can choose a holiday that is right for their customers.”
He added: “We are also announcing our new sustainable hotel charter and agreement with Green Key today, which means more hotels can adhere to GSTC-recognised standards too.
“This will see our collection of certified sustainable hotels become bigger and better, giving independent travel agents even more choice.
“As a responsible airline and tour operator, we have already taken many tangible steps on our journey to reach our sustainability targets and today is the latest example of how we are continuing our work to become more sustainable in the air, on the ground and in resort.”
GSTC chief executive Randy Durband said: “We congratulate Jet2holidays for this initiative. The growing movement of hotels aligning with the four pillars of the GSTC criteria reflects a powerful, irreversible trend towards sustainable practices.
“By adopting this holistic approach to sustainability, we’re collectively embarking on a transformative journey towards a brighter, more responsible future.”