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Exclusive Early Access: Key Insights on Sustainability Certifications
Asia Sustainable Travel
February 20, 2025
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Hello, everyone!
As a valued subscriber to the AST Briefing, you’re among the first to access our latest report on the perceptions and value of sustainability certifications among APAC travel and hotel professionals. This report highlights key insights and actionable takeaways that are not only essential for certification programs but also for brands looking to get certified as a strategic advantage.
In addition, we’re excited to introduce the AST Sustainability Solution Providers Program, an initiative designed to support purpose-driven suppliers, start-ups, innovators, consultancies, and other businesses committed to driving meaningful sustainability impact.
This program connects solution providers with Asia’s hotels and travel companies to accelerate the industry’s transition toward a more responsible and resilient future.
Explore the benefits of becoming a member below, and join us in shaping the next chapter of sustainable travel in Asia.
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Certified Sustainable—or Just Certified? Unpacking the Credibility Gap in Sustainability Certifications
Sustainability certifications have been important partners in guiding businesses toward more responsible practices, offering structure, credibility, and recognition.
However, a growing number of industry leaders have raised significant concerns about their inaccessibility and lack of transparency.
As part of Asia Sustainable Travel (AST)'s ongoing commitment to better support the hotel and travel industry, we conducted a survey to understand how APAC hospitality and travel professionals perceived and evaluated sustainability certifications, such as B Corp, Positive Luxury, and those accredited by Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
This report synthesizes key findings from the survey and provides targeted recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of sustainability certification schemes.
Key Takeaways
Certification organizations are valuable partners for tourism and hospitality brands looking to advance their sustainability agenda.
However, the insights from this report reveal significant challenges ranging from inaccessibility and low consumer awareness to complexity and regional adaptability must be addressed to unlock their full potential.
Essentially, our respondents’ feedback can be categorized into the following points:
Values vs. Limitations
Gap Between Certification & Consumer Recognition
Balancing Feasibility & Credibility
Concerns Over Greenwashing & Certification Integrity
The Need for More Regionalized Approaches
“Sustainability certifications are not a perfect sustainability solution. However, they are a useful tool to raise awareness, educate, and provide a systematic roadmap to assess current performance, appreciate achievements, understand gaps, build capacity, and prioritize.”
“Certifications are often expensive and time-consuming. The criteria are often not tailored to a specific destination and are created with European/Western ideals and infrastructure in mind. They are often focused on large brands/companies and will often include compulsory criteria points that are not relevant or overly difficult/expensive for small companies.”
“There is also an issue that while many of the certifications are recognized by people within the industry, most customers are not aware of the significance of the certification or the effort involved in achieving it.”
»»» Read the full report for analysis and recommendations.
Join and Scale Impact with the AST Sustainability Solution Providers Membership
We designed the AST Sustainability Solution Providers Membership program to support purpose-led suppliers, start-ups, innovators, consultancies in scaling positive impacts in travel and hospitality.
As a member, you will enjoy the following benefits:
Direct business matches: Get connected with hotels and travel companies actively seeking and ready to invest in sustainability solutions.
Increased industry visibility: Leverage high-impact articles, case studies, and interviews to position yourself as a go-to expert.
Expanded market reach: Secure strategic speaking engagements at AST Forums and premium brand placement across AST’s digital platforms.
We work with a tiered pricing system to ensure businesses of all sizes can become a member of the AST Sustainability Solution Providers Program to benefit from our services and network.
As an independent business ourselves, we understand the importance of having the right insights to make informed investment decisions. We invite you to Schedule a Demo and learn how we’ve helped our partners drive meaningful impact.
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