Austria Advertising: New Guide With The Best Practices For Sustainability Communication In Tourism Issued

Austria's tourism businesses and regions make an important contribution to achieving climate goals. Services in the sustainability sector are increasingly a competitive factor and should be communicated to guests. The new free guide “Green Claims in Tourism” from Austria Advertising reveals what needs to be taken into account.

For more and more people, sustainability is a factor relevant to their booking when planning their vacation. And more and more guests are willing to pay a reasonable surcharge for sustainable offers. The publication “Green Claims in Tourism” provides tourism with guidelines for designing sustainability communication professionally and successfully – and avoiding common pitfalls.

Advertising with claims such as “CO2-neutral” or “climate-friendly” without concrete evidence of the promised environmental services in Austria is increasingly leading to legal judgments against the advertising companies. Planned EU directives to combat greenwashing will further exacerbate the situation. That is no reason not to have the confidence to engage in sustainability communication. However, it is advisable to deal with the dos and don'ts. This is where the Austrian advertising guidelines come into play.

10-point checklist for successful sustainability communication

The brochure “Green Claims in Tourism” was created by Austrian Advertising in collaboration with the law firm Taylor Wessing and the consulting firm vionmo. It contains ten checklist points that support tourism destinations, hotels, restaurants and cultural and leisure facilities in communicating sustainably in a legally compliant manner. The guide also contains practical examples for better understanding.

“Sustainability is not a nice-to-have for our companies and destinations, but has now become an essential factor in their everyday business. At the same time, many guests have developed a special awareness of sustainability and many are willing to pay more for a corresponding offer. The Austrian tourism industry wants and must follow this trend, also in order to remain competitive. But we also know that it is not easy to find the right wording for individual offers in a very complex regulatory environment. With our Green Claims Guide we want to give the industry help and guidance so that they can present their great product to their guests with confidence,” says ÖW Managing Director Astrid Steharnig-Staudinger, summarizing the background to the initiative.

“I am particularly pleased that this week, Saalfelden Leogang became the third tourist destination to be awarded the Austrian Ecolabel. This is clear evidence that local companies and, above all, destinations are striving to specifically implement sustainability initiatives and make them tangible for guests and locals. Here the ÖW guide makes another important contribution to the industry. Sustainability is therefore a driver of innovation and an essential key factor for long-term tourism success. This also corresponds to the federal government’s tourism policy strategy, namely to promote sustainability in all dimensions – social, economic and ecological,” said Tourism State Secretary Susanne Kraus-Winkler.

Free webinar appointments to impart knowledge including a green claims check

In spring 2024, representatives of companies and destinations will have the opportunity to take part in free webinars and enter into dialogue with the experts from vionmo, Taylor Wessing and Austria Advertising itself. The aim is to raise awareness and impart knowledge using best practice examples. “Many companies are already implementing a number of excellent measures, but could improve their environmental statements to make them more precise and balanced. This helps prevent greenwashing and potential discrediting of your own efforts. In any case, it is important these days to remain authentic and to explain more about what challenges currently exist. This is not only honest and creates trust, but also motivates others to start doing it,” says vionmo managing director Michael Jayasekara. Dr. Martin Prohaska-Marchried, partner at Taylor Wessing, adds: “Companies must be clear and precise in their communication. Your statements must be verifiable, provide comprehensive information about how the claimed climate neutrality is achieved and what measures have been taken in this regard. Relying solely on third-party compensation measures, especially in tourism, is no longer sufficient.”

All destination representatives and companies in the tourism industry as well as those interested in the topic can take part in the webinars. For a live green claims check, they can register their green advertising promises in advance and present them as a showcase as part of the online event.

“Green Claims in Tourism” guide for download >>>>