EU tourism awareness campaign
Multilingual engagement in seven states
Support for sustainable strategies
DG ENV leads the European Commission’s environmental policy, promoting sustainability in tourism through the EU Ecolabel and EMAS. These certifications were underused and under-recognised, requiring increased visibility and uptake across a multilingual market, while aligning with EU priorities and navigating challenges such as COVID-19 and geopolitical tensions.
DG ENV delivered a strategic campaign to raise awareness of EU Ecolabel and EMAS. The campaign reinforced environmental certifications as drivers of sustainable tourism and strengthened DG ENV’s leadership in promoting green recovery.
The Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) plays a central role in shaping and delivering the European Commission’s environmental policy. Its mission is to protect, preserve, and improve the environment for present and future generations while advancing sustainable development across the EU. At the heart of its work is a long-term vision: a Europe where citizens live well within the planet’s ecological boundaries, supported by a circular economy, thriving biodiversity, and reduced pollution and health risks.
This vision guided DG ENV’s leadership in a strategic communication campaign to promote the EU Ecolabel and the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) in the tourism sector. The campaign aimed to raise awareness, foster engagement, and position environmental certifications as key drivers of sustainable tourism and sector recovery.
The EU Ecolabel, established in 1992, is the EU’s official voluntary label for goods and services with a reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle. In tourism, it allows accommodations to demonstrate sustainability and attract environmentally conscious travellers.
Recognising the untapped potential of the EU Ecolabel and EMAS, DG ENV launched a campaign to raise visibility, drive uptake, and support the sector’s post-pandemic recovery. The initiative targeted both consumers and professionals, aligning messaging with EU policy frameworks such as the Circular Economy Action Plan and the European Green Deal.
From March to September 2021, DG ENV coordinated research, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning across seven Member States, identifying tailored messages for tourism businesses, tour operators, and consumers.
Partnering with Inspiroo (now integrated into Cronos Europa), the teams developed campaign assets including advertorials, social media visuals, thematic articles, interactive quizzes, and video testimonials. The revamp of the EU Ecolabel visual identity was also led, alongside the production of multilingual toolkits for multipliers, including mini-motion graphics, social media assets, email templates, and guidance manuals, ensuring broad reach and consistent messaging across national and pan-European channels.
DG ENV demonstrated strong leadership in navigating external challenges such as COVID-19 delays and the war in Ukraine, adjusting timelines, engagement strategies, and media planning to maintain campaign relevance. Inspiroo (now integrated into Cronos Europa) supported this agility, ensuring content and toolkits could be rapidly deployed to sustain momentum.
A two-phase evaluation measured performance and impact, tracking website traffic, social media engagement, and long-term resonance of messaging. These efforts confirmed the campaign’s effectiveness in promoting the EU Ecolabel and EMAS as drivers of sustainable tourism and reinforced DG ENV’s role in guiding green recovery for the sector.
The campaign successfully delivered a coherent and engaging experience across digital channels. It boosted the visibility of the EU Ecolabel and EMAS among consumers and professionals, strengthened stakeholder engagement through multilingual toolkits and targeted outreach, and reinforced environmental certifications as key drivers of sustainable tourism.
The campaign also laid the groundwork for future integration of the EU Ecolabel catalogue (ECAT) with e-commerce platforms and EU digital initiatives, such as the Digital Product Passport.
DG ENV continues to lead efforts to mainstream sustainability in tourism. The transformation of ECAT into a modern data hub will further enhance access to certified products and services, supporting informed consumer choices and strategic partnerships.
With the Strategic EU Ecolabel Communication Work Plan (2023–2027) underway, DG ENV is well-positioned to expand its communication efforts, deepen stakeholder collaboration, and drive meaningful change across the EU tourism landscape.
Tourism businesses, multipliers, and consumers are invited to explore the benefits of EU Ecolabel and EMAS certifications. To learn more, visit the EU Ecolabel website or explore certified accommodations via the EU Ecolabel catalogue.
DG ENV’s campaign demonstrates how strategic communication can empower sustainable choices and support sector resilience.
Organisations seeking expert support in delivering high-impact, multilingual campaigns aligned with EU environmental goals can look to Cronos Europa’s experience in enabling DG ENV’s vision, from creative execution to stakeholder engagement and performance analysis.
