Sustainability Communication

Services & Solutions

Effective & Compliant Sustainability Communication

Sustainability communication must be taken seriously as part of your overall business strategy.

Sustainability Communication

Solutions for Tourism Service Providers

Customised strategies for tour operators, accommodation providers, and businesses to evaluate, structure, and improve sustainability marketing.

Solutions for Destination Organisations

Claim analysis, guideline development, and training designed specifically for DMOs, regional tourism boards, and destination networks.

Strategic Value

Why effective sustainability communication matters

Powerful Selling Point

Sustainability is a powerful selling point in tourism – provided it is communicated accurately, clearly and effectively.

Evolving Regulatory Landscape

As consumers increasingly demand commitment to environmental and social responsibility, the regulatory landscape has evolved significantly to ensure transparency and combat greenwashing.

Authentic Performance

Especially with regulations like the EU Empowering Consumers Directive, regulatory frameworks demand your marketing reflect your actual performance and not empty promises.

Effective sustainability communication must of course strictly adhere to legal requirements, so you are protecting your brand reputation and fostering positive customer relationships.

But building credibility is not just about compliance.

Effective sustainability communication is also about engaging your audience in a trustworthy, relatable and memorable way. Rather than using generic sustainability messages and green-sounding claims, your communication should be strategic, differentiating your messages from others.

EU Regulation Compliance

EmpCo Directive explained

The EU Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (“EmpCo”) entered into force on March 27, 2024.

  • To be effective in all EU Member States as part of their national laws as of September 27, 2026
  • Applies to all companies marketing products or services to EU consumers, including non-EU tourism businesses

The Directive prohibits misleading environmental and sustainability claims in order to enable consumers to make informed purchasing decisions. The Directive seeks to empower consumers by:

Setting clear and transparent standards for the use of environmental and sustainability claims

Avoiding greenwashing and misleading claims about environmental and sustainability benefits of products and services

Ensuring a more transparent and credible use of certification and ecolabels

Is EmpCo relevant to small companies? Do we need to validate sustainability claims by our suppliers? If the provider of our sustainability certification says they are EmpCo-compliant, does it serve as sufficient validation? We've answered these and more frequently asked questions about EmpCo and what it means.

Read and learn more: FAQs Effective Tourism Marketing Without Greenwashing →

Our Approach

We Support Your Sustainability Communication Strategy

Over the past years, the teams at TrainingAid and reCET have collaborated on solutions to help tourism organisations, destinations, and businesses make their sustainability communication credible and impactful.

With the combined expertise of our teams, we bring:

  • Decades of practical experience in sustainable tourism strategy development and implementation
  • Numerous national and international projects guiding tourism organisations and industry stakeholders on their sustainability journeys
  • Specialised expertise in compliant, effective sustainability communication in the travel and tourism context

We approach sustainability communication deliberately—not as a reaction to recent developments, but by building on the core focus we have always had. We create customised strategies that bring clarity to your marketing while keeping your messaging credible and compliant.

When working with us, you can expect:

  • Brand Alignment: Preserving your unique voice and authentic market positioning
  • Practical Clarity: Breaking complex legal rules into simple, actionable steps
  • Long-Term Peace of Mind: Protecting your reputation against greenwashing risks

Targeted Business Support

Our Solutions for Tourism Service Providers

Customised guidance designed specifically for businesses looking to communicate sustainability efforts authentically and avoid greenwashing risks.

Hotels & Accommodations Tour Operators Travel Agencies Activity Providers

 

Your Roadmap

Our 3-step roadmap provides a clear, structured path for tourism businesses to navigate sustainability communication, evaluate compliance risks, and establish authentic marketing practices.

01

Self-Check

Get started with a short self-check step to capture where you currently are and evaluate your baseline messaging:

  • Take stock of what, where and how you are currently communicating about sustainability
  • Consider the bigger picture of WHY you communicate about sustainability and align with core brand values
  • Identify key priorities and build a strong foundation for improving your communication practices
02

Action Plan

We will help you prioritise your next steps so you can efficiently focus your effort and resources:

  • Categorise and analyse your existing communication materials against EmpCo requirements
  • Evaluate your campaign strategies, promotional copies, and content plans
  • Implement concrete, prioritised action steps to systematically improve your communication
03

Implementation

Effective and credible sustainability communication is an ongoing commitment to your brand and customers:

  • Work with us to determine which areas of your current communication need adjusting, replacing or removing
  • Co-develop an internal quality assurance process for ensuring compliance, alignment, and team clarity
  • Integrate sustainability into your core business strategy by walking the talk and talking the walk legally and engagingly

 

Our Offer

Individual Assessment & Guidance

We work directly with your business to assess, prioritise, and improve your sustainability messaging with tailored expert guidance.

Starting at EUR 625

Including:

  • Intake & guidance: Individual consultation (up to 3 hours) to discuss current communication practices and assist in decision-making
  • EmpCo analysis: Assessment of most relevant marketing materials (up to 10 pages / post) against EmpCo requirements
  • Snapshot of key priorities: Clear evaluation of marketing assets requiring attention (need to adjust, replace, or remove)
  • Implementation steps: Tailored, actionable recommendations on what, where, and how to adjust your communication effectively
Ready to assess your business's sustainability marketing? Book Your Assessment → 

Tailored Support Framework

Our Solutions for Tourism Destination Organisations

Targeted strategies and support programmes designed specifically for DMOs, regional tourism boards, and destination networks.

Regional Tourism Boards National Tourism Boards Destination Networks Public Tourism Agencies

 

Goal: Assess and improve your own marketing materials

Claim Check & Analysis

Review existing environmental and sustainability claims against EmpCo requirements and create a snapshot of key priorities and current marketing assets requiring attention.

Seminar & Training

Interactive workshops (online or in-person) for your teams, covering good practices in effective sustainability communication, and applying lessons to support marketing tasks.

Internal Quality Assurance

Co-develop structured internal evaluation processes to ensure EmpCo alignment, quality assurance, and consistent messaging focused on core brand identity.

Concept & Programme Adaptation

Evaluate and adapt existing DMO initiatives such as marketing concepts and sustainability programmes to ensure compliance and strengthen brand alignment.

Overall Strategy

Evaluate overall strategic alignment and identify opportunities for optimising your destination's communication practices.

Ongoing Support

Keep your messaging up-to-date through annual check-ups, continuous monitoring of legislative changes, and long-term strategy optimisation.

 

Goal: Support local businesses and stakeholders in your network

Practical Tools

Co-develop a tailored "toolkit" for your members so you can help them better inform themselves on sustainability communication good practices and access practical tips.

Education & Awareness

Design and deliver tailored webinars and interactive information sessions to help your members build a strong knowledge base.

Training & Workshops

Design and deliver interactive workshops to support your members in the implementation of good practices, and provide a practical forum for them to learn together.

Guideline Development

Co-develop sustainability communication guidelines to help local businesses in your destination communicate consistently and confidently about sustainability.

Ongoing Support

We will provide ongoing support to monitor progress and promote continuous improvement and long-term effectiveness.

 

Our support packages for destination organisations and industry networks start at EUR 1,250 and are tailored based on your specific needs and goals.

Track Record

Proven Expertise in Action

Building on years of practical experience and specialised expertise in sustainable tourism, we have supported destinations, businesses, and industry networks with tailored solutions:

  • Developed and authored the national guidelines on sustainability communication, published by the German National Tourist Board, offering practical guidance for destinations and for tourism businesses on effective and compliant sustainability communication
  • Built an intuitive process for evaluating compliance through our own methodology closely following the EmpCo requirements
  • Analysed communication materials and campaign copies for regional tourism organisations and networks
  • Designed and delivered online and in-person workshops and training for national and international teams
  • Custom-developed tools and resources for stakeholder groups covering different industry segments
  • Offered educational webinars and presentations on the topic, helping hundreds of industry professionals better understand how to approach sustainability communication in a clear, credible and convincing way
  • Published original resources on sustainability communication and effective tourism marketing without greenwashing

Collaboration

Our Expert Team

reCET – create.empower.transform.

reCET is a creative agency and sustainability consultancy with a focus on tourism and culture, empowering people and companies to implement future solutions and creative spaces for development processes. Through various projects, reCET has supported companies, organisations and public institutions in the implementation of sustainability management, diversity structures and strategy processes both nationally and internationally.

TrainingAid

TrainingAid is a global leader in sustainable tourism consulting, development and training, helping equip destinations, businesses, and professionals with practical, actionable skills to drive positive change. Through hands-on learning, expert-led courses, and industry collaborations, TrainingAid bridges the gap between theory and real-world application - helping organisations integrate sustainability into their core strategies.

Profile picture of Ferdinand Weps

Ferdinand Weps
Co-Founder & Director

More Questions? Need Support?

We help tourism organisations, destinations, and businesses make their sustainability communication legal, credible, and impactful. Do you have questions or need an initial evaluation of your situation? Then feel free to get in touch with us!

Schedule a Consultation →