14 August 2014 | travelweekly.co.uk business Essential news, comment and analysis TOP STORY


Travelife’s Soren Stober: ‘It’s now even harder for a hotel to be certified’


responsible travel edition


responsible travel edition


TRAVELIFE TARGETS 3,000


HOTELS BY 2017 ABTA’S TRAVELIFE


SCHEME SEEKS RAPID EXPANSION AND


WIDER RECOGNITION OF ITS HOTEL


CERTIFICATION. IANTAYLOR REPORTS


The number of Travelife-certified hotels will pass 1,000 this year despite the sustainability scheme now requiring properties meet even stricter criteria. The Abta scheme has more than


1,300 overseas hotels registered and 850 certified as meeting Travelife sustainability standards following independent audits. Travelife business manager


Soren Stober aims to have 3,000 Travelife-certified hotels within three years – one in 10 of the total


56 • travelweekly.co.uk — 14 August 2014


overseas properties sold by UK travel firms.


Stober said: “The UK market


contracts with about 30,000 properties. Our target in the mid- term is to have 3,000 properties subscribed and certified. So our aim is to reach at least 10% over the next two to three years.” The Travelife sustainability


system was set up by the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO) – now part of Abta – in 2007. But the criteria the scheme now uses


was introduced this year. Stober told Travel Weekly:


“We realised it was time to update the criteria to make sure what we check is in line with current sustainable thinking. “When Travelife was set up,


there were elements not in the criteria – such as biodiversity and animal welfare. Now we also have a stronger emphasis on labour rights, and greater scrutiny by an


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