THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ECO-LABELS IN TOURISM INDUSTRY

Eco-labeling is method of environmental performance certification and labeling that is practiced all around the world. An eco-label identifies products or services proven to be environmentally friendly above average within a specific product or service category. The popularity of eco-labels among various entrepreneurs and enterprises is constantly growing. The same applies in tourism, where these labels have been used since the mid-eighties of the twentieth century. Eco-labeling of tourism services has been discussed extensively in the past, but still, there is no final agreement whether eco-certification increases demand for a product or service among the general tourist population. The aim of this paper is to conduct a literature review of empirical studies which have investigated the issue of eco certifications in the context of tourism and identify the main key findings.