Travelling more responsibly involves more than opting out of daily towel changes at a hotel. For many travellers, a more conscious travel experience also includes treating destinations with respect, making informed choices about where and how they travel, and engaging openly with different cultures and ways of life.
DERTOUR Group aims to integrate sustainability-related aspects, such as independently certified accommodation, into its products and to offer authentic holiday experiences designed to create lasting memories. DERTOUR Group therefore supports a holistic approach to tourism that seeks to take social, environmental, and economic considerations in destinations into account.
In doing so, it relies on
Fair dealings with partners and their employees
Innovative travel concepts that enable cultural exchange and authentic experiences
Contributions to animal and nature conservation
Enthusiasm for the beauty, but also an understanding of the challenges of the destination
For travellers who value social, environmental, or regional aspects when planning their holidays, the DERTOUR Conscious Travel magazine brings together selected travel offers that take such aspects into account. These offers can also be found in the dedicated online Conscious Travel section Online Theme World (German only).
DERTOUR Conscious Travel offers can be booked through travel agencies as well as online at: dertour.de/nachhaltige-hotels.
Within the DERTOUR Group hotel portfolio, you will find a growing number of accommodations that hold at least one recognised sustainability certification awarded by an independent organisation and subject to regular review.
As there are many different sustainability certifications used within the tourism industry worldwide, the DERTOUR Group Engage signet is intended to help travellers navigate this landscape. It identifies hotels and accommodations that hold at least one recognised sustainability certification meeting DERTOUR Group’s selection criteria. The underlying certification is also displayed transparently within the respective offer.
Only certifications that meet defined requirements regarding transparency, independent verification, and regular auditing are considered. Currently, around 30 certifications meet these minimum requirements.
The full list of eligible certifications recognised by DERTOUR Group, including a short description of each certification, is available here.
When evaluating certifications, DERTOUR Group focuses on the following quality criteria:
Environmental, social, and economic aspects are considered.
The certification criteria are publicly accessible.
Compliance is verified through an on-site audit.
Verification is conducted by an independent third-party organisation.
Sustainability-related measures are reviewed at regular intervals.
A sustainability certification confirms that a hotel or tourism business meets the requirements of an independent certification scheme. The requirements and assessment processes vary depending on the certification. Typically, certifications assess how sustainability-related practices are embedded within business operations and which measures are implemented in areas such as environmental management, resource efficiency, working conditions, cooperation with local partners, or guest information.
Yes. All hotels within the DERTOUR Group portfolio that hold a recognised and valid sustainability certification are identified with the Engage signet. The underlying certification is also displayed transparently within the respective product offerings.
No. A certification serves as a guide and should not be understood as a comprehensive assessment of a hotel’s overall sustainability performance. It indicates that specific requirements have been assessed according to the standards of the respective certification scheme. To make an informed travel decision, travellers should also consider information about the certification itself and the individual accommodation offer.
Yes, some do. Accommodations may implement measures related to energy and water management, waste reduction, or cooperation with local partners without holding an independent sustainability certification. At the same time, obtaining and maintaining a certification requires staff resources and financial investment, which may not be feasible for every business. For this reason, the absence of a certification alone does not provide a reliable indication of whether, or to what extent, an accommodation implements sustainability-related measures.
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