ABSTRACT
The tourism sector shows numerous examples of initiatives for developing and applying voluntary environmental information schemes. There are more than 60 eco-labels and environmental awards for tourist accommodation worldwide. The product group 'tourist accommodation' is very broad and contains different types of accommodation facilities. Northern European countries are clearly 'exporters' of tourists to other destinations whereas Southern European countries receive millions of tourists. Tour operators play a major role, especially in Southern European countries. For instance, 60% of tourists travelling to Spain from other countries are on a package tour, organised through a tour operator or a travel agency. The heterogeneous nature of tourism leads to different environmental impacts depending on the type of tourist activity and the area receiving the tourists. Tourist accommodation is the service sector for which ecological criteria have been developed within the EU Flower eco-labelling scheme.
