Read this to learn how to review and update your GetYourGuide listings before new EU rules on environmental and sustainability claims take effect on September 27, 2026.
This FAQ summarizes the European Commission’s official Questions & Answers document on Directive (EU) 2024/825, published by the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers in June 2026. It reproduces and summarizes the Commission’s preliminary guidance in the context of experiences offered on GetYourGuide. It isn’t legal advice. Only the Court of Justice of the European Union can authoritatively interpret EU law.
What’s changing?
From September 27, 2026, environmental and sustainability claims aimed at consumers in the European Union must be specific, accurate, and supported by evidence.
The rules limit:
- Vague claims such as “eco-friendly,” “green,” “sustainable,” and “environmentally responsible”
- Unverified sustainability labels
- Claims based on carbon offsetting
- Misleading environmental imagery or comparisons
- Future claims without a realistic, publicly available implementation plan
Update your listings in the Supplier Portal by September 27, 2026.
Do the rules apply to my listings?
Yes, if travelers in the European Union can book your experience. The rules apply regardless of where your business is established or where your activity takes place.
They cover consumer-facing content, including:
- Titles and descriptions
- Highlights and inclusions
- Photos and other imagery
- Badges and logos
- Brand and product names
National consumer protection authorities and courts enforce these rules, with penalties set by each Member State. Under the Supplier Terms and Conditions, you’re responsible for compliance. GetYourGuide doesn’t review or approve your content for legal compliance. These requirements don’t change your agreement with GetYourGuide.
Where can I find the original sources?
This FAQ is based on the European Commission’s own guidance. Check these official sources:
- European Commission Questions & Answers on Directive (EU) 2024/825 – Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, June 2026. Primary source.
- Directive (EU) 2024/825 – full legal text.
Which environmental terms need proof?
Don’t use generic terms such as these unless you hold qualifying proof:
- “Eco-friendly”
- “Green”
- “Ecological”
- “Environmentally friendly”
- “Climate friendly”
- “Carbon friendly”
- “Nature’s friend”
- “Biodegradable”
- “Biobased”
- “Energy efficient”
The proof must directly relate to the claim.
Can I use “vegan” and “vegetarian” for food experiences?
Yes, when the terms describe ingredients or food served.
If you use them to imply a wider environmental or social benefit—for example, “vegan is better for the planet”—they may be treated as environmental claims or sustainability labels. The same rules then apply.
Can I use “bio,” “organic,” or “eco” for food products?
Yes, but only for products that qualify under Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production.
This exemption is narrow. It applies to qualifying food products, not to your listing in general.
How can I make a general claim more specific?
Put the supporting detail on the same page or screen as the claim.
Not permitted: “Climate-friendly tour”
More specific: “Tour operated using an electric vehicle”
If the format doesn’t allow you to provide the supporting detail, don’t make the claim.
Do the rules apply to brand and product names?
Yes. Names such as “EcoTours Lisbon” or “Green Adventures” may count as environmental claims if they lead an average consumer to expect an environmental benefit.
A trademark doesn’t exempt a name from the rules.
What counts as valid proof?
Only one of the following qualifies for a generic environmental claim:
- The EU Ecolabel
- A national or regional EN ISO 14024 Type I ecolabel officially recognized in an EU Member State, such as the Nordic Swan, Blue Angel, Austrian Ecolabel, or Dutch Milieukeur
- Top-class environmental performance established under applicable EU legislation, such as the EU Energy Labelling Regulation
The proof must directly relate to the claim.
Can I use nature photos or sustainability imagery?
Photos of forests, foliage, or water aren’t environmental claims on their own. However, they may create an implied claim when combined with environmental wording, logos, or sustainability messaging.
The imagery must not overstate the environmental benefit. For example, a rainforest image may be misleading if your tour doesn’t take place there, particularly when it’s paired with “eco-friendly” wording.
Make sure your photos accurately reflect the experience.
When can I use sustainability badges or logos?
You can display a sustainability label only when it is:
- Issued by a public authority; or
- Based on a certification scheme with independent third-party verification, publicly available requirements, and transparent, non-discriminatory access for all traders
Self-issued labels and industry logos without independent verification aren’t allowed.
Labels already in use aren’t exempt. Any sustainability label used on or after September 27, 2026 must comply with the rules.
Can I describe my experience as “carbon neutral” or “climate neutral”?
Not if the claim is based on offsetting outside your own operations.
This also applies to “carbon neutral,” “climate neutral,” “CO2 neutral certified,” “carbon positive,” “climate compensated,” “reduced climate impact,” and “limited CO2 footprint” when they rely on offsets.
For example, don’t describe a flight as climate neutral because the airline invests in reforestation projects.
Can I mention carbon offsetting?
Yes. You can mention investments in environmental initiatives, including carbon credit projects, as long as you present the information transparently.
Don’t use this information to support a claim that the experience itself is neutral or has a reduced environmental impact.
Can I mention genuine emission reductions?
Yes. You can communicate verifiable reductions achieved within your own operations or value chain, such as:
- Transitioning to electric vehicles
- Reducing waste
- Changing operational processes
Provide the specific basis for the claim clearly on the same page or screen.
Can I advertise “net zero by 2030”?
Only if the commitment is supported by:
- A detailed and realistic implementation plan that is publicly available
- Measurable and time-bound targets
- Allocated resources
- Regular verification by an independent third-party expert
- Findings that consumers can access, such as through a linked page or QR code
This also applies to future claims such as “carbon neutral by 2030.”
Without this supporting information, don’t use the claim.
Offsetting, or carbon offsetting, means compensating for greenhouse gas emissions by funding activities elsewhere that reduce, avoid, or remove an equivalent amount of emissions from the atmosphere.
Can I compare my experience with others?
Yes, if you clearly explain:
- Which products you’re comparing
- Who supplies them
- How you made the comparison
- How you keep the information up to date
The explanation must be clear enough for travelers to understand.
Can I highlight a benefit shared by all similar experiences?
No. Don’t advertise a benefit that isn’t specific to your experience or business and applies to all comparable experiences.
For example, calling a tour “sustainable” simply because it takes place outdoors may be misleading if all similar tours do the same.
What should I do before September 27, 2026?
Review every product and:
- Check the title, description, highlights, inclusions, and photos
- Identify all environmental or sustainability wording, badges, and imagery
- Update or remove any claim you can’t support
- Add supporting detail on the same page or screen as the claim
- Review brand and product names for implied environmental claims
- Remove carbon-neutral or climate-neutral claims based on offsetting
If you’re unsure whether a claim complies, remove it until you can verify it.
Do I need to submit proof of my claims to GetYourGuide?
At this stage, GetYourGuide isn’t asking you to submit documentation or evidence supporting environmental or sustainability claims on your listings.
You should retain your own supporting evidence in case a national consumer protection authority requests it.
Review your listings now, update unsupported claims in the Supplier Portal before September 27, 2026, and retain evidence for every claim you use.