Travel Agencies
Travel Agency Certification
Assess your travel agency against the joint Friend of the Sea and Friend of the Earth criteria covering resource use, working conditions, conservation contributions, environmental awareness and animal welfare.
About the certification
The Friend of the Sea and Friend of the Earth Travel Agency Standard sets out ten criteria for travel agencies. These address both day-to-day operations and the travel offers an agency promotes, including how it selects suppliers and supports conservation or humanitarian projects.
The assessment examines conformity with the published criteria. Certification claims must reflect the scope stated on the certificate.
What can be certified?
The standard is intended for travel agencies. Applicants provide their agency details, country of operation, website, main destinations and a designated contact person.
Certification of an agency does not automatically certify every trip, hotel, transport provider or other supplier it uses. Contact the certification team to confirm the scope applicable to your agency.
What the standard covers
The ten requirements below summarise the published criteria. Read the full standard for the wording used during assessment.
The agency must have a formal environmental policy, signed on its headed paper, committing to the principles set out in the standard. A designated person must check conformity with these principles at least twice a year.
The agency must implement measures to reduce its consumption of energy, paper, water and other raw materials in its activities.
The agency must implement measures to reduce, reuse and recycle waste, or otherwise manage it in accordance with national environmental law, preventing pollution and waste dispersal into the environment.
The agency must apply social accountability principles to avoid discrimination against personnel, customers and suppliers.
The agency must comply with national laws concerning fair and safe working conditions for employees and collaborators.
The agency must encourage its suppliers to implement environmental and social policies. It must progressively select and give preference to suppliers with certified environmental and social policies, including Friend of the Earth or Friend of the Sea certified services where possible.
The agency must donate at least 1% of its profit to conservation or humanitarian projects.
At least 10% of the agency’s travel offers must include donations to conservation or humanitarian projects. The criterion also requires at least one partnership trip per year involving Friend of the Earth/Friend of the Sea (WSF), together with a plan to increase the proportion of qualifying offers over time. The certification team can explain the partnership arrangements.
At least 10% of the agency’s travel offers must include or plan environmental-awareness sessions during the trip. The criterion also requires at least one partnership trip per year involving Friend of the Earth/Friend of the Sea (WSF), together with a plan to increase the proportion of qualifying offers over time.
The agency must avoid supporting trips that could harm endangered species or fail to respect animal welfare.
Assessment and certification
The Travel Agency Standard includes an auditor’s assessment of whether the agency complies with its requirements.
Contact the certification team to confirm the assessment arrangements, evidence required and certification scope before proceeding.
How certification works
1. Apply: Provide your agency details, main destinations and information about the activities you would like assessed.
2. Confirm scope and costs: Confirm the applicable requirements, assessment arrangements and quotation with the certification team.
3. Complete the assessment: Provide the information and supporting records needed to assess conformity with the ten criteria.
4. Address findings: Where the assessment identifies gaps, follow the instructions provided to address them and supply supporting evidence.
5. Receive the certification decision: Receive the outcome of the assessment and confirmation of the approved scope if certification is granted.
6. Maintain conformity: Continue meeting the requirements, retain supporting records and carry out the internal conformity checks required at least twice a year. Confirm ongoing assessment arrangements with the certification team.
Before using the Friend of the Sea or Friend of the Earth label, confirm the applicable authorisation and label-use guidelines. Any certification statement must accurately reflect the approved scope.
Certification fees
Request a quotation for your agency’s proposed certification scope and assessment arrangements. The certification team can explain the applicable audit, licensing and renewal charges.
Standards and supporting documents
Check certification status
Check the certificate holder, approved scope and current status before making or relying on a certification claim. If you cannot find the agency or need clarification, contact the certification team.
Frequently asked questions
The standard is intended for travel agencies. It includes requirements for agency operations, supplier selection, project contributions and travel offers. The certification team can confirm whether it is applicable to your business.
No. Agency certification does not automatically certify every travel offer, hotel, transport provider or other supplier. Refer to the scope stated on the agency’s certificate and check any supplier’s certification separately.
Yes. The standard requires the agency to donate at least 1% of its profit to conservation or humanitarian projects. This is separate from the requirement concerning travel offers that include project donations.
No. The standard sets a minimum of 10% of travel offers that donate to conservation or humanitarian projects. It also includes an annual partnership-trip requirement and a plan to increase the proportion over time.
No. At least 10% of travel offers must include or plan environmental-awareness sessions during the trip. The criterion also includes an annual partnership-trip requirement and a plan to increase the proportion over time.
A designated person must verify conformity with the principles covered by the policy at least twice a year. This internal requirement is distinct from any external assessment schedule.
The standard does not state that every supplier must already be certified. It requires the agency to encourage environmental and social policies and progressively favour suppliers with certified policies, including Friend of the Sea or Friend of the Earth certified services where possible.
Submit your agency details, website, main destinations and contact person through the application form. The certification team will explain the next steps and confirm the proposed scope and costs.
Apply for travel agency certification
Tell us about your agency and the travel experiences you offer. Our team will help you understand the applicable requirements and assessment process.
