Green claims increasingly in the spotlight: the new European Directive requires Italian tourism companies to scientifically substantiate every environmental claim. A step forward against greenwashingin line with the increasing focus on sustainability, but which could penalise micro and small enterprises without adequate support.
Green Claims: a complex opportunity for the Italian tourism fabric
The directive aims to protect consumers from misleading environmental claims, but its uniform application could be problematic for a large part of the Italian tourism sector, which is predominantly composed of family-run micro-businessesoften located in rural or peripheral settings.
For these companies, tackling complex assessments, such as life cycle analysis or third-party certification, can be costly, both economically and in terms of technical expertise.
In Italy, the PNRR and the calls of the Ministry of Tourism (such as the 'Tourism Enterprise Revolving Fund") already offer financing instruments for the ecological transition in the hospitality sector. However, a structured regulatory and technical system dedicated to the application of the green claims.
Without operational guidelines, many companies risk being unprepared for the new obligations, even though they have already adopted sustainable practices.
Several trade associations propose introducing green claims self-declared for simple and uncontroversial statements, reducing bureaucratic burdens for small entities. Furthermore, it would be useful for institutions to publish practical tools, such as:
- tourism-specific compliance manuals
- simplified data sheets for environmental self-assessment
- digital platforms for the management and monitoring of green claims
Such free and accessible resources would foster a wider and more informed adoption of the new standards.
Protecting micro-enterprises: need for differentiated criteria
According to Istat, more than 85% of Italian tourism enterprises have less than 10 employees. The uniform application of the directive risks penalising these businesses, which are already active in sustainable practices but lack formalisation. Possible solutions include
- the exclusion of micro-enterprises from the scope of the directive
- a presumption of conformity for those who adopt recognised environmental labels or adhere to sustainable codes of conduct.
Targeted interventions are also needed, for example:
- vouchers for environmental certificationalready active in some regions
- training courses financed by Chamber of Commerce bodies or inter-professional funds (e.g. Fondimpresa)
- simplified access to green incentives through Invitalia or SIMEST
- extension of tax credits also to transparent environmental communication
As for sanctions, which the directive provides for severe (including confiscation of revenues or exclusion from public funds), it is to be hoped that implementation in Italy will take into account the proportionalityby entrusting the controls to Chambers of Commerce and local authorities, which are able to assess the specific business environment.
It is also essential to valorise the environmental labels already existing in tourism, such as the 'Cinque Terre Environmental Quality Mark' or that of Legambiente. National transposition should favour the coexistence of public and private systemsas long as they are transparent and verifiable.
The role of institutions: integration and recognition
To ensure an effective and inclusive transition, Italian institutions should:
- Working with the regions to integrate the green claims in local tourism systems
- Promote shared minimum standards through ENIT or ISNART
- Insert the green claims among the evaluation criteria in public tenders and official classifications of facilities
The transposition of the European Directive on green claims represents a crucial step for sustainable tourism in Italy. For it to become an opportunity and not an obstacle, it is necessary to act on several fronts: simplify, support, inform. Only in this way will it be possible to strengthen the link between sustainability and competitivenessby valorising the many good practices already widespread in the territories.
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