The tuu Eco Stay Awards recognise hotels for their genuine sustainability credentials by providing curated content that highlights their efforts. Unlike other trackers and certification bodies, the awards offer person

Using the tuu dashboard allows hotels to efficiently input and verify their sustainability data, contributing to their destination's reputation as a leading eco-destination.

Using the dashboard and entering the Awards is free. But a fee applies for those honoured with White Bamboo, Green Bamboo, Gold Bamboo, and Special Category distinctions for the use of logos, marketing materials, and additional benefits. This fee supports operational costs and funds the tuu Foundation, furthering our commitment to sustainability education.

Our awards are inspired by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Industry Criteria, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of sustainability practices within hotels. The GSTC Criteria, recognised globally, provide a robust and credible framework for our awards.

For every piece of data shared with tuu, we require a proof to verify its authenticity and precision. Proofs can range from photographs of meter readings or documented activities to scans of utility bills. Our partner, HLB, rigorously evaluates the provided data against these proofs, ensuring their genuineness and reliability.

Hotels scoring below 41 are not eligible to enter the awards or receive a classification. However, they can continue using the dashboard to track their progress and improve their sustainability performance until they achieve a qualifying score.

Uploading one month of data is sufficient to receive an unverified monthly score, useful for internal tracking and identifying areas for improvement. To obtain a verified classification (White, Green, Gold Bamboo) that can be used for marketing and to enter the awards, hotels need to provide at least six months of data, ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the sustainability performance assessment.

Only the White, Green and Gold Bamboo classifications are data-backed. The 27 Special Category Awards are judged based on entry forms and evidence, allowing hotels to highlight unique strengths and innovations not fully captured by data.

Judging is rooted in data accuracy and long-term commitment to sustainability. While quantitative data forms the core of our evaluation, we also value detailed narratives that illustrate how specific GSTC criteria challenges are addressed, especially for our Special Category Awards. Our expert advisory panel, in collaboration with HLB, assesses these submissions to ensure they meet our rigorous standards.

No, our awards celebrate collective progress towards sustainability, not competition among properties. By aligning with GSTC standards and leading industry benchmarks, we foster a collaborative environment where every achievement towards sustainability contributes to our collective goal: combating greenwashing and encouraging environmental responsibility.

Greenwashing involves presenting services or products as more environmentally friendly than they truly are, misleading consumers. Our awards focus on verified, tangible data to empower hotels in promoting authentic sustainable practices, creating an equitable platform for all to showcase their environmental stewardship.

Self certification occurs when hotels claim sustainability based on published criteria without substantiating evidence or independent data verification. This practice, along with greenwashing, obstructs meaningful environmental progress. By prioritising verified data, we aim to address this issue head-on.

The tuu Foundation brings sustainability education to the forefront for schools worldwide, offering free resources such as Sustainability Educator Certifications, comprehensive Resource Packs for teachers, and engaging sustainability courses for students. We also provide datasets enabling schools to track and improve their sustainability practices. Through partnerships with organisations like The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and The Association of Science Technology and Innovation (ASTI), we extend these educational resources on a global scale.