The European Ecolabel in the Tourist sector: an Analysis of the Italian Experience of Mountain Huts

In tourism and hospitality service industry numerous are the voluntary ecolabels that have been developed by individual companies, industry associations, voluntary organizations and government agencies. Their scopes can range from single villages to worldwide, or from single activities to entire destinations; and they may include voluntary codes, awards, accreditation and certification schemes. However, the Ecolabels are a controversial topic in tourism as the degree to which they affect tourists’ planning processes and corporate environmental performance is largely unknown. This paper focuses on the European Ecolabel the voluntary environmental policy instrument established by the European Union which since 2000 is addressed not only to particular product groups but also to the services of tourist accomodation and campingsite. In particular, the paper presents an analysis on the application of the European criteria in the context of the Italian mountain huts.