South African tourism operators are racing to secure independent “green” certification before the EU’s new Green Transition Directive lands on 27 September, closing the door on vague “eco-friendly” claims (Tourism Update, 15 Sept). The message from every certifier is the same: sustainability claims need to be verifiable, not just stated.
Here’s the piece missing from that conversation: one of the very bodies driving this shift -the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) – has already introduced a 30% plant-based menu requirement as part of its first food & beverage standard. The menu is part of the sustainability claim, and yet most properties currently have no way to prove they meet it.
That’s the gap Vegan Hospitality Certification closes. Built on the same GSTC 30% benchmark, it verifies the vegan/plant-based guest experience with real criteria, independent verification, and a badge that means something.
Vegan Hospitality won Gold at the 2026 International Centre for Responsible Tourism global Responsible Tourism Awards for “setting the industry’s first formal benchmarks for the vegan guest experience”.
Vegan Hospitality secured Third Place in the “Accessible Tourism” category of the Skål International Sustainable Tourism Awards 2026.
Vegan Hospitality is partnered with the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.
Currently 6 properties in South Africa are already certified, and the list is expanding, so if you’re already doing the work to green your credentials, don’t leave the menu unverified.
Menus Matter.
Get in touch to get certified.
