The UK's advertising watchdog has issued a stark warning to the travel industry, revealing that the majority of online environmental claims made by agents and operators are likely to be misleading consumers.
A Sweeping Review of 'Green' Claims
In a major monitoring exercise, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) scrutinised a staggering 362,000 online travel sector advertisements between August 2024 and June 2025. The investigation focused on the growing trend of 'green' marketing within the industry.
Out of this vast pool, only 329 ads featured explicit environmental claims. However, the ASA's analysis found that a concerning 213 of these ads from 23 different advertisers appeared likely to breach advertising codes. The primary culprits were vague, broad, or entirely unsupported assertions about eco-friendliness.
Common Pitfalls and Problematic Phrases
The report highlighted specific types of claims that consistently fell foul of the rules. The use of absolute terms like 'eco-friendly' or 'green' without robust, verifiable evidence was a frequent violation.
Similarly, claims that lacked essential context—such as those about a company's overall sustainable business practices—were deemed non-compliant. Comparative claims, like promoting a 'greener way to travel' or stating a service has 'less carbon than flying', were also often problematic without clear benchmarks.
The ASA also took issue with environmental claims embedded directly in product names, such as 'eco resort' or 'eco lodge', as well as broad, ill-defined terms like 'carbon conscious'.
Case Study: Wizz Air Ruling
The ASA pointed to a specific case to illustrate its findings. In June 2024, it upheld a complaint against a Wizz Air advertisement that stated 'Fly Wizz Air – one of the greenest choices in air travel'.
The regulator ruled the ad breached rules because it failed to make clear the basis for the claim and did not provide verifying information accessible to consumers. In response, a Wizz Air spokesperson had stated the airline was committed to transparency and that its claims were supported by factual data.
The Path to Compliant Green Marketing
For an environmental claim to comply with the ASA's Advertising Codes, it must meet several key criteria. Firstly, the basis of any claim must be clear and substantiated to avoid misleading audiences. Secondly, all terminology used must be easily understood by the average consumer.
Critically, absolute claims require a high level of evidence to back them up. The ASA emphasised that accurate green claims are vital, as they help consumers make informed, responsible choices and reward businesses taking genuine steps to reduce their environmental impact.
Interestingly, the report noted that very few travel agent ads currently make environmental claims, suggesting both a missed opportunity and potential uncertainty in the sector about how to make such claims correctly.
The ASA concluded: 'Of those that do make environmental claims, a large proportion risk misleading people. Overall, the picture we found demonstrates the need for continued regulatory action to educate the industry and protect consumers, and that is what we will be focusing on.' The watchdog has already begun contacting non-compliant advertisers to take corrective action.
