More than half of claims over eco-friendliness made by travel agents and operators are unlikely to comply with advertising rules, the Advertising Standards Authority has revealed.
A damning report from the watchdog showed 67 per cent of online ads by major UK travel agents broke rules regarding the portrayal of ‘green’ travel.
In a monitoring sweep of ads, the ASA reviewed 362,000 online travel sector ads between August 2024 and June 2025.
Of these ads, just 329 featured claims of being environmentally friendly.
Among these, 213 from 23 advertisers appeared likely to break the rules, often due to vague, broad or unsupported claims.
With more people focused on the environmental impact of travel, it is essential claims of sustainability in advertising are accurate.
But it has been found this is not the case in a staggering number of circumstances, with the watchdog contacting advertisers and taking action where ads were judged likely to be non-compliant.
For instance, a complaint was upheld against an ad from Wizz Air seen in June 2024 that stated ‘Fly Wizz Air – one of the greenest choices in air travel’.
More than half of ‘eco’ claims made by travel agents do not comply with advertising rules, the Advertising Standards Authority has revealed
The ASA ruled that because the ad had not made clear the basis of the claim, or provided verifying information, it had breached rules.
At the time, a Wizz Air spokesperson said that the airline was ‘committed to transparency and never exaggerates its environmental claims, ensuring they are always supported by strong, factual data.’
The use of absolute terms such as ‘eco-friendly’, or ‘green’ in many ads surveyed in the overall study broke the ASA’s rules.
Also, claims lacking essential context or evidence, such as those related to sustainability and sustainable business practices, were deemed non-compliant.
Comparative claims such as ‘a greener way to travel’ or ‘less carbon than flying’ are also often problematic.
As are environmental claims embedded in product names, such as ‘eco resort’ and ‘eco lodge’, as well as broad terms such as ‘carbon conscious’.
In order to comply with the Environmental Claims section of the ASA’s advertising rules, ads must follow certain criteria.
With more people focused on the environmental impact of travel, it is essential claims of sustainability in advertising are accurate
Firstly, the basis of environmental claims must be clear and confirmed, so they are not misleading. Secondly, the meaning of all terms used in marketing communications must be clear to consumers. Plus, absolute claims must be supported by strong evidence.
According to the ASA’s report: ‘Informative and accurate environmental claims help consumers make better, more responsible choices.
‘They also highlight the steps organisations are taking to reduce their impact, an important part of moving toward a low-carbon future.
‘At the present time, very few travel agent ads make environmental claims, suggesting a missed opportunity and potential advertiser uncertainty about how to go about making green claims.
‘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.’
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