Worldwide: Sustainability technology start-up BeCause has partnered with WebBeds, a global marketplace, which provides accommodation distribution services to the travel industry.
The partnership means BeCause will supply WebBeds’ users certified sustainability data about its hotel partners.
WebBeds sources accommodation and destination services from travel suppliers and aggregates that content on its platform, which it distributes to travel trade buyers.
WebBeds will use the data from BeCause to “scale up” the number of properties tagged as ‘eco-certified’ on its booking platforms.
The partnership means BeCause will enable WebBeds to automatically match hotels in its database to those with Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) credentials (currently 49 recognised standards).
Individual properties that meet the GSTC criteria will receive an ‘eco-friendly identifier’ on WebBeds’ booking platforms, which travel trade partners can use to book hotel stays for the end traveller aligned with their values on sustainability.
Daryl Lee, WebBeds CEO said: “Our travel trade customers are becoming more conscious about the eco-credentials of the properties they recommend to the end traveller. Working with BeCause helps us to rapidly scale the number of eco-certified properties we provide on our platforms with the assurance that these properties have all been through a rigorous certification process administered by recognised standards authorities.”
Frederik Steensgaard, CEO and co-founder of BeCause said that working with BeCause will enable WebBeds to automate its sustainability checks: “Not only does automation help speed up and reduce costs, but with our centralised data hub, marketplaces and their users have access to real-time, trustworthy hotel information from recognised sustainability organisations like the GSTC.”
You can read more abut BeCause in our Q&A with Frederik Steensgaard, CEO and co-founder of BeCause below.