Increasingly, consumer attitudes are favoring environmentally responsible businesses, and consumers are considering environmental issues when making travel plans and purchases. Environmental tourism has grown exponentially over the past 10 years. The lodging industry has responded to this trend with the development of strategies and practices for making a hotel or motel more environmentally friendly, or "green." Green Hotels are properties managed according to business practices that help improve
environmental performance of the facilities.
Whether a guest stays in a small bed and breakfast or a luxury resort, a lodging property is in fact a small community that purchases goods and services, creates and disposes of waste, uses electricity and water, and, just like any individual, leaves a distinct environmental footprint. In addition, the lodging industry is one of the most dynamic in terms of new construction and renovation. From carpets to paints, from heating and cooling units to televisions, the lodging industry is a large consumer. Operating in a more environmentally responsible fashion, hotels and motels can demonstrate leadership in ecological sustainability while enhancing competitiveness through cost-effective procedural and facility improvements.
The benefits of starting or expanding a green hotel program
include:
• lower operating costs
• increased customer and employee satisfaction
• reduced environmental impact and
• enhanced marketability as an environmentally friendly
business
Opportunities for improving the environmental performance of hotels and motels exist through water conservation, energy efficiency, environmentally preferable purchasing, material substitutions and process
improvements. By using the information and contacts on this
site, you can tailor a green program to meet the
unique circumstances of your facility. Many hotels and motels
across the country — and here in Pennsylvania —
already have implemented programs that are saving money and
conserving natural resources.
More information is also available on the
Department
of Environmental Protection's site.
This site contains information for hotel owners on how to make their hotels greener as well as travelers on ways to stay green while traveling.
Take the Green
Hotel tour with GreenWorks... well... maybe not exactly
but see it anyway.
