Interesting news on green travel from Trip Advisor

Survey Finds Travelers Mostly Skeptical of Hotels’ Green Programs
By Glenn Hasek
04/24/2009

TripAdvisor just released the results of its recent environmentally-friendly travel survey of more than 1,200 U.S. respondents. For anyone running and marketing a green establishment, the survey includes some results worth noting, including this alarming finding: Seventy-two percent of travelers think hotels are more interested in marketing themselves as environmentally-friendly than actually being green (72 percent!), while just 10 percent think hotels are genuinely interested in being environmentally-friendly. Yikes!

What has our industry done to create such skepticism? Has greenwashing—defined as deceptive marketing—been that prevalent in our industry? What is at the root of this mistrust? Is it the towel and linen reuse programs that properties often promote but do not always carry out? Are people just skeptical by nature? What do you think?
Sometimes surveys will draw conclusions based on a sample size that is statistically insignificant but TripAdvisor’s survey included a reasonable sample number. Let’s assume that most of you are not doing a good enough job convincing your customers that your green efforts are sincere. What can you do differently? You certainly should not “shout” about your initiatives. Be subtle with your messaging. Back up what you “talk about” with facts. Thanks to the Internet, every guest who stays at your property has the potential to instantly convey their disappointment to their friends and countless others.

Focus on Internal Matters First
Do all of these things and more before even thinking about bragging about your property’s green efforts:
1. Concentrate on the value going green brings to your bottom line.
2. Set goals and focus on continuous improvement.
3. Create a mission statement and form a green team.
4. Implement the products, technologies and processes that will result in measurable impact.
5. Establish a culture of leadership and empowerment.
6. When you are ready to create your message, work with a marketing expert who understands the behavior of today’s consumers.

More TripAdvisor Survey Results

Are travelers willing to spend more to travel green? According to TripAdvisor, 45 percent of travelers won’t go green if it means spending more green. I am sure the current recession did not help that number. The good news is that twenty-seven percent of respondents said they are willing to spend $50 or more to be environmentally-friendly when traveling.

Thirty-three percent of travelers said they would pay more for a hotel with an environmental certification. For those of you who run establishments that have been certified green by a third party, have you thought of charging more simply because your property is green certified? You probably have not but you may want to think about how you could do that. Think about the different packages you could put together. Are there local businesses (restaurants, parks, zoos, museums, gardens, etc.) that would be willing to partner with you?

Seventeen percent of travelers reported staying at a hotel that didn’t live up to its eco-friendly promises. No surprise here.

The survey found that seventy-six percent of travelers sometimes incorporate green choices in their travel plans and 27 percent of respondents intentionally made environmentally-friendly travel choices in the past year. Fifty-two percent regularly find it challenging to incorporate green choices into their travel plans and 44 percent of travelers find that environmentally-friendly options are not readily available when traveling. This last finding amazes me, given the prevalence of available online green travel and lodging websites.
Most Participate in Linen/Towel Programs

In the past 12 months, 77 percent of respondents participated in a hotel’s linen/towel reuse program, 45 percent walked, biked, or took public transportation as much as possible during a trip to be greener, and 17 percent took their eco-friendly actions to the skies and paid more for a direct flight to reduce carbon emissions. Twelve percent of travelers have stayed at a hotel specifically because of its green policies. Thirty-seven percent believe that hotels with eco-friendly policies are making a difference.

The top five most important green hotel practices, according to survey respondents: recycling program, 74 percent; linen/towel reuse option, 73 percent; energy-efficient light bulbs, 71 percent; environmentally-friendly cleaning products, 60 percent; and low-flow toilets/showerheads, 59 percent.

Twenty percent of respondents said they don’t worry about eco-friendly options when traveling because they believe vacation is a time to indulge. Fifty-eight percent of travelers admit to being more eco-conscious at home, compared to when traveling. Of the environmentally-unfriendly actions committed during their travels, 41 percent of travelers own up to leaving on the heat or air-conditioning when not in their hotel room, 37 percent indulged in long showers, and 24 percent confessed to not recycling and/or reusing plastic bottles and cans.

Growing our own lettuce!

We´re growing our own lettuce at Lapa Rios Ecolodge: http://blog.laparios.com/

5 leaves at the Harmony Hotel

We have just been informed that the Harmony Hotel in Nosara (www.harmonynosara.com) is the first hotel in Costa Rica to have received a rating of five leaves from the Certificate for Sustainable Tourism (CST) on its first evaluation.



The CST is a complete, and rigorous, certification system, which is the only certification endorsed by the Costa Rican government, awards hotels “leaves” on a scale of one to five based on their sustainability achievements (much like the Mobile star rating which evaluate hotel services). The CST bases its judgements on four factors:

1. Biological-physical: How does a property impact and/or protect its surrounding environment?

2. Services and Infrastructure: How does the property’s operations (including product use and disposal, water and energy management, etc.) affect the environment?

3. Social-Economic environment: What impact does the property have on nearby communities to promote/provide education to its staff and community and to work with community service providers.

4. External client: How does the property promote and teach responsible tourism with guests who visit?

Currently, the CST is not mandatory for all properties in Costa Rica. For this reason, it is imperative that the consumer take an active role in looking for properties that are indeed participating in the certification process. By supporting organizations that are CST certified, you not only know where your money is being spent, but are showing your support for fair, honest and, above all, truly sustainable business practices. When you travel in Costa Rica, inquire about CST certification, ask questions and demand answers. Your travel decisions, and your “colones”, can truly make a difference.

To learn more about Costa Rica´s Certificate for Sustainable Tourism (CST), visit: www.turismo-sostenible.co.cr for more information.

The Harmony Hotel Works to Green Its Restaurant...

In an effort to push our sustainability program to the next level, we at the Harmony Hotel have decided to focus on “greening” our restaurant. According to the Green Restaurant Organization (www.dinegreen.com), which certifies restaurants for their efforts to incorporate sustainability into their operations, a sustainable restaurant should work to:

o Implement energy efficiency and conservation practices;
o Reduce water usage;
o Participate actively in recycling programs and work diligently to reduce food waste which can be composted to create rich soil;
o Eliminate all toxic and environmentally hazardous chemicals from restaurant operations;
o Purchase organic and/or sustainably produced fruits, vegetables and meats;
o Incorporate “green” materials and design into its architecture and building.

One of our first steps towards building a sustainable restaurant at Harmony was the creation of an onsite huerta (garden), which produces a number of fruits, vegetables an herbs that we have recently begun to incorporate into our menu. We are now growing: yuca (a starchy tuber grown in the tropics), cilantro de cayote (cilantro), papaya, zacate de limón (lemon grass), tilo and hierba buena (herbs used by locals to make teas). According to our executive chef Marco Leiva, “these products not only help us to lower our environmental impact by reducing the carbon emissions caused by transport, but are also of superior quality and taste”.

Our pajillas (straws) are also made from one of the “greenest” materials on earth: bamboo. These bamboo sticks are grown locally by Don Tino, the head of our gardening staff, and have been dried and cured for use in our freshly squeezed fruit juices and cocktails. In fact, two other hotels in Costa Rica have also caught on to the bamboo straw trend and have begun to buy straws from Don Tino as well.

Future plans for our sustainable restaurant include training local farmers on organic agriculture techniques in order to source more local produce and meat and to incorporate more traditional Costa Rican dishes with local ingredients on the menu. For more information on sustainable dining developments, check out our website at: http://www.harmonynosara.com/en/features.html

Recycling in China

A really interesting article that just came out in the New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/12/business/worldbusiness/12recycle.html

Visit from Dean Johnson of the Cornell Hotel School

We were fortunate enough to have Dean Michael Johnson and Meg Keilbach from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration here in Costa Rica. They were especially interested in the sustainability programs at Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality (and the coffee at Finca Rosa Blanca!). Here are some photos:

Good News from the NRDC!

NRDC Names Costa Rica as a “BioGem”
Country aims to be carbon neutral by 2021; New BioGems Web site engages more than 400,000 activists

WASHINGTON (February 3, 2009) — For the first time, the Natural Resources Defense Council named a country – Costa Rica – as a BioGem today. The designation follows efforts by Costa Rica to become the world’s first carbon-neutral nation by 2021. BioGems are extraordinary and at-risk places that stretch from the Arctic in Alaska to Patagonia in Chile. Costa Rica joins 12 other BioGems across the Americas that NRDC is leading efforts to protect.

“Designating Costa Rica as a BioGem reflects NRDC's determination to support the country’s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality and become a model for the world,” said Peter Lehner, NRDC’s Executive Director. "Our goal is to secure long-term environmental solutions to protect Costa Rica’s unique biodiversity and reduce pressure on its natural areas.”

Costa Rica, located in Central America, has two coastlines, tropical forests, mountains and volcanoes, and the world’s greatest density of animal and plant species – an estimated 500,000 – many of which are found nowhere else on the planet.

Despite a successful track record in protecting many of its natural riches, Costa Rica is facing growing pressure to open its coastlines to oil and gas drilling, clear forests for agro-industry, and recklessly grow its tourism infrastructure on the Pacific Coast, including the Osa Peninsula, the crown jewel of Costa Rica's biodiversity.

In order to help Costa Rica meet its carbon neutrality objective and achieve long-term environmental solutions, NRDC is working with its Energy and Environment Ministry to identify a series of measures to reduce and offset global warming pollution. NRDC also just signed an agreement with the national electric utility (Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad) on energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. In partnership with one of Latin America’s leading ecological facilities (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza), located in Costa Rica, NRDC has launched a rainforest rejuvenation project to plant 30,000 trees to restore a natural rainforest. These actions will help Costa Rica reaffirm its position as a global environmental leader.

Since 2001, NRDC has campaigned to save more than 30 special natural places throughout the Americas that offer sanctuary for endangered wildlife, curb global warming and provide livelihoods for local communities.

NRDC also redesigned the “Save BioGems” Web site with new features in order to more effectively mobilize more than 400,000 online activists to protect these areas. The site features a blog by NRDC wildlife experts; an action alert widget that can be embedded on social networks; interactive slideshows and video; and more Spanish-language content. It also includes an “Action Log” where BioGems activists can track their actions and achievements in protecting these areas.

“The success of the BioGems Initiative demonstrates the power of the Internet as a tool for conservation,” said Jacob Scherr, co-director of NRDC’s BioGems Initiative. “Save Biogems has enabled people around the world to have a voice in protecting some of the most unique wild places in our hemisphere.”

For more information, go to www.SaveBioGems.org.

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The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, non-profit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 1 million members and e-activists nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Beijing. More information is available at www.nrdc.org.