Hotels work to meet traveler desire for eco-friendly options

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The desire to travel green is popular, with 90 percent of travelers preferring to stay in eco-certified hotels (given comparable amenities and price), according to a national survey from Travelzoo.

The Green Business Bureau, a third-party program providing certification for businesses that follow environmentally responsible practices, launched a certification platform for hotels in July. The Eco-Industries Program for Hotels is designed to help businesses become more sustainable through initiatives such as optional towel and linen reuse policies for guests.

“This is an industry that stands to benefit significantly by incorporating sustainable business practices both in the guest rooms and the back office,” Marcos Cordero, GBB CEO and co-founder, said. “The desire for green hotels and lodging options is growing like every other area of green consumerism.”

Many online travel agencies provide lists of “green” hotels, often listing the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification as a standard.

For example, Travelocity features a Green Hotel Directory where customers can browse lists of eco-friendly hotels in the U.S. by region. Expedia provides information on volunteer vacations and details on how customers can reduce carbon footprints resulting from travel.

As options grow, travelers will likely find it increasingly easy to take more eco-friendly vacations. In the mean time, hotels have some work to do to improve the ease of green travel for guests, according to Gabe Saglie, Travelzoo senior editor.

“While our eco-travel survey reports more travelers are becoming environmentally-conscious, the survey also reveals 22 percent of travelers do not stay at green hotels due to the cumbersome process of researching hoteliers’ eco-practices,” Saglie said in April.