Hotels Follow the Sustainability Path to Impress Consumers
by Vikas Vij
TripAdvisor found in a 2013 study conducted that 79 percent of travelers were inclined towards hotel properties that use eco-friendly practices. According to Steve Jennings, lead consultant for hotels and resorts at Deloitte, hotels are paying attention to conservation due to three reasons: corporate sustainability, better expense management, and consumer interest.
The Cornell University School of Hotel Administration released a report this March, which revealed that more guests participate in hotel sustainability practices when hotels offer charitable or financial incentives. According to the report, those who participate in green programs run by the hotel are generally more satisfied with their stay.
The fallout of these trends is that hotels are increasingly taking steps to lower their environmental footprint. These may include introduction of farm-to-table cuisine, using kitchen scraps for compost, providing charging stations for electric vehicles, and even recycling cooking oil for experimental biodiesel fuel. Behind the scenes, hotels are installing energy-efficient lighting and using recycled water for landscaping.
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Vikas is a staff writer for the Sustainable Development news and editorial section on Justmeans. He is an MBA with 20 years of managerial and entrepreneurial experience and global travel. He is the author of "The Power of Money" (Scholars, 2003), a book that presents a revolutionary monetary economic theory on poverty alleviation in the developing world. Vikas is also the official writer for an international social project for developing nations "Decisions for Life" run in collaboration between the ILO, the University of Amsterdam and the Indian Institute of Management.
