The Hospitality Industry Goes Green
By Marlane Bundock, managing editor ConventionSouth The social responsibility revolution is upon us. No matter where you turn in the meetings industry today, someone is talking about the importance of greening meetings and event sites.
Bud Nocera, Visit Florida president/CEO, explained, "Florida is taking a lead on green tourism because we have a fragile natural environment." According to Nocera, the
Florida Green Lodging (www.dep.state.fl.us/greenlodging) program is not only a good idea for protecting the state's environment, but it is also a smart business practice. "For example, hotels that use energy-efficient light bulbs save money in energy costs, and those hotels that encourage guests to conserve, save money."
Similarly, the state of Virginia offers hotels the opportunity to earn a
Virginia Green Lodging Certificate of Environmental Commitment (www.deq.virginia.gov/p2/lodging) from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality where properties must verify that they are practicing several core conservation activities and conducting green meetings. "There are currently more than 100 lodging facilities certified by the program," said Alisa Bailey, president/CEO of the
Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC), adding that the
Virginia Beach Convention Center has also earned the certification.
Florida and Virginia are not alone. Within the last year, the hospitality industries in several Southern states have implemented environmentally friendly practices. As Joe David Rice, tourism director for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, explained, while the state does not have an official certification program, meeting venue suppliers across the state are implementing various green initiatives into their operations. "Our state parks, for example, have long practiced green efforts, and several of the state's newest attractions are built under federal green codes like the William J. Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock."
In Tennessee, to help protect one of state's most notable natural resources, the Great Smoky Mountains, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (TDTD) will hold a Sustainable Tourism Summit in Knoxville in April. "In honor of the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Sustainable Tourism Summit is designed to provide the Great Smoky Mountains gateway communities and other interested communities with an opportunity to hear from leading experts in sustaining historic, cultural and natural resources while also sustaining economic growth through tourism," said Cindy Dupree, TDTD director of communications. Speakers will include Dr. Suzanne Cook, senior vice president of research for the Travel Industry Association, and Keith Bellows, editor-in-chief of
National Geographic Traveler.
Going green also makes good business sense, according to hospitality industry professionals, who said hotels and other meeting sites are finding they must go green to compete for business. Bailey said VTC receives "numerous inquiries from meeting planners seeking green facilities." And in Florida, Gov. Charlie Christ signed an executive order stating that as of Jan. 1 of this year "state agencies and departments under the direction of the governor may not contract for meeting and conference space with hotels or conference facilities that have not received the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's 'Green Lodging' program designation for best practices in water, energy and waste efficiency standards, except when certified to the governor by the responsible agency head that no other viable alternative exists."
The
American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA) is also getting involved and in January released a Green Best Practices list. According to AH&LA President/CEO Joseph A. McInerney, CHA, the list is designed to help hoteliers take steps to cost effectively green their own operations. "With so many of our members making such significant efforts to conserve our natural resources, we hope to inspire others in the hospitality industry to implement their own effective eco-friendly policies," McInerney said.
AH&LA's newly established Green Task Force is, among other things, working with the
U.S. Green Building Council (www.usgbc.org) on a hotel-centric Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building certification that is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
According to Green Building Council officials, LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. More and more meeting venues are becoming LEED certified, such as the Virginia Beach Convention Center and the Clinton Presidential Library in Arkansas.
Other hospitality industry programs that promote environmentally friendly practices have been in place for some time. For example, since 1995,
Green Seal (www.greenseal.org) has partnered with the lodging industry, the nation's second largest employer, to promote environmentally responsible products and practices within lodging properties. Green Seal's campaign to inform the nearly 54,000 U.S. hotels and motels focuses on how environmental efforts both improve the bottom line and benefit the environment.
