New Code Aims to Help Consumers Reduce Impact of Travel

Let's assume you are already using your website to tell your customers what you are doing to reduce your property's environmental impact. Are you posting anything on your site to help travelers minimize their impact while they travel? The Center for Sustainable Tourism and Miles Media just came up with what they call a U.S. Visitor Care Code--10 guidelines to help travelers be greener while they travel. I strongly recommend that you either link to the Visitor Care Code from your site or post the 10 guidelines. In abbreviated form, here are the 10 guidelines: Learn about your destination. Don't leave your good habits at home. Be a fuel-efficient traveler. Make informed decisions. Be a good guest. Support locals. Dispose of your waste properly. Protect your natural surroundings. Make your travel zero emissions. Bring your experiences home.

(Be sure to read the copyright guidelines before posting the U.S. Visitor Care Code.)

For those of you not familiar with the Center for Sustainable Tourism, it is located at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. I have written about the university before. (See article.) The Center promotes sustainable tourism throughout the United States through innovation in graduate education, leadership development, community consultation, and collaborative research. The Center is devoted to implementing sustainable practices in tourism business operations, public policies, and personal travel behaviors. Miles Media, with offices in Sarasota, Fla., and Denver, partners with state divisions of tourism, convention & visitor bureaus and other organizations in the tourism industry to create custom online, mobile, e-mail and print marketing solutions. Miles also offers services for hotels and resorts through its Miles360 division.

What are you doing to help your customers travel lightly on our planet? Be sure to share your comments here.