The just released Orlando Destination Sustainability Report is proof that a destination’s green story—from the airport to the rental car to the hotel and beyond—can successfully be condensed into a document of great value to all travel stakeholders. The report should be considered a best practice to emulate by your city. The report was commissioned by Green Destination Orlando (GDO) and is a co-production of GDO, Greenview and the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, along with 40 to 50 community volunteers. A lot of work was also put into the report by city and county officials. “This is an attempt to define what our baseline is,” said Dina Belon-Sayre, President, Green Destination Orlando. “It is a way to engage and excite the community around sustainability. A way to show other cities they can do this type of reporting.”
Dina told me the idea for the report was hatched last fall as a result of a conversation she had with Eric Ricaurte, founder and CEO of Greenview. Eric suggested the idea of the report given the level of activity around sustainability in Orlando. “There is just a ton going on in Orlando,” Dina said. “There was no collective voice talking about all that activity.”
Geared toward the visitor to Orlando—whether meeting planner, business or leisure traveler—the report tells the GDO story, the unique story of Orlando, and aims to build momentum toward greater efforts within Orlando. The report details the different ways travelers can plan a greener trip when planning Orlando travel, and summarizes the city’s goals in areas such as energy/green buildings, food systems, green economy, livability, solid waste, transportation, and water.
Report Divided Into Logical Sections
Report sections focus on Arrival, Transportation, Accommodation, Activities, Convention Center Activities, and Departure and Return. A fair amount of space is spent detailing the accomplishments of destinations like Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando.
Dina told me that since GDO was formed in 2010 all of the efforts have been 100 percent volunteer. GDO is currently in the process, however, of becoming a 501(c)(3) to give it the ability to grow and provide more services and communications to visitors. Becoming a nonprofit will enable GDO to get funding. “Eventually, we would like to create a website for meeting planners and others coming to Orlando,” Dina said. The goal for that: 2015.
Sustainability reports are built to be replicated and GDO intends to organize annual Orlando Destination Sustainability Reports.
“Our biggest challenge is getting a collective voice and a collective effort,” Dina said. “The convention district has been a strong leader. It is getting the word out about what we are doing. We want to get everyone on the journey.”
Click here to access the Orlando Destination Sustainability Report.
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