I picked up the business section of my daily newspaper this morning in search of some good economic news. It was not easy to find. Here are some of the headlines: “Commodities soar”; “Housing market in spiraling free fall—Foreclosures hit all-time high”; “Oil prices gush to record high as dollar falls”; “Dollar continues slide as euro climbs”. Is it time to worry yet? Or, maybe the headline writer just forgot to take his anti-depressant?
Except for the fact that the strengthening euro is bringing more international travelers to the United States, the other trends are going to impact your business negatively, if they have not already done so. Consumers—and that means both business and leisure travelers—are getting hit hard from all angles. More are out of work, and the scary thing is that many of those losing their jobs are in places like California, Nevada and Florida—hubs of travel and tourism. Here in Ohio, a state that has lost 250,000 manufacturing jobs in the last decade, we don’t need any more challenges.
The lodging industry has been very resilient so far but will that continue if gasoline prices hit $4.00 a gallon? This past week, the price of oil passed the all-time inflation-adjusted peak of $103.76 that was set in April 1980, and is now three times what it was just four years ago. World crude oil production fell from 73.8 million barrels per day in 2005 to 73.2 million barrels per day in the first ten months of 2007, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In some places in California this past week, the average price for a gallon of gas was $3.63.
Has your business been impacted yet? I would like to know. The good news is that the green sector of the economy is doing well and your business can be much more profitable if it is operated in an environmentally responsible manner. If you have not yet “greened up” your operations, I would suggest doing so soon. It will help you weather more challenging economic times. Oh yeah, there was one positive headline in this morning’s paper: “GE secures $1 billion contract for turbines”. Wind turbines, that is.
Earth Day Activities Planned?
In just six weeks—April 22—Earth Day will be celebrated around the world. How do you intend to mark the event this year? When a guest visits your property on that day, will they notice anything different? Earth Day falls on a Tuesday but any day that week would be appropriate for honoring this special day that was first celebrated in 1970. Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to partner with a local school or other organization to do something that benefits the community and the Earth. Plant a tree, pick up litter, or make a cash donation to an environmental organization. These are just a few of the things you can do.
Earth Day is the perfect time to show off what you have accomplished to green your hotel. Or, if you have not yet made the commitment to implement a green program, why not start on that day? Don’t be afraid to be creative. If you have an activity planned for Earth Day, write or call with the details. I will publish the best activities in a future column.
Green Lodging News Welcomes Softscribe as Directory Partner
Green Lodging News welcomes Softscribe Inc. as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Founded in 1999, Atlanta-based Softscribe Inc. blends traditional public relations with emerging new media to help companies targeting the green hospitality and tourism market drive sales and reach their strategic objectives. Softscribe provides a full range of traditional public relations and marketing strategy services, and a growing collection of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) offerings that use the Internet to leverage its clients’ existing public relations investments. Call (404) 256-5512, e-mail info@softscribeinc.com, or go to www.softscribeinc.com.
UNLV-JMBM Hotel Developers Conference
I will be attending the UNLV-JMBM Hotel Developers Conference March 11-13. Be sure to visit Green Lodging News for coverage of this event that will focus entirely on green hotel development. Click here to view conference details.
A Career Opportunity
The Green Meeting Industry Council is seeking a leader in sustainability and the meeting industry to help move the organization into the next phase of its development. The executive director will continue to position the GMIC as the definitive source of knowledge and expertise about sustainability in the meetings industry. The executive director must have experience in environmental/sustainable programs, communication, marketing and branding, and fundraising and development. To learn more about this opportunity, click here.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
