TripAdvisor just released the results of its recent environmentally-friendly travel survey of more than 1,200 U.S. respondents. For anyone running and marketing a green establishment, the survey includes some results worth noting, including this alarming finding: Seventy-two percent of travelers think hotels are more interested in marketing themselves as environmentally-friendly than actually being green (72 percent!), while just 10 percent think hotels are genuinely interested in being environmentally-friendly. Yikes!
What has our industry done to create such skepticism? Has greenwashing—defined as deceptive marketing—been that prevalent in our industry? What is at the root of this mistrust? Is it the towel and linen reuse programs that properties often promote but do not always carry out? Are people just skeptical by nature? What do you think?
Sometimes surveys will draw conclusions based on a sample size that is statistically insignificant but TripAdvisor’s survey included a reasonable sample number. Let’s assume that most of you are not doing a good enough job convincing your customers that your green efforts are sincere. What can you do differently? You certainly should not “shout” about your initiatives. Be subtle with your messaging. Back up what you “talk about” with facts. Thanks to the Internet, every guest who stays at your property has the potential to instantly convey their disappointment to their friends and countless others.
Focus on Internal Matters First
Do all of these things and more before even thinking about bragging about your property’s green efforts:
1. Concentrate on the value going green brings to your bottom line.
2. Set goals and focus on continuous improvement.
3. Create a mission statement and form a green team.
4. Implement the products, technologies and processes that will result in measurable impact.
5. Establish a culture of leadership and empowerment.
6. When you are ready to create your message, work with a marketing expert who understands the behavior of today’s consumers.
More TripAdvisor Survey Results
Are travelers willing to spend more to travel green? According to TripAdvisor, 45 percent of travelers won’t go green if it means spending more green. I am sure the current recession did not help that number. The good news is that twenty-seven percent of respondents said they are willing to spend $50 or more to be environmentally-friendly when traveling.
Thirty-three percent of travelers said they would pay more for a hotel with an environmental certification. For those of you who run establishments that have been certified green by a third party, have you thought of charging more simply because your property is green certified? You probably have not but you may want to think about how you could do that. Think about the different packages you could put together. Are there local businesses (restaurants, parks, zoos, museums, gardens, etc.) that would be willing to partner with you?
Seventeen percent of travelers reported staying at a hotel that didn’t live up to its eco-friendly promises. No surprise here.
The survey found that seventy-six percent of travelers sometimes incorporate green choices in their travel plans and 27 percent of respondents intentionally made environmentally-friendly travel choices in the past year. Fifty-two percent regularly find it challenging to incorporate green choices into their travel plans and 44 percent of travelers find that environmentally-friendly options are not readily available when traveling. This last finding amazes me, given the prevalence of available online green travel and lodging websites.
Most Participate in Linen/Towel Programs
In the past 12 months, 77 percent of respondents participated in a hotel’s linen/towel reuse program, 45 percent walked, biked, or took public transportation as much as possible during a trip to be greener, and 17 percent took their eco-friendly actions to the skies and paid more for a direct flight to reduce carbon emissions. Twelve percent of travelers have stayed at a hotel specifically because of its green policies. Thirty-seven percent believe that hotels with eco-friendly policies are making a difference.
The top five most important green hotel practices, according to survey respondents: recycling program, 74 percent; linen/towel reuse option, 73 percent; energy-efficient light bulbs, 71 percent; environmentally-friendly cleaning products, 60 percent; and low-flow toilets/showerheads, 59 percent.
Twenty percent of respondents said they don’t worry about eco-friendly options when traveling because they believe vacation is a time to indulge. Fifty-eight percent of travelers admit to being more eco-conscious at home, compared to when traveling. Of the environmentally-unfriendly actions committed during their travels, 41 percent of travelers own up to leaving on the heat or air-conditioning when not in their hotel room, 37 percent indulged in long showers, and 24 percent confessed to not recycling and/or reusing plastic bottles and cans.
Green Lodging News Adds 10,000th Subscriber
I am excited to report that Green Lodging News has added its 10,000th newsletter subscriber. The Green Lodging News website is well on its way to generating more than 100,000 page views for the month of April. This will be a site record. Thank you to all of you for continuing to support this growing publication.
HD Expo, Green Day Coverage
I will be attending the HD 2009 Expo & Conference in Las Vegas from May 13 to 16. Be sure to look for coverage of the events in Green Lodging News. This year, the conference will include a Green Day on May 13. If your company will be exhibiting at the Expo, be sure to contact me in advance of the event.
Green Lodging News Display, Classified Advertising
If you are a supplier selling green products, be sure to call me at (440) 243-2055 to discuss your advertising plans for the remainder of 2009. Several premium spots are currently available, including the top banner position on the weekly newsletter. A 2009 media kit is now available by request or by clicking here. Green Lodging News also just added a new Classified Ads section. Click here to check it out! Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Green Lodging News Blog & Twitter
Be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. The address for the blog is http://greenlodgingnews.blogspot.com. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also now on Twitter. To follow my postings, go to http://twitter.com/greenlodging. Be sure to add Green Lodging News to those tweets that you follow.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
