LONDON—TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website, announced the launch of the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders program in Europe to help travelers around the world plan greener trips by highlighting hotels and B&Bs engaging in environmentally-friendly practices. More than 6,000 properties around the world have so far been awarded TripAdvisor GreenLeader status.
Developed in consultation with the Carbon Trust, the UK Green Building Council, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the International Tourism Partnership, qualifying hotels and B&Bs are awarded TripAdvisor GreenLeaders status based on the green practices the property has in place.
A TripAdvisor survey has revealed that there is a demand for more green choices with more than a quarter (26 percent) of European travelers* actively making eco-friendly travel choices in the last 12 months, and a third (33 percent) planning to do so in the next 12 months.
The surveyed also revealed that nearly one in ten European travelers (9 percent) say they have chosen to stay at a particular hotel because of their green policies. However, nearly half (44 percent) say they feel that hotels don’t currently provide enough information about their sustainability practices.
“We know a lot of travelers in Europe want to be savvy about the eco-friendly choices they make on holiday but they don’t always know where to go to find that information,” said Jenny Rushmore, Director of Responsible Travel at TripAdvisor. What makes TripAdvisor GreenLeaders so useful is that we are now providing travelers with an easy way to compare hotels’ green practices alongside the millions of reviews already on the site.”
How TripAdvisor GreenLeaders Works
Travellers are able to tailor their search on TripAdvisor for hotels participating in the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders program, and view a detailed list of environmentally-friendly practices that they can expect at each location. TripAdvisor’s community of travelers will also be invited to comment on a hotel’s green credentials following a stay at a participating property, and in the future their feedback will be displayed on the site.
The TripAdvisor GreenLeaders program considers a property’s holistic approach to green practices and ranks them based on four levels of participation—Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum—which will be shown prominently on the property’s listing on the TripAdvisor site. A comprehensive list of eco-friendly practices are evaluated, from linen and towel reuse, recycling and composting through to solar panels, electric car charging stations and green roofing. The more green practices a hotel has in place, the higher its TripAdvisor GreenLeaders level.
TripAdvisor GreenLeaders first launched in the United States in April 2013, and is the largest green hotels program of its kind in North America. Hotels participating in the program range from small, independent establishments through to multinational brands including Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, and Select Registry.
Since March 2014, TripAdvisor has also been accepting applications from hotels and B&Bs in 19 new markets, including United Kingdom & Ireland, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Since then, more than 2,000 new properties have been awarded TripAdvisor GreenLeader status, ranging from independent hotels to multinational brands, including Accor Hotels, Red Carnation Hotels, and Macdonald Hotels in the United Kingdom. Their award badges are now displayed on TripAdvisor for consumers to see and search, joining the more than 4,300 U.S. accommodations already awarded TripAdvisor GreenLeaders status.
John Alker, Director of Policy and Communications at the UK Green Building Council, said, “For the hotel and leisure sector, going green is not only the right thing to do, it’s just good business. Green should be viewed as another aspect of quality. The GreenLeaders program will help consumers—and indeed investors—understand who is taking this seriously.”
Travelers can learn more about the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders program by clicking here. Eligible businesses interested in applying for the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders program can click here.
*Methodology: 14,025 respondents in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and Italy took part in the survey which ran from March 26, 2014 to April 14, 2014.
