This past week was an exciting one for Green Lodging News with the release of the Green Lodging Trends Report 2016. (If you have not yet seen the report, click here to download it.) The report is the culmination of more than a year of work on the first annual Green Lodging Survey and includes summaries of the results of the survey. Green Lodging News teamed up with Greenview to produce the survey and report. I owe a big thank you to Greenview’s Eric Ricaurte and Grace Kang for their work on the project. The project could not have been carried out with the help of our supporters and sponsors as well. Supporters of this year’s survey include The Arbor Day Foundation, Travelife, Green Key Global, Mekong Tourism Office, Horwath HTL Asia Pacific and Clean the World. The Green Lodging Survey is sponsored by Pineapple Hospitality, Aquawing Ozone Laundry Systems, PragmaTech Ltd. and reCollect2 Co.
We also have to thank the many of you who took the time to complete this year’s survey. This year’s Trends Report was based on data from more than 2,000 hotels in 44 countries. We truly appreciated the many responses. That said, we need many more of you, especially in North America, to complete the survey in 2017. Be sure to look for the 2017 survey in the second quarter of the New Year. I will be reminding you about it.
The purpose of the survey is to uncover the most common, best and most innovative practices, determine what is trending, and create a mechanism for tracking continuous improvement. This report does just that. Our hope is that five or 10 years from now we will see significant differences in the responses to our survey—differences that point to more focus on advancements in air quality, energy and water conservation, waste management, staff and community involvement, and much more.
What stood out to me in this first annual Green Lodging Trends Report?
- While most hotels (90 percent) in the Americas currently offer a 100 percent nonsmoking environment for guests, there is still much work to do outside the Americas—especially in Asia Pacific where only 16 percent said they offer a 100 percent nonsmoking environment for guests.
- Among respondents in the Americas, 82 percent said they have someone in charge of green initiatives. Very impressive.
- Seventy percent said they have moved at least 75 percent of their lighting to LEDs.
- Seventy-one percent said they practice recycling in all common areas of the property.
- One-half of respondents indicate they sub-meter water consumption.
- Sixty-nine percent said they reuse graywater (water from sinks, showers, baths, washing machines, dishwashers).
- Sixty-two percent said at least 50 percent of the green cleaning products used are certified by a third party.
- Fifty-two percent told us they grow food ingredients, such as herbs or vegetables, on-site.
- Less than half of respondents said they allocate space on their websites for the sharing of green practices. There is certainly more work to do here.
- Seventy-three percent said they give employees the opportunity to volunteer their time and services toward various environmental events and campaigns during regular working hours.
- Forty-four percent said they have sustainability-specific requirements in their procurement of goods and services from suppliers.
- Sixteen percent said climate change has no impact at all in their decisions to make operational improvements and investments.
The above are just some examples of the highlights.
In addition to publishing Green Lodging Trends Report 2016, a compare report was prepared for each survey participant, serving as a yardstick to understand the status of each specific practice within the general participant universe. Participating hotel companies also received a portfolio report and snapshot across properties.
As mentioned, the 2017 survey will open in the second quarter of 2017, with the results published in the fourth quarter of 2017. The survey will be enhanced next year to add new, innovative best practices to the questions. It will be further improved based on participant feedback, particularly in segmenting or adjusting the questions by property type, so that properties can be benchmarked according to property type. If you have suggestions on ways to improve the survey, don’t hesitate to contact me. Our first version was not perfect by any means. What it was is a great start toward building a great survey over time.
Sponsors are currently being sought for the 2017 Green Lodging Survey. Click here for 2017 survey sponsorship information. Interested companies may also contact Glenn Hasek, Publisher & Editor of Green Lodging News, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Planning Advertising for 2016/2017?
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2016 and 2017. Many excellent spots are available on our new website, in the weekly e-mail newsletter, and Green Lodging Survey. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2016 or 2017 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. Media kits can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Newsletter & Green Supplier Spotlight Circulation
The circulation of our weekly e-newsletter and Green Supplier Spotlight currently stands at 5,063. Thank you to our new subscribers for signing up. Be sure to encourage your colleagues to do the same. There are “subscribe” links on the Green Lodging News home page. You may also e-mail editor@greenlodgingnews.com to be added to our list.
Green Lodging News & Social Media
Green Lodging News now has 1,735 Twitter followers. Thank you to all of those who follow our tweets. In addition to following us on Twitter, be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also on Facebook. Be sure to “Like” us there. Green Lodging News now has 808 Facebook followers.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
