HELENA, MONT.—The Montana Innkeepers Assn. (MIKA), soon to be the Montana Lodging & Hospitality Assn., has partnered with Green Directory Montana to launch a Montana Sustainability in Hospitality Program for those owning and operating lodging establishments in Montana. The program was officially launched on August 1 and is the result of the work of a MIKA green lodging committee that had been meeting for more than a year.
Stuart Doggett, executive director of MIKA, said that due to Montana’s budget crisis, it became apparent to MIKA that a green lodging program was not going to emerge out of a state agency. “We started a dialogue with Green Directory Montana and decided to endorse them. We had a couple of members already in their program.”
To be recognized as a Certified Green Lodging Facility, properties in Montana can now sign up through Green Directory Montana. Under the terms of a new partnership agreement with MIKA, Green Directory Montana will offer discounted fees to MIKA members. This Montana Sustainability in Hospitality Program is a graduated rating system designed to recognize lodging properties that are committed to improving their fiscal and environmental performance. The program is a voluntary, self-administered audit, coupled with onsite inspections to verify a property’s rating, and is designed to assist a property in determining its current environmental footprint.
Goal Setting is Part of Program
Participants will go through the Sustainability Badge Ranking System software to see how green they are and then set up goals to work towards improving their performance, to become more sustainable as well as gain higher listings on Green Directory Montana’s website. The performance reports will offer recommendations for improvements to reduce operating costs and environmental impacts through reduced utility consumption, employee training, and supply chain management. Each lodging facility will also have access to online tools and resources and receive a badge widget that can be implemented on the facility’s website that highlights the property’s rating.
“This program is perfect for the wide range of properties we have in membership because it provides a graduated rating scale at an affordable price,” Doggett said.
“The Montana Sustainability in Hospitality Program marks an exciting move for Montana’s tourism into the ‘green age,’ where consumers from around the world are researching ecotourism online and supporting lodging facilities, restaurants and attractions that are putting forth efforts to be sustainable,” said Jophiel Silvestrone, CEO of Green Directory Montana. “Now is our time to lead by example.”
For more information, visit the MIKA website or click here.
