NEEDHAM, MASS.—TripAdvisor, which began accepting applications for its GreenLeaders program six years ago, has paused the process for new applications. According to a TripAdvisor spokesman, the application process is being improved to make it more scalable. “We will announce more details in the coming months,” he said.
The GreenLeaders program, launched in 2013, was created in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, the United Nations Environment Program and the U.S. Green Building Council.
To participate in GreenLeaders, hotels and B&Bs must apply. If accepted, GreenLeaders achieve one of four statuses: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The higher the status, the greater the impact of a property’s green practices. Properties can also qualify at the GreenPartner level and have their status shown in their amenities page.
Badge Leads to List of Green Practices
Qualifying properties are marked with a badge on their TripAdvisor page. To see a list of the business’s environmentally friendly practices, site visitors click on the property’s GreenLeader badge. All participants must reapply on an annual basis to ensure their continued enrollment in the program, and to maintain the badge.
The program is voluntary and available to properties with green practices interested in promoting their activities through TripAdvisor. Properties do not pay to participate in the program.
There are currently more than 10,000 properties participating in GreenLeaders. Properties in the following areas are eligible to participate:
- North America: United States, Canada, and Mexico
- Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom
- Pacific: Australia and New Zealand
- Central America: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama
- South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela
- The Caribbean: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St Barthelemy, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
