Home Publisher's Point of View TripAdvisor Program Adds Transparency to Green Lodging Movement

TripAdvisor Program Adds Transparency to Green Lodging Movement

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It could end up being one of the biggest pieces of news to ever impact green lodging. What I am referring to is TripAdvisor’s announcement this past week that it will soon launch a GreenLeaders program on its website that will recognize U.S.-based hotels and B&B accommodations for their green practices. Once launched, travelers will be able to comment on and even critique green steps properties are taking (just as they can comment on their accommodation experiences today). I strongly recommend that you read the article posted on the Green Lodging News site and then click through to the TripAdvisor site to get complete details. There is a lot of information to digest.

I spoke with Jenny Rushmore, director of responsible travel for TripAdvisor and she was not ready to announce a launch date for the program (it will be soon) but she did help me understand how the program will work. GreenLeaders has already gone through a pilot phase that included hundreds of chain and independent properties. Now TripAdvisor has entered into the official recruitment phase of GreenLeaders, allowing any verified accommodation representatives to go through the survey application process.

“The program is voluntary and free,” Rushmore says. “It is a no risk program.”

Similar to many of the certification programs in our industry, GreenLeaders will score a property based on its green practices. There are numerous categories in which one can score points—Energy, Water, Purchasing, Waste, etc. All qualifying properties must have a basic set of green practices in place: use at least 75 percent energy-efficient bulbs, have current and active towel and linen re-use plans in place, recycle at least two types of waste, offer staff training on green practices, and offer guest education on green practices.

Four Levels of GreenLeader Status

As a GreenLeader one can achieve Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum status. To be a GreenLeader, one must meet the program’s basic requirements and achieve at least a 30 percent score on the Green Practices survey. Those properties earning Green Leader status can have a badge noting that on their TripAdvisor property description and review pages. A TripAdvisor site visitor (your current or previous guest, for example) can click on the badge to review your property’s green practices. Those properties just falling short of Bronze but still meeting the basic criteria will receive a badge on the TripAdvisor site in the property’s amenities section.

I don’t believe there are many out there who are intentionally greenwashing—exaggerating about their green practices. Those that are greenwashing would certainly make themselves more vulnerable to being exposed as part of the GreenLeaders program. I suspect what happens most in a hotel sometimes is that green practices fall by the wayside due to lack of training, changes in personnel, or even just because a hotel is slammed and cannot keep up. It is these occasions that will be caught most and, thanks to TripAdvisor, will be brought to light.

When a property’s green claims do not match a guest’s experience and the guest reports on it through TripAdvisor, it will be monitored by TripAdvisor’s Responsible Travel team. The comment could trigger a third-party audit. TripAdvisor has partnered with The Cadmus Group to conduct audits. The audits will not be on-site audits. In addition to audits triggered by traveler feedback, there will also be a set of random audits conducted every year of participating properties. TripAdvisor will inform properties about a pending audit and then The Cadmus Group will carry out the process independently. If a property does not pass the audit process, TripAdvisor may reassign the property to another tier, or even remove the property from the program completely. GreenLeaders always have the option of removing their survey results (list of green practices) from TripAdvisor.

Participants Must Reapply Annually

All participants must reapply on an annual basis to ensure their continued enrollment in the program, and to maintain the GreenLeader or GreenPartner award on their property’s page.

Jenny told me the survey questionnaire is likely to evolve as time goes on. It was initially put together with the help of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, the United Nations Environment Programme and the U.S. Green Building Council, as well as other industry stakeholders.

TripAdvisor, with its more than 60 million different monthly site visitors, was driven to create the GreenLeaders program because it found that U.S. travelers, many of whom seek out eco-friendly travel choices, do not know where to go to find information about a property’s green practices. TripAdvisor also found that most green lodging establishments don’t communicate their green stories to consumers.

“GreenLeaders will make it easier for travelers to get the information they need,” Jenny said.

It is easy to tell that the folks at TripAdvisor spent a lot of time on GreenLeaders. Congratulations to them for coming up with a potentially game-changing program. They are ready to get going. Now it is up to you to participate.

I would love to learn what you think about GreenLeaders. I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com, or by phone at (216) 848-1406.

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