| Going green |
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NEWTON, MASS.—TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel community, announced the results of its annual travel trends survey of more than 3,000 U.S. travelers. The primary trends identified are that travelers appear to be going lean and green by visiting national parks, hiking, and engaging in adventure activities. A greater amount of Americans said they will be environmentally conscious in their travel decisions in 2009, and more plan to visit eco-friendly hotels in the coming year. TripAdvisor also unveiled its TravelCast list of emerging hotspots for 2009, and atop the list is Budoni, in Sardinia, Italy. The top emerging hotspot in the United States is St. George, Utah. Seventy-three percent of U.S. respondents said they plan to visit a national park in 2009, up from 62 percent one year ago. Fifty-three percent will go hiking in the coming year, up from 50 percent last year. Forty-seven percent of those surveyed plan to engage in an adventure activity, an increase from 40 percent in 2008. Thirty-three percent of travelers will go cycling and biking, up from 28 percent, and 11 percent of travelers are likely to participate in an extreme sports activity, compared to 8 percent one year ago. Thirty-four percent of U.S. respondents said they will visit an environmentally-friendly hotel or resort in the coming year, up from 30 percent in 2008. Thirty-two percent of those surveyed said they will be more environmentally conscious in their travel decisions this year, as compared to the year before. Last year, 26 percent said they would be more environmentally conscious. Germs on the Brain Eighty-three percent of U.S. respondents are concerned about germs, bacteria and viruses when traveling. Airplanes are considered the most “germy” by 34 percent of respondents, followed by public transportation, and hotels. Sixty percent of travelers surveyed said they wash and disinfect their hands more often while traveling than they ordinarily do. Eighty percent of respondents said they tip for room service, while only 59 percent tip the chambermaid. When asked who they think doesn’t deserve a tip, the greatest percentage, 26 percent, said the concierge, as well as the doorman. Twenty-six percent said they avoid the bellman and the skycap, to bypass tipping them for their service. Fifty-eight percent of U.S. respondents said they normally tip 20 percent on restaurant bills, while 33 percent tip 15 percent. Sixty-one percent of travelers said the cost of fuel is an important consideration when choosing where to go on their next vacation. Eighteen percent of respondents said they will take more car trips this year because of declining fuel prices. Flight Frustrations Forty-nine percent of those surveyed said they have had more trouble booking desired flights in the past 12 months, as compared to the previous year. Seventeen percent said they had a flight canceled this year because their route or flight was permanently eliminated from their carrier’s schedule. The No. 1 traveler faux pas according to those surveyed is a child kicking the seat back, according to 30 percent, followed by rude seat recliners and loud talking on cell phones on flights at 19 percent, respectively. Eighty percent of U.S. travelers think cell phones should be banned on flights. Sixty-nine percent of travelers want wireless Internet access on airlines, but only 14 percent are willing to pay for the privilege. When asked what they can envision airlines charging for in the future, 50 percent predicted a window view. Seventy-one percent of travelers surveyed think families with young children should sit in their own section of a plane. Thirteen percent think airlines should prohibit parents from flying with infants, except in the event of an emergency. Thirty-seven percent would pay extra to sit in a quiet section of an airplane, and of that group, 38 percent would pay as much as a 6 to 10 percent premium. Weight Watchers Twenty-four percent of travelers would not fly if airlines began charging by traveler weight or put a premium above a certain weight. Twenty-four percent of U.S. respondents said they diet in preparation for a vacation. Fifty-eight percent of travelers are brand loyal when it comes to booking hotels. The hotel brands to which the greatest amount of U.S. respondents are loyal are Marriott, Hilton and Hampton Inn. The favorite airlines, according to U.S. respondents, are Southwest, American and Delta. These airlines were selected as the best, primarily for their friendly and helpful staff, good on-time arrival and departure record, and best fares. U.S. Airways was the least favorite, according to the survey. Article from www.greenlodgingnews.com
Read about green news : www.greenlodgingnews.com/Content.aspx The accommodation industry in the tourist-heavy region has started on an environmentally conscious or “green” campaign to lessen stresses on natural resources, according to a recent University of Florida study. The study found that two-thirds of 197 hotels in 19 countries in the English-speaking Caribbean are taking steps to protect the environment, from changing linens less often to urging guests to recycle. It also found that success in environmentally-friendly reform often was pegged to a “green champion,” an individual in the workplace who pushed for green practices. “This is a real effort by hotels at all levels to try to minimize, to reduce, to mitigate their influence on the environment,” said Mechelle Best, who completed the study for her doctoral dissertation at the College of Health and Human Performance at UF and is an currently assistant professor at California State University at Northridge. Even if hotels did not begin comprehensive environmental programs, they still enjoyed benefits — such as reduced resource use and decreased operating costs — from the green practices that were put into place, the study also found. Environmental management or “greening” can range from a comprehensive system undertaken by a hotel, to informal practices undertaken by individuals on an as-needed basis, Best said. A comprehensive environmental management system often begins with an internal audit of resource use and resource impact — how much water and electricity are used, how much solid waste is produced and what effect those things have on the environment. Such systems are often spearheaded by a “green champion” in the workplace — an employee or manager – who “sees the potential and drives the process to have a comprehensive plan” of environmental reform, Best said. In addition to the Caribbean, many of the areas of the world that rely on natural beauty to attract visitors have been slow to protect their resources, Best said. “A lot of what you try to sell is not what will happen today but what will happen in the future,” Best said, of those who try educating hoteliers and their staff about resource management. Green practices are catching on in Florida, too. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection established the Florida Green Lodging Program in 2004, a program that encourages and rewards the accommodation industry for environmentally friendly practices. The industry can be a leader when it comes to a sustainable future, according to Karen Moore, program coordinator. “By adopting green practices that reduce water use, conserve energy, improve air quality and decrease solid waste, the lodging industry can play a significant role in protecting the environment,” Moore said. In the Caribbean, specific examples of green practices include encouraging guests to recycle or separate waste, showing environmental videos and encouraging guests to consider using linens for two days. Not changing the sheets every day in order to conserve resources seems easy enough – but this is where green practices come up against established habits of hotel employees, said Best. “It’s simple for a guest to do but requires changing the mindset of employees,” Best said. “Daily linen service is standard practice in most hotels — that’s supposed to be five-star service. For people who have worked in the industry for 10, 20, 30 years, it’s difficult to change.” Best points to the formation of the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) in the mid-1990s as a landmark event in the changing of attitudes and practices in the Caribbean. The organization was started by members of the Caribbean Hotel Association, a nonprofit organization representing hotel interests in the area, in order to promote sustainable development and preserve natural resources. “Investing in the conservation of the environment is not a luxury for the hotel industry,” said Adolfo Lopez, association director. “It is becoming clearer and clearer that it is a necessity, and represents the only hope for its future.” Until a few years ago, the industry had been characterized by destroying the region’s more pristine areas, Lopez said. Tourism makes up 30 percent of the gross domestic product in the Caribbean, according to the United Nations. The Caribbean Hotel Association lists 125,476 rooms among its member hotels, and the Caribbean Tourism Organization estimated in a 2002 report that 300,000 people were employed by the accommodation industry in the region. For green habits that have taken hold among employees, creativity plays a role; Best described hotel staff turning old shower curtains into aprons and bedspreads into potholders. “You can see how implementing similar things in their homes and communities can help them,” Best said. Beyond the Caribbean, the current energy crisis of rising fuel costs has brought greater awareness to the importance of taking on sustainable practices, Best said. Credits
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