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With the demand for sustainability initiatives by consumers, hotel are having to make major changes in order to oblige. Sustainability has become a major concern for many consumers and businesses have taken notice. As a result, major hotel chains across country have begun to put in order plans to make changes to their daily operations. As noted in the article by L.A. Times, changes have been made to features such as water usage, machinery operations and even landscaping design . These changes and updates are in the hopes to attract a wider consumer market which now includes Eco-friendly travelers.

The LA Times article, "More hotels are going green, and not just to save water or money" highlights how an "earth-friendly image" is important to many corporate travel managers. Research suggests that having an environmentally friendly hotel not only aids in decreasing operational cost and avoiding city or county fines but may also be a way to differentiate a firm's brand and compete more effectively in the market. With travelers specifically seeking out eco-friendly choices and demonstrating a willingness to pay extra to accommodate a hotels ability to provide these services; going green could be a strategic solution implemented in a manner that allows for increasing market share while reducing operational cost.

Good Afternoon, It good to see hotels are being proactive about being environmentally friendly. It also great they mentioned that corporate travelers are looking for Eco-friendly hotels. I know a lot of companies require corporate travelers to seek out hotels that meet certain green levels and along with there corporate rates. Hotels are demonstrating that they are willing to invest in green technology not only for money but because it the right thing to.

In the era of green travelers, the demand for eco-friendly hotels is on the rise. Since the interest is increasing, a lot of hotels have changed their routine practices and policies to become eco-friendly. Hotels have found ways to implement greener alternatives and have abandoned practices that create waste. Eco-friendly hotels have adopted practices that prove to be less harmful to the environment. For example, hotels can install energy saving thermostats, air conditioners and use solar water heating systems to conserve energy. Green travelers will appreciate these changes and it will also make a positive contribution to the hotel's bottom line. Eco-friendly hotels ultimately look at every facet of the guest experience to implement green changes. Some hotels offer programs where guests, that stay multiple nights, receive additional benefits for not having their linens washed. Some hotels have even replaced there chemical cleaning products for bio-based cleaning products. This is a great start toward a better tomorrow and within time more hotels will become more environmentally friendly.

Great article, the majority of hotels are currently implementing the paper straw and remove all plastics. Our hotel as well have changed the lights throughout the hotel. Not sure if that helps with the electrical cost but a lot of change is being made to be Eco-friendly.

Motel.com has now launched an initiative to allow customers to search for green hotels. Before this plan was put into action, customers who possessed that green thumb were unable to decipher which properties would meet their sustainable criteria. With a new "green feature" search, Motel.com lists all of the Hotels and Motels that are considered Eco Friendly or friends of the environment which efforts such as conserving water, electricity and natural gas. These properties listed as Eco Friendly are certified by the Greenkey Eco-Rating System by Green Key Global. "The Green Key Eco-Rating Program and Green Key Meetings Program are graduated rating systems designed to recognize green hotels, motels and resorts that are committed to improving their environmental and fiscal performance." With Americans becoming increasingly environmentally conscious, stay in an Eco Friendly Motel or Hotel has become a priority. Indeed, when I travel, I like to stay at a hotel that is better than my home. With these new initiatives in the back of my mind, staying at a certified Eco Friendly hotel would definitely meet my criteria. 

This article talks about some of the creative ways hotels are going green. As more and more guests are looking to stay at environmentally friendly hotels, properties have to go beyond just offering a towel initiative or just using LEED lights. Hotel chains like Kimpton, The Charles Hotel, Starwood, and Calistoga Ranch are all coming up with new ways to be more eco-friendly. About five years ago Kimpton Hotels implemented a complimentary bike service. Guests are able to check out the bikes and use them to navigate throughout the city. As this service became more popular, Kimpton started investing in more bikes at each property. The Charles Hotel in Cambridge Massachusetts offers a similar program for guests. Their program started eight years ago when they purchased a property in Boston. The program enables guests to experience the city, all-while being environmentally friendly. Hotels are also finding new ways to be eco-friendly with their food and beverage options. The Charles Hotel actually operates a farmers market on-site with local fruits, vegetables, and meats. Other companies like Kimpton focus on offering sustainable seafood in their restaurants. Kimpton has removed whale, turtle, and shark fin from their menus due to environmental concerns. Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley has come up with a creative way to reduce their carbon footprint when it comes to yard maintenance. About 11 years ago, they brought in babydoll Southdown sheep to graze on property in order to reduce their usage of lawn mowers. These babydolls help Calistoga Ranch reduce noise and reduce usage of gas-powered lawn mowers. Guests love to visit with the baby sheep, which is an added benefit. Hotels like Kimpton, Starwood, The Charles Hotel, Calistoga Ranch and other have to come up with more creative ways to be eco-friendly as more and more guests identify that this is important when considering where to stay.

More businesses moving to solar energy and this is just one of the opportunities to make hotels and other accommodation type operations more environmentally friendly. Technologies best use is when a totally new development is engineered for the lowest environment impact but excellent results are achieved by refurbishing existing hotels. As consumers demand more eco-friendly vacation choices, the tourism industry is responding with energy-efficient and carbon friendly resorts and hotels. The hotel says the output from the system will help reduce New Jersey's CO2 emissions by 10,000 tons over the next 30 years, and will help lessen oil dependence by at least 749 barrels annually.

Cvent the world's largest event management cloud based company introduces new mobile friendly technology that allows users to register via their cell phones which enhances social media integration by encouraging users to share their attendance and in turn increase the events exposure. Attendees can also search for nearby activities and restaurants with the geolocation feature.

It can be very difficult for hotels to practice an Eco-friendly stay for travelers with water, energy , and waste being consumed 24/7. However, some hotels are taking initiates in following the green program and some travelers are right on board with the cause. It has been surveyed that 47% of travelers said it is important for them to stay in green-certified hotels. Another few reasons why hotels are starting to implement these practices are government regulations, saving money, and respect for the environment and the natural surrounding. This article explains the three crucial areas (water, energy, and waste)that can be turned into environmental friendly practices.

This article discusses the push that is happening for hotels to "go green" and "tech-friendly". Travelers have more of a preference for eco-friendly/tech friendly hotels when booking. For example, guests now prefer wifi more than complimentary breakfast. Another example that guests are searching for sustainability usage was important to them. In a survey done one in five woule stay in a boutique hotel if it used renewable energy sources. The article examines the desires for guests and their preferences for hotels and how hotels can adjust to this change. To meet these demands, hotels can address what are easy fixes such minimizing wasted heat or light. Another way hotels can hop on in this movement is by investing in systems that are eco-friendly such as waste heat-recovery systems. Investing in energy solutions will meet customer demands and help save the environment.

The article discusses the necessity of implementing sustainable and green smart technology in the hospitality industry. It is a trend that will be of utmost important to the millennials traveler where they expect hotels especially to have in place the eco-friendly practices and processes. The article shows how through, green building designs, water conservation, waste management, etc. hotels are making these green changes.

The M/S Viking Grace was launched in January 2013 and is considered the most environmentally friendly large cruise vessel to have been built. The ship travels between Finland and Sweden as a cruise ferry. The ship is powered by a liquefied natural gas (LNG). The shipbuilder says all emissions into the sea have been eliminated and emissions into the air are now lower than any other cruise passenger ship. Besides the lower emission the M/S Viking Grace also has passenger space that minimizes environmental impact and a new machinery configuration, which saves energy. I think this is significant that the M/S Viking Grace has basically eliminated a good percentage of emissions. I believe the cruise industry, from both luxury liners to cruise ferries, has a considerable amount of work to do to become more environmentally friendly. The use of LNG to power a ship is important for other ferries and cruise lines to look at for the future. Cruise vacations are popular worldwide and saving the sea for future generations is incredibly important. Even though this is just one ship that sails in the Baltic Sea, I think the M/S Viking Grace can have a large positive impact on the region.

The article introduces five ways to improve eco-friendly reputation for hotels. Recently, many tourists are interested in green and sustainability, and when they choose the hotel, the characteristic about sustainable business operation can be a big benefit tourist can consider. First, it is about eco-friendly heating and energy. The energy bill takes up a lot when considering the total expenditure, so it is necessary for hotels to manage the power effectively. By utilizing energy management system, hotel can track the energy consumption in the entire building and control the expense. Second, hotel can adopt waste reduction technology. Most wastes are coming from poor stock control. Thus, hotel should employ the tracking system to monitor the items that are being disposed of often, and use the record when they purchase the items. Third, sustainable laundry can be the way to operate the eco-friendly hotel. Eco-friendly polymer laundry beads can reduce the water usage and electricity expense. Also, an effective material can cut down the frequency for linen to be replaced. Fourth, lighting technology can be used. By applying the occupancy sensors, hotel can cut down the cost, and use energy more effectively. Lastly, it is iPad POS system. According to the article, they said iPad POS saves about 97% of power consumption compared to Window-based system. To sum up, these five ways can be adopted for sustainable hotel operation, and having the eco-friendly hotel brand will be a big advantage to increase millennial guests and advertise the hotel.

This article describes the ways to make the hotel greener and more appealing to the environmentally aware guests

In 2017 the Washington Post introduced green travel in their article "What is 'green travel', anyway? A beginners guide to eco-friendly vacation planning." The article explains the in/outs of traveling by defining green travel as a lifestyle change and listing the steps of accomplishing an eco-friendly vacation. Sweden ranked at the top for eco-friendly travel. My only issue with the article relates to the destinations in which air travel is required. Air travel may not be the most eco-friendly way of traveling because of the fuel pollution in the "friendly skies". However, some airlines make it a point to remain evironmentally-friendly such as Alaska and Delta airlines.

In the article, "Green and Eco-Friendly Hotel Amenities" it talks about how many different hotels are doing their part and keeping the planet green. The first place that the article talks about is the Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, it uses no motorized vehicles instead the guests can use electric golf carts or electric boats to ride around on the nine miles of canal. "Each resort also has an onsite biologist to lead educational boat tours through the lagoons." At the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago they built a rooftop garden to provide fresh vegetables and herbs for the hotel's restaurant, they are also considering making space to put several beehives, this will lead to a natural approach of producing honey. One of the most interesting and easy ways to stay green was at the Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley; they have sheep that eat the grass replacing all lawnmowers and on top on that, their manure helps fertilize the soil. It's a win, win solution! In New York they have a restaurant called Habana Outpost and you really have to work for your food, literally. At this restaurant you have ride a bike that powers the eatery blender and if they generate up to 100 watts of energy, they will earn a free meal, such an amazing and creative idea! This "is part of the hotel's larger commitment to eco-friendliness, which includes a CO2-neutral building, solar panels, and groundwater-based heating and cooling systems." At Jicaro Island lodge in Nicaragua, they used all of they wood from trees that were knocked down in Hurricane Felix and they also use a good majority of their wastewater that is recycled to irrigate the trees and plants. Before reading this article, I never knew that so many hotels were doing their part at staying green and I'm surprised by all the new and unique ways that they have come up with, it gives me hope for the future!

As people continue to move towards a lifestyle that is sustainable and eco-friendly so to are their choices re travel. Llaria Bertini in her ariticle "TripAdvisor launches green initiative for sustainable travel" highlights how the popular travel site TripAdvisor has launched an initiative to assist European travelers in making hotel choices that suit their lifestyle. The initiative called "TripAdvisor Green Leaders" came about as a result of travelers need to stay at more eco-friendly accomodation. Despite that need they had difficulty in obtaining information about hotel practices. Jenny Rushmore, director of responsible travel at TripAdvisor said "We know a lot of travellers in Europe want to be savvy about eco-friendly choices they make on holiday but they don't alwyas know where to go to find that information, " thus the initiative was born. Trip Advisor came on board to provide information for travelers re hotel Green practices , to compare offerings of various hotels as well as to provide reviews not only based on what the hoteliers would provide but from the perspective of persons who would have had a first hand experience at the property. As going green becomes a more acceptable approach for many things in various areas of our lives the hospitality and tourism industry is no exception. As John Alker,director of policy and communication at UK Green Building Council said " For the hotel and leisure sector, going green is not only the right thing to do, its just good business. " TripAdvisor initiative allows us to know which properties are taking the steps towards sustatainability in one place.

This article takes a look at 3 to 5 star hotels in Zimbabwe and South Africa and their environmentally friendly practices. Research shows that the hotel industry has a huge impact on the environment and the use of natural resources. The hotel industry has been negatively impacting the environment by consuming large amount of energy and water, and by producing large amounts of waste. The government has been demanding that hotels implement green practices, these are methods and products that do not negatively impact the environment. The results from the data collected from these two countries showed that none of the hotels had a written green management policy. Even though some of the hotels insisted that there is a green management policy in effect, it was not written down. It is important for policies like this to be written so there is a clear understanding of what is expected.

It seems the main motivation to implement more eco-friendly practices would be legislation/regulation but I wonder how that would be received? Outside the hotel industry,. I wonder how much focus is generally given to environmental concerns? Interesting research.

This article is about how the POS system works with the ipads. Nowadays, as the Apple products-ipad attract so many people, more and more restaurants notice that applying ipads as part of their point of sale system is a good decision. iPad users are running the terminals in a variety of POS system configurations, including those centered around remotely hosted software running at so-called "cloud" data centers, to which store-level devices communicate via wireless Internet connections. Many restaurant operators feel satisfied with the POS running work with the ipads. The ipads are attractive, and many guests are interested in the products. The most important, using ipads as part of the POS system, they can help speeds up the ordering process in the restaurant. However, using the ipads is not a perfect idea because there is a high cost associated with the high technology products. In my opinion, it is good the combining the POS system with the latest popular products. As on one hand this can make the restaurant more attractive, on the other hand, it is a good way to increase the service speed.

This article describes how there are an increasing number of eco-friendly hotels,(popping up) in general, but more specifically in urban center. The article points to be the cost of energy and the new abundance of green technology as the primary reasons for the surge in the number of eco- friendly lodging. The article gives several examples of how city hotels are employing eco-friendly practices and products. First, Sheraton has introduced fuel cells in four of its urban locations. Fuel cells are ultraclean power plants with up to twice the efficiency of fossil fuel. Second, Hyatt is using renewable energy source (wind, hydro, and solar). Finally, Marriott and Hilton are even seeking difficult- to- attain leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certificates for the U.S Green Building Council, which can yield significant tax benefits.

The article discusses the Green Mode and how human activities causing excessive fossil fuel emissions are forcing us to change the way we live and become more eco-friendly. This trend can be seen in the hospitality industry as more buildings are utilizing a green approach. These buildings offer sustainable features such as efficient use of water, energy efficiency, use of recycled materials and improved indoor conditions for better health and comfort. Companies using the green approach create value for occupants and increase property values by offering easier maintenance and lower operating costs. In India, The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) have produced over 687 projects that have been registered under IGCB green building guidelines. These projects include hotels, hospitals and different factory buildings. Major companies adopting the green mode include Intercontinental Hotel Group, Starwood Hotels, Hyatt and Hilton. The hospitality Industry is beginning to take advantage of the benefits of going green. With energy costs escalating, reduced maintenance and energy saving is becoming increasingly more necessary. 

As the title of the article indicates, Hotels in India have decided to get into green mode. This initiative stemmed from suggestions from the increasing number of "nature loving" guests lodging in their establishments. Consequently, the Indian hospitality industry has realized that adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle would prove to be cost-effective as well as beneficial to the preservation of the environment.

Summary of sustainability trends in the Hotel Industry

Sustainability or green initiatives are becoming more popular within the cruise line industry. From icebreaker powered by liquefied natural gas, to community-friendly itineraries and initiatives designed to eliminate millions of plastic water bottles every year, international cruise operators are catching up with consumer demands for more environmentally aware travel. Oceania and Regent have gone away with single use plastics by providing guests with eco friendly water system. Linblad Expeditions is asking its suppliers to explore sustainable alternatives. Regulations will require ships to change from heavy sulphur fuel to more expensive low-sulphur alternatives. WE go on to learn about different fuel cleaning processes that the cruise lines are implementing to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions, Lastly we see that LNG has created an icebreaker that runs on electric and battery power when in polar exploration. These are just a few of the ways cruise lines are implementing more sustainable practices.

That is fantastic news that cruise lines are starting to make more of an initiative to eliminating their carbon footprint. I have been curious as to how cruise lines can take more green initiatives because they carry such a large carbon footprint that has a huge effect on our environment. Technology and ships like the Le Commandant Charcot are huge steps in reducing carbon emissions.