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• Avoiding the Caribbean Bargain…
• Giving Back While Traveling: Crooked…
• An “A.D.D.” Takes…
• The Awakening Traveler: A view…
• The Travel Survey
• Exotic Goes Mainstream: More travelers…
• Responding to Awakening Travelers

At some time while traveling, most people are likely to see a little green placard in a hotel bathroom informing them of the huge quantities of water needed to wash the hotel’s bright white towels every day. Usually, you’re advised to “leave unused towels on the racks and place used ones in the bathtub.” In addition, many hotels have those not very flattering long-life, low-energy fluorescent bulbs in bedside lamps, above bathroom mirrors, or in public walkways. And it’s now not uncommon for guests to have to insert their electronic keycards in a switch to turn on the power when they enter their rooms, and then to turn off the power when they leave. The keen-eyed guest may also notice a sign at the reception desk informing them that the hotel has received some kind of environmental or sustainability rating or seal of approval. One of a number of sustainable tourism organizations provide such accreditation.

The pressure is on for hotels and the tourism industry in general to clean up their act when it comes to the environment. A recent survey by the International Hotels Environmental Initiative, for example, showed that 70 percent of American, British, and Australian tourists would be willing to pay $150 more for a two-week stay in a hotel with “a responsible environmental attitude.” Many of the large chains have responded by instituting their own eco-friendly policies. while a slew of public, private. and nonprofit benchmarking agencies have sprung up to do the job for them, especially for smaller properties in more environmentally sensitive destinations.

Entire regions and even countries are now seeking or achieving certification from various sustainable tourism agencies. Enter the complex world of benchmarking—the process of determining who is the very best, who sets the standard, and what that standard is—and its mate, accreditation: assigning environmental standards to specific properties and facilities.

So who are these benchmarking and accreditation agencies? There are a number of them, ranging from commercial enterprises, to nonprofits, to government agencies; and they operate from globally, to nationally, to regionally. Here are just a few of them:

• GreenGlobe 21 (www.greenglobe21.com), based in Australia


• Blue Flag (www.blueflag.org), based in Denmark


• The EPA and its EPA ENERGY STAR™ Performance Rating Tool for Hotels


• The World Wildlife Fund (www.wwf.org)


• Terra Choice (www.terrachoice.com)


• The Rainforest Alliance’s Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council (STSC), www.rainforestalliance.org/programs/tourism/index.html

A sensible way to overcome the confusion arising from the number of benchmarking and accreditation agencies would be to institute a global ratings system under the aegis of an international organization such as the Travel Industry Association (TIA) or the World Tourism Organization (WTO). The Rainforest Alliance has attempted to do this by issuing a proposal that covers not only hotels but also tourist sites and activities, communities, and even countries. The ultimate aim is to establish an international accreditation body for sustainable tourism and ecotourism certifiers to ensure consistency. But with the title of “The Feasibility Study, Organizational Blueprint and Implementation Plan for an International Accreditation Body for Sustainable Tourism and Ecotourism Certifiers,” the objective may be an illusive one.

What are awakening consumers, who seek assurance that their travel destinations are environmentally conscious, to make of this complex and crowded playing field? How can someone be assured that a hotel, destination or tourist attraction is actually fulfilling its commitment to be sustainable? And what about the important issue of benefits to the local community—how are these being measured and integrated into benchmarking?

The answer is that consumers don’t know. Those plaques on the wall above reception desks or at entrances to hiking trails mean little if there is no public outreach on the part of the accreditation agencies to educate travelers on the purpose and criteria to receive accreditation. Similarly, lack of an international standard with an associated awareness campaign will likely make the picture worse as more players get into the act.

Clearly, benchmarking and accreditation are desirable, and many of the agencies are genuine about what they’re doing. Companies like GreenGlobe21, for example, are making a real difference and will likely bolster the attractiveness of the destinations they have accredited—especially smaller destinations already enjoying reputations for sustainable tourism. But all of this will only work on a global scale if the agencies come to some agreement and devise a simple set of benchmarking standards that is actively and effectively promoted so that travelers are aware of it.