Does travel industry care about climate?

At Greenopolis we are looking to build out "green" travel and ecotourism offerings as well, and welcome anyone who wants to collaborate with us on helping to make vacations and travel simply a source of pleasure and learning about the world, not contributing to the trashing of it. Anyone who wants to contribute can contact us here. Thanks for the post and the mention on your blog.

Each of us can make a difference. Together we make THE difference!

Green Lodging certification is growing here in Florida. It's interesting, though, that even some hotels that have accomplished the process, don't promote it.

On a recent in-state business trip, I spent nights in two cities: St. Petersburg Beach and downtown Orlando. Both hotels where I stayed were certified by Florida Department of Environmental Protection as Green Lodgings, yet I couldn't help but notice the difference in the value each hotel placed on their green certification.

The management of The Tradewinds Resort on St. Petersburg Beach took pride in their accomplishment and promoted it to guests with signs, notes, reminders and recycling receptacles.

For the other organizational meeting, The Courtyard Marriott in downtown Orlando, had been chosen because it was also on a list of green certified lodgings. In contrast, I saw nothing to promote the conservation effort to guests.

Because I stayed at the two hotels back-to-back, I recognized this noticeable distinction.

In all things we should be surgical in our criticism. With the travel industry, it generally ain't the staying it's the getting there that has the greatest impact. The whole thing from our expectations to our methods of travel need to be re-examined and retooled. We probably should travel less and stay longer. We certainly need to emphasize buses and trains rather than cars and jets. And we need to figure out a way to bring fundament change to this industry without creating a whole new class of unemployed folks.

And yes the Green Hotel movement is making great progress--mainly because it is an easy sell when coupled with associated cost savings.

Bob Ferris
Executive Director
Yestermorrow Design/Build School