T
he American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA),the sole national association representing hotel companies, hotel property members and industry suppliers has launched a series of initiatives intended to benefit members, travelers and the environment: The Green Partner Program, a GreenQuest tracking system, and Green Tips for Travelers.
AH&LA members can donate funds to plant trees via the Nature Conservancy’s Plant A Billion drive with the Green Partner program. Green Partners sponsors AH&LA events through a one dollar donation per attendee, which in turn plants that total number of trees.
GreenQuest is an energy and water usage tracking system that helps hoteliers lower utility expenses. This free Web-based service also describes effective environmental operations procedures, measures the effects of current and future initiatives, and compares a property’s eco progress against similar hotels.
The last of the new initiatives is Green Tips for Travelers. These eight tips, which are available for public viewing online, are designed to help properties encourage their guests to make their stay eco-friendly.