TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel website, today announced plans to extend its successful TripAdvisor GreenLeaders™ programme into Europe for the first time. Developed in consultation with the Carbon Trust, the UK Green Building Council, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the International Tourism Partnership, the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders programme aims to help travellers around the world plan greener trips by highlighting hotels and B&Bs engaging in environmentally-friendly practices.
The programme, which up until now was offered only in the U.S., awards qualifying hotels and B&Bs with TripAdvisor GreenLeaders status, based on the green practices the property has in place – with properties tiered between Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum awards. Each award will be shown prominently on the property’s listing on TripAdvisor.
For the first time, hotels and B&Bs in 19 markets, including UK & Ireland, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, are able to apply for TripAdvisor GreenLeaders status, to add to those in the U.S. that were already able to apply.
Eligible businesses can apply now at no cost, by going to green.tripadvisor.co.uk. Each application will then be assessed against a holistic set of environmental criteria – including practices ranging from linen and towel re-use, recycling and composting through to solar panels, electric car charging stations and green roofing. The more green practices a hotel or B&B has in place, the higher the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders level it can achieve.
In the UK, a number of hotel chains have already agreed to participate in the programme, including Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, Red Carnation Hotels and Macdonald Hotels.
TripAdvisor GreenLeaders first launched in the U.S. in April 2013, and has since awarded over 3,700 U.S. accommodations the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders status, making it the largest green hotels programme of its kind in North America. Hotels participating in the programme range from small, independent establishments through to multinational brands including Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, and Select Registry.
According to a recent TripBarometer® traveller survey¹ by TripAdvisor, 81 percent of travellers place importance on properties implementing eco-friendly practices, and 85 percent of UK hoteliers indicate that they currently have green practices in place.
“With so many travellers placing an importance on the eco-friendly practices of the places they visit, hotel and B&B owners stand to gain a real competitive edge by promoting their environmentally friendly practices,” said Jenny Rushmore, director of responsible travel at TripAdvisor. “Our TripAdvisor GreenLeaders programme will enable businesses managing their environmental footprint to highlight their commitment to millions of travellers around the world, at no expense to their business.”
“Nearly half of our global hotel portfolio has GreenLeader status through the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders programme and more will have this status when the programme expands to consumers in Europe and Canada later this year," said Denise Naguib, vice president, sustainability and supplier diversity for Marriott International, "Travellers want to be 'green' and contribute to the conservation and preservation of the environment. This tool will help them easily plan and book their next eco-friendly trip."
Eligible businesses interested in applying for the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders programme can visitgreen.tripadvisor.co.uk for more information.
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John Alker, director of policy and communications at UK Green Building Council, said:
“For the hotel and leisure sector, going green is not only the right thing to do, it’s just good business. Green should be viewed as another aspect of quality. The GreenLeaders programme will help consumers – and indeed investors – understand who is taking this seriously.”
Dominic Burbridge, associate director at the Carbon Trust, said:
"There are a lot of simple, cost effective actions that hotels can take to reduce their environmental impact and become more sustainable; through looking at buildings, catering, laundry, staff behaviour and their supply chain. Having worked with the hospitality industry for over a decade, we know that in almost every case there are ways to implement some well-chosen initiatives that create a greener, more efficient hotel. This results in saving money as well as enhancing the overall pleasurable and memorable experience for guests."
Gordon Fraser, group finance director at Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, commented:
“As reflected by accolades, including 2012-2013 AA Eco Hotel Group of the Year, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts is firmly committed to our ‘Room 15’ sustainability programme that group-wide aims to minimise our carbon footprint and maximise environmentally sound practices.
“The TripAdvisor GreenLeaders programme presents a further opportunity to highlight to our customers that Macdonald Hotels & Resorts takes its responsibilities for implementing industry leading environmentally sound sustainability practices extremely seriously.”
