Green travel is a popular catch word, with tour operators and resorts touting green initiatives from purchasing green energy to using solar power. But some tour operators are greener than others. Being truly environmentally friendly involves more than not washing towels and sheets every day.
Making things even more complicated: Many tourists who try to be "green" at home revert to decidedly un-green habits on the road, according to a survey commissioned by Elements Hotels. As a result, the hotel chain decided to implement passive environmental features, such as dual-flush toilets and long-lasting light bulbs, which require no action on the part of the traveler.
Hotels and resorts are different sizes, cater to different demographics, and exist in different environments, so there is no one perfect way to be "green." But it's important to differentiate between trendy lip service and true green initiatives. Consider some of the following features:
Biophilic Design and Eco-tourism
- Architecture should take advantage of natural cooling winds (such as a cottage on a bluff). This reduces or eliminates the need for air conditioning. Eco-architecture can also provide more light, as well as passive solar heating and cooling.
- Materials and furnishings should be locally produced when possible. This keeps work in the community, and saves on fuel used for shipping. Imported materials should be environmentally friendly, such as recycled fabrics and non-toxic paints.
Energy Alternatives in Green Resorts
- Where is the energy coming from? Jiminy Peak Ski Area in western Massachusetts has its own windmill, which handles much of the area's energy needs. Other ski areas and resorts purchase energy from companies that produce renewable energy such as wind, hydro, and solar.
- The number of resorts using solar power is growing, particularly in areas where solar energy is a reliable option year round. It's an expensive investment, so visitors might reasonably assume that if the resort has solar power, it's probably making other environmentally responsible decisions, as well.
- Compact florescent light bulbs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs.
Water and Waste in Green Resorts
- Gray waste water (from showers and sinks) can be used for irrigation of crops that are planted for use in a small resort, as is done on Chumbe Island, an eco-resort and coral reef protection project in Zanzibar.
- Composting toilets, while not acceptable to most high-end travelers, are a way to handle human waste in small-scale eco-resorts in delicate environmental areas.
- Hotels typically recycle only a small percentage of recyclables. Putting recycling containers in guest rooms is an easy way to solve the sorting problem.
- Plastic water bottles are becoming a massive waste problem in some parts of the world, but some hotels have found creative ways of dealing with the issue.Tranquility Bay resort in Belize provides complimentary water to guests. But to minimize waste, the resort asks guests who are willing to refill their bottles from a large purified bottled-water dispenser located in the restaurant.
- Shampoo, conditioners, and other bath products can be provided in dispensers, rather than in mini-bottle. This reduces waste, both of the bottles themselves, and the contents.
- Changing to low-flow sink faucets and dual flush toilets can save more than 4,000 gallons of water per room in one year, according to Elements Hotels.
Finally, remember that the hotel or resort can't do the job on its own: For ecotourism to work, visitors must not only choose to patronize eco-friendly resorts and hotels; they should take the same care they would at home to turn off lights, minimize waste, recycle, and tread lightly on the land.
Karen Berger - Karen Berger is the author of 15 books. Please click on her name to read her full bio.
