Today's consumers have gone "green" and it's time for hotels to do the same. In many cities, hotels consume a large amount of resources so the hospitality industry should be making sustainable (a.k.a. "green") initiatives a priority.
In the past, many hotels hesitated to go "green" because of the fear of increased operational costs or complicated processes/systems that would confuse or alienate potential guests. While going "green" can increase costs initially, hotels will find that over the long-term, it will actually help decrease operational costs.
Going "green" can also have a significant impact on a property's revenues. While the exact percentage varies, studies show there a consistently growing percentage of consumers who would pay a higher room rate for a "green" room. As well as the potential to charge a premium rate, many guests expect hotels to be environmentally friendly – no matter your property's level of service, star rating or geographical location. In fact, a recent TripAdvisor survey showed that "62% of US travelers often or always consider the environment when choosing hotels, transportation and meal options."i
When hotels demonstrate a priority for environmental sustainability, consumers will notice and develop a greater sense of loyalty for those that meet (or exceed!) their expectations.
What Type of "Green" Initiatives Could I Implement at my Property?
Hotels can have a serious impact on their carbon footprint by implementing one of the following "green" solutions:
- Going "paperless"
- Solar panels on the roof of the building
- Replacing water filters in showerheads with those designed to minimize the amount of water used (while maintaining water pressure)
- Automatic keycards that require a guest to leave their card in the slot inside of the door for the lights in the room to turn on. Because most customers will take their keycard with them when they leave the room, it will ensure that the lights are not left on for long periods of time
- Improving recycling practices
Keep in mind that these are only some of the "green" solutions that hotels can consider implementing. The only limit is your imagination!
How to Promote your "Green" Initiatives
Most eco-friendly hotels do not properly publicize their sustainability efforts, so they don't see as many benefits. According to the same TripAdvisor survey of US travelers, "64% of respondents said that they rarely or never feel informed about whether hotels are truly eco-friendly."ii Keeping customers, employees and stakeholders up-to-date on your sustainability efforts will help generate the most benefits from your "green" initiatives and communicate the message that sustainability is one of your property's core corporate values.
Just as you would promote your property's amenities or rooms, inform guests and potential guests about your environmental initiatives through all of your pre-existing marketing channels including:
- e-blasts – Create an e-blast to send to your network, prospects and current clients when you implement new initiatives or to share your property's successes.
- Social media – Share your sustainability efforts on your social media platforms and corporate blog. As well, try to find other engaging ways to raise awareness, such as contests or incentives to encourage consumers to participate in making your property more "green."
- E-mail signature – Revise your e-mail signature to highlight your efforts and your commitment to sustainability.
- Website updates – Create an icon that can be highlighted on each page of your website to show that you are a "green" property. Add a page on your site outlining all of the "green" actions that you have taken at your property (and if possible, the effect that it has had on your carbon footprint to date).
- Media pitches – Especially since "green" hotels are especially common, there are still many reporters who would be interested in hearing about how your property helps the environment. Focus on what makes your efforts different from other hotels in your destination. You can choose to use a press release or just a short email pitch to share your news with media. If you do choose to use a press release, you could also distribute it through a newswire service (like PRNewswire or PRWeb) to increase the online visibility of your release.
- Promote your "green" initiatives on-site – Use signage throughout your common areas and in hotel rooms to let customers know what actions you have taken to go "green" and how they can help.
- Update all of your OTA listings – Since many consumers would be more motivated to choose your "green" property (over a non-environmentally friendly property), it is important that all of your OTA listings very clearly communicate your commitment to sustainability.
- Awards and recognition – Being nominated for (or even better, winning) environmental awards is a very strong media story and will also reinforce your credibility as a "green" property.
- Corporate bookings – Ensure that your corporate clients are aware of your hotel's policies, as many larger corporations have environmental mandates and will be incentivized to give you their business.
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i Bender, Andrews. Forbes. "Survey: Two-Thirds Of Travelers Want Green Hotels. Here's How To Book Them." http://tinyurl.com/mkrwsj4
ii IBID.
About the author
Jennifer Nagy, President of jlnpr, is a seasoned public relations professional with a passion for the hospitality industry. At jlnpr, she works with companies to increase awareness of their property/product and get their story in front of the audiences that will have a direct impact on their bottom line. jlnpr works with international travel clients in the travel technology, airline, lodging, cruise and meeting/event industries. For more information about jlnpr, please visit www.jlnpr.com or contact Jennifer at jenn@jlnpr.com.
