U.S. business travelers are increasingly making daily choices to reduce their environmental impact, and they have specific expectations about the green practices hotels should be adopting today, according to a recent survey.
The survey, commissioned by Deloitte, shows business travelers have begun to follow some green practices routinely: nearly seven of 10 business travelers (69%) say they always turn off the lights and one out of three (31%) always adjusts the heat/air conditioner when leaving the room.
Roughly a third of travelers surveyed are keenly concerned about green travel. Some 34% "seek out hotels that are environmentally friendly," just as 38% have researched green lodging facilities either online or by asking friends and relatives. Similarly, 28% say they would be willing to pay 10% more to stay in a green lodging facility.
"Our survey shows that green concerns have made their way on to the business traveler’s agenda," says Adam Weissenberg, the Deloitte Tourism, Hospitality & Leisure leader. "Business travelers understand the issues and are trying to do their part in being more environmentally responsible when they are on the road."
The top five environmental actions business travelers expect lodging facilities to be taking are (in order):
- Recycling (77%)
- Using energy-efficient lighting (74%)
- Using energy-efficient windows (59%)
- Placing cards in rooms to let guests request that sheets/towels not be
- changed (52%)
- Using environmentally safe cleaning products (49%)
One in five (20%) say they have stayed at a hotel that didn’t allow them to be as green as they wanted to be.
"Today, sustainability is a market imperative as customers increasingly hold the nation’s hotels accountable for green practices," says Neale Redington, the Deloitte Hospitality leader. "We found there is often a discrepancy between what travelers expect of hotels and the green initiatives that hotels ultimately undertake. Those that do the best job of delivering on their promises of sustainability will win the day with tomorrow’s increasingly discerning business travelers."
The survey was conducted online by an independent research company between April 8 and April 9, 2008. The survey polled a sample of 1,155 business travelers.
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