Going Green - Five Hot Trends in the Meetings Industry
By Andy Dolce Founder, Chairman & Managing Partner, Dolce International | October 28, 2008
Business travel is big business with millions of individual and group trips being tracked in each year. Among overnight trips, 85% of business travelers stayed in a hotel or motel. While this is good news for airlines, rental car companies and hoteliers, business travel exacts a heavy toll on the environment.
Travel is the main culprit of climate change accounting for one-third of climate damaging emissions. As such, the travel industry has become increasingly concerned about saving the environment for future generations of travelers. Industry groups such as the International Association of Conference Centers have compiled lists of "Green Best Practices" for hoteliers taking steps to cost-effectively go green with their operations and the hospitality industry has already made strides in its concern for the environment.
As leaders in global hospitality, today's hoteliers have a responsibility to address their commitment to minimizing the impact that their hotels have on the environment. Policies need to focus on awareness and education to promote and reinforce a culture of environmental consciousness through all facets of global operations. We all need to be committed to protecting our natural environment, to the comfort and well being of our guests and to respecting the communities in which we operate.
Most major hotel companies have implemented some steps toward "going green." From incentives for employees who carpool, corporate procurement policies for everything from office paper to materials used in manufacturing, eco-friendly kitchens, recycling programs for guests and employees and offering carbon offsets for individual and group travel, today's travel leaders have many positive initiatives in place for preserving the environment.
Responsible environmental stewardship is not only an integral part of doing business at Dolce International; it is the core of who we are as a company. Read on to learn about five hot trends in the meetings industry I recommend for going green.
1) Giving Back to The Environment - Carbon Offsets
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