There are various eco certification programs in the hotel
industry such as the Sustainable Tourism Eco-Certification
Program, Green Seal and the Green Lodging Program. Each
program has its own criteria for certification some are self
audited while others are strictly third party regulated. Others
feature a mixture model that includes both a self audit and
third-party regulations. Due to the wide variety of certification
programs available it is difficult to assess the key practices
that contribute to running a green hotel.
Many hoteliers do not have a sound and complete
knowledge and expertise on environmental management.
Therefore the participation in eco-certification programs
remains low. Even the consumers are unaware of hotel
certification programs. Many new eco-labeling programs are
also not trustworthy. As an example a majority of German
tourists are familiar with product labels, but only three percent
to ninety percent can recognize German tourism eco-labels
[53]. As the customers themselves are unaware of these, there
is very little external pressure on hotels to commit themselves
to environmental practices. Food waste separation is highly
encouraged by eco-labels across different hotels.
For a building or hotel to be considered green, it needs to be
recognized by the United States Green Building Council and
certified for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
LEED is the rules that builders follow to have a certified green
building. There are five areas that LEED certification uses as
criteria to judge hotels sustainability water savings,
sustainable site development, indoor environmental quality,
materials selection and energy efficiency. The LEED
standards were first used in the 2000 [54].
Environmental or eco-labeling for tourism products is well
known and widely used in today world. Generally eco-labels
in tourism refer to the reduced negative influences of tourism
on the natural environment. The purpose of the eco-labeling
and/or certification schemes in tourism is to highlight the best
practices for products and services as well as to ensure more
sustainable management or sustainable consumption in
tourism practices. Today there are over eight hundred different
green certification programs for ecotourism, hospitality and
tourism around the world. These include the ISO 14001
Environmental Management System the Green Globe and the
Green Key which are globally used. There are two main
motives for ISO certification 14001. Firstly, if properly
implemented certification forms the framework for improving
environmental performance. Secondly, certified enterprises
could establish a strong corporate image achieving such
benefits as improved relations with stakeholders and
marketing advantages. The Green Globe is designed to cover
all sectors of the tourism [55].Starwood Hotel and Resorts Element and Hyatt’s Andaz
which feature LEED certified buildings as part of their brand
standards offer a variety of green products such as green
restaurants and spas. These are anticipated to test the
customer’s appetite for a greener hotel industry. There is also
a competitive advantage for being recognized for your green
efforts. The Fairmont has established many awards relating to
their green practices such as the 2008 Environmental
Leadership Award from the Professional Convention
Management Association and the 2008 Green Leadership
Award from Hotelier Magazine. Such Awards and recognition
spread the news of the hotel’s efforts and attracts new clientele
such as corporations that need to conduct business with
socially responsible companies [56].
While the green building was a fairly new concept to the
hospitality industry it had become a goal for many hoteliers
and others in charge of building hotels. As local governments
led the way toward LEED certification many hotel properties
and corporate offices strove for their own LEED certification
for both personal and economic reasons. Many of the bigger
cities had a growing mass of hotels competing for the LEED
certifications so they would be considered a green hotel and
had informed customers that these hotels weren’t just saying it
anymore they meant business.
Towards this direction application of an eco-label
certification program is highly recommended. However
further research and comparative analysis is required so as to
identify which certification has the best benefit cost ratio for
the hospitality industry as well as the most sustainable impact
on the environment [47].