Sunday, January 25, 2009

Travelocity Launches Green Hotel Directory

It is pretty much impossible to find from its home page but Travelocity has just launched a green directory of hotels on its website. The site features properties from all over the world, including ones such as the Hotel Terra in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and the Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. How did Travelocity come up with its list? What criteria did it use?

According to the new website, "Each of the hotels in this directory have been endorsed by a leading green hotel certification provider, or are making significant strides in at least three of the four areas the U.N. Foundation's [Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria]
recommends as the most critical aspects of sustainable tourism: maximizing tourism's social and economic benefits to local communities; reducing negative impacts on cultural heritage; reducing harm to local environments; and planning for sustainability.

Is Travelocity's list a complete list? Not by a longshot. In fact, the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa, the United States' first LEED Gold hotel, is missing from the list. Still, Travelocity's list is a great start and will help to further awareness of green hotel destinations. Now if they would only make it easy to find.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

i love to have this directory.

Anonymous said...

Hello Glenn,
Would you know the direct contact for the person in travelocity in charge of this site?
I have called them directly but have not been succesful in getting a number or email. Thank you.

Glenn Hasek said...

Hi Diana. Unfortunately, I am not aware of the contact. Can anyone help Diana?

Anonymous said...

The press releases have noted the directory URL as:
travelocity.com/greenhotel

Some of them have mentioned the name "Jeff Glueck" in Marketing for Travelocity. He may be a contact for you.

Unknown said...

thank you