Green Business Bureau Adds Certification for Hotels

July 28, 2010 - PRLog -- HOUSTON – The Green Business Bureau (GBB) today announced the latest addition to its best-in-class green business certification platform. GBB Eco-Industries Program for Hotels (E-IPH) features initiatives and information to help members gain an edge in the competitive hotel and lodging industry.  

“The desire for green hotels and lodging options is growing like every other area of green consumerism,” Marcos Cordero, GBB CEO and co-founder. “The proof lies in the proliferation of green travel sites and directories; coverage of the trend by major media outlets; and study after study that show travelers are not only looking for green accommodations, but are willing to pay more for them as well.”

Cordero says that, because more than 87% of travelers say they would be more likely to stay at green properties and that 95% of respondents think that lodging companies should be undertaking green initiatives, hotel and lodging businesses cannot afford to ignore this trend.

“This is an industry that stands to benefit significantly by incorporating sustainable business practices both in the guest rooms and the back office,” says Cordero.  “At the GBB, our mission is to help these businesses realize the economic and environmental benefits of going green.”

The E-IPH features the standard menu of GBB initiatives designed to help businesses become more sustainable, and adds industry-specific initiatives for hotels.  The E-IPH includes initiatives that:

•   Address guest room and office operations.
•   Offer a wide range of approaches for amenities purchasing to reduce waste.
•   Guide the management of resource consumption – such as an optional towel and linen reuse policy for guests.
•   Improve customer satisfaction in addition to increasing environmental efforts.
•   Adapt green initiatives to the size and location of facilities.

“We are excited to expand our Eco-Industries program to include hotels, “ says Cordero. “This is an industry that stands to gain enormous ground in terms of cost savings and revenue growth through the implementation of green practices.”

For more information about the E-IPH, visit the GBB at www.gbb.org.

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GBB is a national third-party program providing certification for businesses that follow environmentally responsible practices. Started by a group of environmental and business professionals who recognized a need in the marketplace for a trusted green certification for small- to medium-sized businesses, GBB fosters environmental awareness among businesses and promotes business practices that are both environmentally responsible and commercially beneficial.