NEEDHAM, MASS.—Almost three years after launching its GreenLeaders program, TripAdvisor has good reason to be ecstatic about its success. There are now more than 11,000 participating properties in 66 global markets across North America, Latin America, Europe, as well as Australia and New Zealand. In the last year alone, TripAdvisor has added nearly 3,000 GreenLeaders participants. “When we launched TripAdvisor GreenLeaders just a few years ago to help our community of millions of travelers plan and book greener trips, we never imagined it would grow so quickly to become the world’s largest green program,” says Ryan Dillon, Responsible Travel Specialist at TripAdvisor and manager of GreenLeaders.
GreenLeaders hotels and B&Bs must complete an application in order to participate in the free, voluntary program. Questions in the application address topics ranging from towel reuse to staff training to preventive maintenance. Qualifying properties are marked with a badge on their TripAdvisor page. To see a list of the business’s environmentally friendly practices, travelers click on the property’s GreenLeader badge. Properties are listed as either a GreenPartner or having achieved Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum GreenLeader status. Dillon says there are currently 3,100 GreenPartners, 2,600 at the Bronze level, 2,800 at the Silver level, 1,800 at the Gold level, and 1,000 that have reached Platinum.
Properties from large chains to small B&Bs are currently participating in GreenLeaders. The most represented chain in the United States and globally is Marriott. Accor has the most participants in Europe. Sixty percent in the program report being part of a chain while 40 percent do not list any chain affiliation. The cities with the most GreenLeaders properties are New York, San Francisco and Orlando. As for states, California is in the lead, followed by Florida and New York.
In analyzing the property reviews that get posted on its website, TripAdvisor has found that properties that are GreenLeaders see a 7 percent higher rating than those that are not GreenLeaders.
Travelers Write About Practices They See
When asked what are the most common “green” things guest write about in their reviews, Dillon said, “Travelers generally write about consumer-facing green practices—the things that are visible to guests—like towel/linen reuse and recycling,” he says. “Like other reviews on TripAdvisor, the green comments tend to be positive on average.”
Dillon shared a few examples of comments posted by travelers:
–“Loved having the option to defer the housekeeping, as well as the eco-friendly policy on towels.”
–“They recycle and even have a chandelier in the lobby made out of recycled bottles. Awesome property!”
–“Outstanding!! Very impressed with the proactive corporate agenda to recycle bathroom amenities and give to underdeveloped nations.”
When asked if changes or updates have been made to the application over the past several years, Dillon said, “As we’ve expanded into new markets, we have made some modifications to our application to ensure it is locally relevant.”
Participants Apply Every Two Years
Whereas participants originally had to reapply on an annual basis to ensure their continued enrollment in the program, now it is every two years. TripAdvisor incorporates an audit process into its GreenLeaders program. According to the TripAdvisor website, “Traveler feedback may trigger a hotel audit by a third-party independent auditor. In addition, this auditor will conduct audits throughout the year to further ensure claim accuracy and program integrity. If a property knowingly submits a false application to TripAdvisor GreenLeaders that they are unable to substantiate with evidence, TripAdvisor reserves the right to post a prominent badge to the property’s listing, explaining that the property has submitted an application to TripAdvisor GreenLeaders that it is unable to substantiate. Any and all modifications to a property’s application, use of the penalty box, or inclusion in the TripAdvisor GreenLeader program are within the sole discretion of TripAdvisor.”
When asked how many properties have had to undergo audits because their statements were brought into question, Dillon said, “While we don’t break out the number of audits, we do conduct audits weekly to ensure properties are meeting the program’s guidelines.”
While GreenLeaders is currently represented in 66 markets, Dillon says there is no expansion news to share at this time.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
