Pressure from the business travel industry has forced hotels to improve their environmental credentials, according to a leading figure in green tourism.
Andrea Nicholas, MD at Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS), said hotels are coming under increasing pressure to go green so they can meet the responsible booking policies of corporates.
She said: “Corporate travel policies typically now insist on a ‘sustainable’ dimension and hotels that cannot demonstrate strong environmental credentials are finding themselves unbookable.”
The number of hotels that have signed up to the scheme has risen by 50% in the last two years, taking the total to nearly 700.
Nicholas said: “The growth in membership of corporate-focused properties is in particular a reflection of the pressure being leveraged by the business travel community.
The growth has been most concentrated around London, the South East and the South West, with branded chains making up around two thirds of the new members.
www.green-business.co.uk