03 November 2009

Third of consumers would opt for Ã¢â¬Ëœeco-friendlyÃ¢â¬â¢ hotels

Guests are becoming more concerned with hotels’ eco-credentials, according to a pan-European survey.

Almost a third (29%) of respondents would choose a known ‘eco-friendly’ hotel if it was offered by a popular online booking system.

The poll of 5,000 people found that more than half (54%) say sustainable energy sources, such as wind, solar or hydro-electric power, should be used.

Almost half (48%) say hotels should use more efficient electrical appliances, like flat screen energy efficient TVs.

Nearly two thirds (65%) say all hotels should install low flow toilets designed to save water.

The demand for green credentials is echoed by guests’ own behaviour in hotels, according to the study by Samsung Electronics:

*More than three quarters(76%) are as conscious or more conscious of the impact they have on the environment when staying in hotels compared with their behaviour at home

*88% switch off the lights when they leave their hotel room

*63% reuse towels more than once

*59% still switch electrical equipment off at the base

Samsung Electronics Europe B2B sales and marketing director Pammi Mudhar said: "Environmental awareness is on the rise and playing an increasingly significant role in the hotel booking process.

"Hoteliers can appeal to the ‘green’ consumer by responding to their expectations; putting in water-saving toilets, using sustainable energy or installing eco-friendly appliances like energy efficient flat screen TVs."

He added: "We believe that state-of-the-art technology and eco-design go hand in hand.

"Not only can eco-friendly products save energy and improve a hotel’s green credentials, they can also generate significant cost savings over the product lifecycle thanks to the reduction in energy consumed."

by Phil Davies

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Your Comments (3)

Yeap

it is a very nice article which i suppose give us good informations. I still would like to see what questions were asked and to whom. I'm in the hotel industry and cannot says that guests behave better in hotels than at home. To many still don't switch TV or showers off. They are very good at recycling, I admit, but the that we make it very easy for them to so help. There is still a long way to go. The survey has been conducted on behalf of Samsung electronics , so i wonder if this is not another clever piece of greenwash. A couple of facts ( certainly true) and then they let slip "eco-friendly appliances like energy efficient flat screen TVs.' And by the way, we sell that. I think they could have asked " do people really want a TV in their hotel room?"

By arnaud ruetsch, Sunday, November 8, 2009
dodgy figures !!!

According to this survery only 29% want green hotels whatever that means & bet 99.99% of them would only want it, if it worked out cheaper, which it should, but probably doesn't. All this green nonscience talk is all about making money, not about the environment. BEWARE THE NEXT ICE AGE IS COMING !!!!

By Craig Mathews, Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Samsung survey self-serving

Market research is always needed and welcomed but to be really useful it needs to be more than just a self-serving recommendation to update TVs. Spin tells us nothing.

By John Bates, Wednesday, November 4, 2009