Green Tourism Success for London – Over 30 Hotels Now Joined

Over thirty high profile London hotels and attractions have now signed up to earn awards for their environmental credentials under the London Development Agency’s Green Tourism for London scheme.

The Ritz, the O2 Centre, London Zoo, the Royal Lancaster Hotel and the Cavendish are amongst those that have already begun to implement their own tailor made ‘green action plans’.

The Green Business Tourism scheme, launched in Oct 2007, aims to help improve the environmental performance of the tourism industry and enable tourists to choose the greenest places to visit during their stay.

Businesses signing up to Green Tourism for London receive one-to-one advice about how they can reduce their energy and water bills, responsibly deal with their waste, and procure environmentally friendly products. Once the businesses are ready, an advisor returns to assess their progress and present them with a bronze, silver or gold award.

Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said: “It is welcome news that some of the main players in London’s tourism industry have signed up to this scheme to go green. This is a win win opportunity, helping people identify organisations that are playing their part to save the planet, and helping businesses save money from reduced energy bills.”The London Climate Change Action Plan, launched last year, shows that London can achieve a 60 per cent reduction in carbon emissions to avert catastrophic climate change. The only way we can achieve this ambitious target is by every individual and businesses taking action to become less wasteful. I hope other tourism businesses will follow the lead set today and help us make London a leading green destination.”

Chief Executive of the LDA, Manny Lewis said: “All of London’s businesses have a responsibility to help prevent runaway climate change. In signing up to the Green Tourism for London scheme these hotels and attractions are not just doing their bit for the environment but are making huge savings in their energy and water costs. I would encourage all hotels across the capital to get assessed, earn their awards and help ensure London continues to lead the way in tackling global warming.”

Visit London Chief Executive James Bidwell said: “Climate change is perhaps the most critical issue facing the planet today and all industries have a part to play, in particular the tourism industry. Visit London, together with the LDA, is committed to minimising the capital’s carbon footprint and the Green Tourism scheme provides critical assistance to London businesses. So far some of London’s best known hotels and attractions have signed up to the scheme and I would urge others to follow.”

Property Manager for the Cavendish Hotel, Peter Caddy said: “Joining the Green Tourism for London scheme makes good business sense. It’s not about paying ‘lip service’ to climate change concerns but about putting environmental sustainability at the heart of what we do. In implementing our green action plan, we have managed to cut costs, and remain ahead of the game in a competitive market.”

The scheme was launched following research by the London Development Agency that found that 31% of individuals consider green issues when planning their holidays. That’s already almost one in three people and that percentage is expected to rise significantly in the next few years as more adopt the green agenda.

Corporations that extensively use hotel accommodation are also expected to push green issues towards the top of their list when considering where to book a stay for their employees and managers.

The LDA is hoping to persuade 150 hotels to join up to the scheme over the next two years, and as an incentive is offering to pay the £60 joining fee as well as offering a 50% reduction in annual fees to the first 150 establishments to sign-up to the GTL. Annual fees range from £50 for a bed & breakfast sized establishment and up to £250 for a large business or attraction. But, only hotels that are graded members of the VisitBritain or AA rating schemes are eligible to sign up for the GTL initiative.

In addition, there will be financial benefits for hotels participating in the scheme; each hotel taking part that reaches at least bronze standard should expect to save somewhere in the region of 20% of its current energy costs.

Indeed, it is the triple benefit of cost cutting, helping the environment and the receipt of an official grading that will appeal to tourists interested in green issues that London Mayor Ken Livingstone hopes will encourage hotels in London to sign up to the scheme. He said: “Consumers are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious and Green Tourism for London will enable visitors to choose the greenest possible options during their stay in the capital.”

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