HSMAI Foundation Partners with PhoCusWright and Sustainable Travel to Release Results of New Study on Business Impact of Green Travel
MCLEAN, VA | Travel industry professionals understand that green initiatives are good for the environment, but may find themselves wondering, especially in the current economic climate, is green good for business? The recently released study Going Green: The Business Impact of Environmental Awareness on Travel, from PhoCusWright, with industry partners The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Foundation and Sustainable Travel International, evaluates U.S. consumer values and attitudes surrounding green travel to help companies understand how best to design their initiatives and communications to match consumer expectations.
"This report was designed to give companies insight into what consumers expect of them and highlight opportunities to build value and relevance in the travel marketplace," says Carroll Rheem, director, research at PhoCusWright. "What we found is that green is truly not just a social movement; the environment has become an additional stakeholder that no company can afford to ignore," adds Ms. Rheem.
PhoCusWright's survey of U.S. travelers finds that 56% are skeptical of what companies are telling them about green practices and only 8% think it is easy to find green travel options.
"The travel industry is making a concerted effort to make green options available to consumers. Clear and transparent communication of these efforts will yield great rewards for our industry," says Fran Brasseux, executive vice president of HSMAI Foundation.
According to PhoCusWright's Going Green: The Business Impact of Environmental Awareness on Travel, 44 percent of U.S. travelers consider the environmental impact to be important to them when planning travel. The high propensity of green supporters to vote with their wallet leaves opportunities for premiums for green travel. Nearly one third of U.S. travelers would pay such premiums, but these savvy consumers are looking for practices that go above and beyond cursory measures.
"With consumers keeping a close watch on their spending, they need to know that a company has gone the extra mile to implement green initiatives like renewable energy, zero waste and carbon management practices," explains Sustainable Travel International president, Brian T. Mullis. "The fact that almost half of American travelers have these expectations and consider the environment when making travel decisions during these tough economic times is evidence that the green movement has become part of consumer and corporate culture."
Travel companies must convey a sense of quality and accuracy when communicating with green consumers. PhoCusWright’s Going Green: The Business Impact of Environmental Awareness on Travel allows travel companies to thoroughly evaluate the benefit of green strategies by surveying the U.S. traveling consumer population and determining its propensity to make environmentally conscious travel decisions. The report isolates the attitudes, preferences and purchase habits of each group and determines each one's willingness to pay for green travel options.
For more information and to purchase the report, visit .
About HSMAI Foundation | Established in 1983 to serve as the research and educational arm of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, HSMAI Foundation's mission is to expand and enhance the educational opportunities available to hospitality sales and marketing executives and to increase the amount of in-depth research conducted on behalf of the profession. Today, and in the years ahead, the HSMAI Foundation plans to accelerate its research and publishing activities to contribute even more to the continuing education of those engaged in this fast-paced, increasingly demanding profession. For more information on the HSMAI Foundation, contact the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International Foundation, 1760 Old Meadow Road, Suite 500, McLean, Va. 22102; (703) 506-3280; fax (703) 506-3266, or visit the website at .
About Sustainable Travel International | Sustainable Travel International is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to promote sustainable development and responsible travel by providing programs that enable consumers, businesses and travel-related organizations to contribute to the environmental, socio-cultural and economic values of the places they visit, and the planet at large. For more information, visit .
Rachel Rosenberg
+1 404-832-7711
HSMAI
