Singapore - PAPAYAPATHS™ is conducting two complementary surveys: one for global travelers and the other for Asia Pacific accommodations where the study begins. It aims at bridging an existing information gap about what sustainability within the hospitality industry really means.
Co-founders, Muriel Boutin-Becuwe and Gyneth Tan, both observed that reliable information about sustainable accommodations was limited and difficult to find.
“We did extensive research and we realized that publicly available information regarding “green hotels” was often fragmented, incomplete, or non-existent.” said Muriel.
A Tripadvisor survey shows that 79% of travelers worldwide say that eco-friendly practices in accommodations are important but they are skeptical about which green practices and policies are actually in place. “The same study also indicates that 91% of worldwide accommodations agree that being eco-friendly is important. It’s always easy to say, but who actually walks the talk?” Gyneth shared.
Moreover, Muriel & Gyneth interviewed 60 frequent travelers around 7 sustainability categories such as, water and energy conservation, waste management, food and beverage, and all of them stated that they would orientate their booking selections towards sustainable accommodations if they were informed about it.
Everyone agrees that traveling is great and essential. However, the hospitality industry carries one of the highest carbon footprint. “If everyone participates to at least one small act in favor of the planet by traveling and hosting travelers more responsibly, the positive impact on people, their environment and the economic bottom-line would be tremendous.” said Muriel and Gyneth,
According to UNWTO, APAC leads the global tourism industry with 40% of global travelers, and over 6% YOY growth. Also, the APAC travel and tourism spend reached about US$553.7 billion in 2012, of which, an estimated 4% (US$ 21.4 Bn), was re-injected into green initiatives.
4% is encouraging but it is not enough. Muriel and Gyneth strongly believe that this figure will grow exponentially in the near future.
Are you a traveler or an accommodation that cares about the environment? Then please dedicate 10 minutes for the planet at:
Results will be shared with all respondents.
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