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Going on A Green Vacation
For SME hoteliers, eco-tourism
offers a way to cut costs, preserve
nature and offer a great vacation
experience
IT’S hackneyed, timeworn and
very clichéd, but it’s true
nonetheless: Green is in and
green is the way to go. “If
you’re not with us, you’re against
us,” the prevailing attitude
seems to say, and from individuals
to global organisations, few
can risk being seen as polluting
the environment. Most organisations
are bending over backwards to
showcase their eco-friendly
and socially responsible credentials,
which have now become indispensible
for business. This is as true
in the hospitality world as
everywhere else.
One of the rising trends in
hospitality is eco-tourism.
At its most fundamental, the
concept of eco-tourism means
being in harmony with nature
and the local environment. Whether
it is choosing a hotel that
uses eco-friendly |
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practices, going on nature treks and
camps or experiencing the cultural heritage
of a place, tourists are opting against
the standard holiday plans and for locations
where they can commune with nature.
Many foreign tourists are interested
in visiting places that have minimum
adverse impact on the environment.
In line with this prevailing attitude,
tourists are increasingly choosing hotels
based on their eco-friendly designs
and practices. Many hotels have realised
the value of this ‘green’ trend and
have begun to cater to this need. New
hotels are built from locally sourced
wood or stone and many employ solar
energy, LED lighting and water harvesting
techniques. The hotels are designed
to maximise the use of natural light
during the day in order to curb energy
costs. Some hospitality companies manage
to have almost no direct impact on the
environment. At some camps on the Ganges
riverbed, there are no permanent structures.
They use dry pits or chemical toilets
and transport all the garbage away for
disposal. Nothing is dumped in the area.
The Greenhouse Resort at Pushkar in
Rajasthan is also a tented property,
but a very different one. This 20-tent
boutique hotel is one of the most luxurious
hotels in Pushkar, but is eco-friendly
nonetheless. “We use natural materials,
alternative power and energy and water
conservation techniques. Solar energy
is used for heating water,” says Saurabh
Sharda, Director, The Greenhouse Resort.
Existing hotels might not be able to
incorporate such dramatic changes, but
can start reducing their impact on the
environment through small incremental
changes. Those wishing to adopt green
habits can easily begin reusing and
recycling dry waste and composting wet
waste. Replacing existing lighting and
appliances with energy-efficient substitutes
and using eco-friendly cleansing agents
are other alterations that most hotels
can make with little planning or effort.
Many tourists are also showing an interest
in activities or holidays that take
them closer to nature. SMEs are beginning
to cater to this class of travellers.
Hotels collaborate with companies that
provide wildlife treks and expeditions,
while other companies such as Questrails
provide these specialised vacation options.
Social responsibility is another aspect
of eco-tourism. In the recent past,
many popular tourist areas have lost
much of their local culture thanks to
the influx of tourists. These tourist
destinations have become practically
interchangeable with other tourist hotspots
across the globe, and this has led to
tourists exploring other locations for
an authentic vacation experience. In
other areas, the lucrative tourist business
has attracted players from across the
country and local employment has suffered
a decline. Socially responsible tourism
aims to remedy this situation by helping
to preserve local traditions and encouraging
local businesses. Guided tours offering
a glimpse into the local way of life
are also becoming increasingly popular,
especially among foreign tourists in
India.
Eco-tourism is still in its infancy
in India. At present, there is more
demand for green hospitality from foreign
tourists than from domestic tourists.
Foreign tourists often ask for details
about the green practices that the hotel
follows, but this is slowly picking
up among domestic tourists as well.
In the domestic segment, school and
college-goers are a growing market for
eco-tourism. Several corporates too
are choosing wilderness retreats for
their seminars and team-building activities.
As demand for eco-friendly practices
is not very widespread, most eco-friendly
ventures nowadays are motivated by the
principles of the owners or management
rather than by market forces. With costs
being the primary factor for SMEs, many
may question whether the changes required
to ‘green’ up their practices are worth
the effort and investment. However,
hoteliers who have gone the ‘green’
way are unanimous about the advantages.
Though the initial installation costs,
especially for solar energy, are on
the higher side, this technology cuts
down the hotel expenses in the long
run, where the projects become self
financed after a while. Prices for the
guests too are not affected. Prices
don’t really go up unless hotels are
providing organic food, which is not
very common in India. Adopting energy
and water-saving practices is definitely
cheaper in the long run.
The long run seems to be the common
timeframe for the success of eco-friendly
ventures. There is no doubt that environmental
consciousness is picking up across the
globe, and this is reflected in the
ever-increasing number of ‘green’ products.
Hoteliers should probably take into
account the fact that preserving the
natural and cultural heritage of their
locality is essential if they wish to
ensure tourist demand in the years to
come. A few years down the line, ecological
purity and cultural distinctiveness
will be in short supply. At that time,
eco-tourism could turn out to be the
trump card for hoteliers, serving to
distinguish their hotels and localities
from the generic offerings of other
tourist spots.
Source: Economic Times, July
14, 2009. Written by Susanna Athaide
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