For further information: Michael Seltzer, BEST, (212) 339-0335
For Release Monday, May 1, 2000 Release #4554A
GRANTMAKING DECISION-MAKERS CHOOSE HOTELS AND AIRLINES
WITH STRONG ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PRACTICES
New Conference Board Survey Marks Rising Interest in 'Sustainable Travel and Tourism'
May 1 Ö The majority of foundation and corporate giving executives value hotels and airlines that implement socially and environmentally sustainable practices, according to a new study from The Conference Board.
When making decisions regarding accommodations and travel arrangements, 80% of the executives surveyed said they like to be informed of a hotel's social and environmental practices; 73% would like to have similar information regarding airlines.
"Such decisions on the part of foundation executives mark rising interest in 'sustainable travel and tourism,' " says Michael Seltzer, Director, Business Enterprises for Sustainable Travel (BEST), The Conference Board. "It translates to practices that ensure the future well being of the destinations' most valuable assets: people, cultures, and natural environments, while enriching the travelers' experiences."
"The survey confirms what we are seeing in Washington, D.C," said Julie Rogers, President of the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation. "After tourists visit the national monuments, they are eager to tour heritage-rich neighborhoods. This has tremendous potential for bringing tourist dollars to neighborhoods that deserve attention and investment."
The survey also found that a hotel's environmental, cultural, and community economic development programs factor into 80% of executives' choices of hotel accommodations. Within this group of executives, 40% reported that a hotel's preservation of an historic property, its employment practices, and its support of local nonprofit organizations are very important deciding factors in hotel choice.
Environmental practices of airlines were more important to survey participants than employment practices and support of nonprofits. Eighty-five percent of executives said they considered airlines' environmental practices, compared with 79% who looked at employment practices of airlines and 77% who looked at airlines' support of nonprofit organizations.
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL PRACTICES ALSO BEING CONSIDERED
Foundation executives also look at whether hotels and airlines adopt sustainable travel practices that would enable them to be responsible consumers. Among such practices, 71% of executives reported that they like to have the option to reuse sheets and towels during their hotel stay; while 74% would like to be able to donate leftover non-perishable food from their flights to a soup kitchen.
Nearly 80% of survey respondents said they would be willing to add extra time to trips in order to gain a better appreciation of the unique flavors of a host community; 32% would be willing to spend an extra day. Two-thirds would like to see information about host communities made available in conference registration materials.
Other factors cited as enhancing the travel pleasure of consumers, while contributing to an area's economy and culture, were the location of a hotel in a historic district (82%); guided heritage tours; and convenient ways to purchase advance tickets to performances.
"The travel preferences of foundation and corporate giving executives demonstrate a willingness to be socially and environmentally responsible consumers in the travel and tourism industry," concludes Seltzer. "Reciprocally, they prefer hotels and airlines with solid social and environmental practices."
ABOUT BEST AND THE CONFERENCE BOARD
This survey was conducted by Business Enterprises for Sustainable Travel (BEST), a new initiative of The Conference Board, the world's leading business membership and research network, in association with the World Travel and Tourism Council, the industry's global business leaders' forum. Support is provided by several foundations, including the Ford Foundation, which helped to launch BEST in 1998.
BEST's mission is to create and disseminate knowledge for the travel and tourism industry and the traveling public on business practices that enrich destination communities, enhance travelers' experiences, and promote economic prosperity.
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