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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.
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Whether it is choosing a hotel
that uses eco-friendly 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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