Earth Day is April 22; Learn More about Best Practices

April 20, 2007

Earth Day is April 22; Learn More about Best Practices
April 20, 2007 –This Sunday, April 22, marks the 29th time that the world will celebrate Earth Day. The day serves as a reminder to the importance of not forgetting about the impact that our everyday actions have on the environment.

A recent survey by Orbitz revealed that travelers are more seriously weighing eco-friendliness and green practices when considering their vacation options. Sixty-five percent said it would somewhat impact their decision to stay at a hotel if they knew the hotel was using solar or wind energy to supplement the powering of the building. A similar number (63 percent) said they would pay a little more to rent a hybrid vehicle or stay at a "green" hotel, while more than half (52 percent) said they would be willing to donate a small portion of their vacation budget to help save the environment when booking a trip.

With a specific focus on best green practices and tourism, Sustainable Travel International is a good resource for travel-related companies. One of STI’s new resources is its list of Top 10 Implementation Strategies for Carbon Offsetting for Tour Operators.

Additionally, the official Web site for Earth Day, http://www.earthday.net/, offers tips for best practices at home, in the office and at school.