San Diego, CA, Monday, May 25, 2009
The American hospitality industry is leading the way in helping America go Green. “Hotels, convention centers, and convention and visitors bureaus are leading the way in the United States when it comes to environmental compliance and sustainability efforts,” according to Thomas Hinton, president of the American Consumer Council.
Mr. Hinton made his comments at IMEX, one of the largest hospitality industry trade shows in the world held annually in Frankfurt, Germany. The show attracts hundreds of hospitality companies and nearly 2,000 buyers who place meetings and events for companies and non-profit organizations around the world.
Hinton stated that, “The bad news is the United States lags behind Europe and several Asian countries including Singapore and Malaysia when it comes to championing sustainability and environmental compliance. But, we’re making progress”
Hinton added, “In the United States, hotels, convention centers and convention and visitor bureaus have witnessed the growth of meetings and events in Europe as a result of their commitment to going Green. Now, American hospitality companies want a share of this business. This is why they are moving quickly to go Green and implement Sustainability practices that attract consumers” Hinton also observed that nations like China, Brazil and Mexico — although far behind in their Green efforts — were beginning to recognize the value of environmental compliance and were now making a commitment to protect their natural resources and people through Green initiatives.