Google launches sustainable hotel option | SUSTAINABLE FASHION TALKS

I am among the travel lovers who consistently bothered google with letters to launch an eco-hotels option on their website and they have FINALLY done it! Google launches sustainable hotel option for responsible travellers around the world in an effort to satisfy eco-friendly travellers. If you thought conscious travel was another short-lived trend, I am sorry to break the news to you that travellers are becoming more conscious of how their travel might negatively impact the planet and people.

Traveling/Travelling the world is amazing and I personally believe that the world is there to be explored. However, I also believe that we need to reimagine what travel is if we don’t want to destroy the beautiful destinations we wish to travel to. We’ve got to be mindful travellers by making sure we respect people and planet.

A report carried out by UCL (London’s Public Research University) suggests that purposeful travel is the future. This is why major companies like Google.com, Booking.com and Tripavisor are making the effort towards making the conscious travellers life easier. Google is building a feature where a traveler will be able to differentiate eco-friendly hotels and resorts.

When looking for hotels on Google.com, there will be an ¨Eco-Certified¨ tag (refer to the two images below) which leads you to more info about the hotels sustainability practices.

Google is joining the global Travelyst coalition in making travel more sustainable. They are working with hotels around the world to gather information about their sustainability practices. Are you a hotel owner who believes your hotel is sustainable? You can apply for the certification as its open for both independent and chain hotels.

Hello there Greenwashing….

If you scrutinise these certifications like me, I’m sure you can now smell greenwashing. I believe there will be thousands of hotels lining up to be certified without actually being sustainable since the section is self-reported by the hotel and not independently verified by google. However, let’s focus on the fact that this step means travel lovers are speaking up, people are asking for better, and are ready to do better. We will have many whistle blowers who will call-out the hotels that aren’t living up to what they preach.

Since moving to sustainable lifestyle, I have rejected partnerships with hotels that are obviously not concerned about the environment. We can never be fully eco-friendly and that’s why I believe in passing on the message gently.

If you are looking for an eco-friendly hotel in Kenya, you might like Kobe Suite Resort Watamu which I recently partnered with and had first-hand experience.