‘Green’ program adoptedNASHVILLE — The Tennessee Hospitality Association is making the “Tennessee Green Hos-pitality” certification program

Posted: Monday, June 21, 2010 9:40 pm

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Hospitality Association is making the “Tennessee Green Hospitality” certification program available statewide.
“Tennessee Green Hospitality” encourages hotels, bed-and-breakfasts and other lodging facilities and restaurants to become aware of their impact on the environment and to take steps to reduce their carbon footprint while increasing the overall sustainability of their operations.
The program was adopted from the “Chattanooga Green Lodging” program, which has already been recognized as a national model for sustainable tourism planning and was just announced as a winner of the Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards.
“We already knew that this program was perfect for us to adopt statewide,” said Bill Mish, president of the Tennessee Hospitality Association. “The announcement of this prestigious award confirms that decision. This voluntary program has been very successful in Chattanooga and we look forward to advancing the environmental achievements of the statewide hospitality industry in the same manner.”
The program was developed by Tom Cupo, general manager of The Chattanoogan, a Benchmark Hospitality International-managed hotel. After being implemented by the Greater Chattanooga Hospitality Association in 2009, it gained rapid success.
“The intent was for the Chattanooga community to become a greener destination for tourists and organizations that were considering bringing their business here, creating more opportunities for all of us,” Cupo said. “We wanted a program that was non-competitive among participating hotels, but also would recognize individual accomplishments beyond the minimum requirements. We decided not to have a ‘tiered’ program, but to offer an opportunity for properties to provide a list of activities beyond the core requirements.”
For certification, hotels must have active programs in place for recycling and reductions in energy, water and materials usage; have an optional linen program; provide “green events” programs; and have a plan for continued improvement. The certification for restaurants is similar except for linen service requirement.
Representatives of hotels, bed-and-breakfasts and other lodging facilities and restaurants who are interested in “Tennessee Green Hospitality” are being encouraged to attend the Tennessee Hospitality Association’s annual conference July 14-15 at Embassy Suites Murfreesboro. To register, visit the website www.tnhospitality.net.
For more information about “Tennessee Green Hospitality,” visit www.tennesseegreenhospitality.com.
Published in The Messenger 6.21.10