Consumers are more likely to give hotels with sustainable initiatives better ratings, but they also need to better understand the tangible impact to their travel lives, according to a new survey conducted by MindClick SGM and Expedia.com. With operational sustainability awareness levels at 80 percent among 5,000 consumers surveyed, the study, called the Consumer Sustainability Engagement Report for Hospitality, indicates that the concept of green hotels is being factored into hotel purchase consideration.

Hotel air quality is a prevailing consumer concern; four in 10 consumers list indoor air quality as highly important in their selection criteria. Hotels that promote higher indoor air quality earn higher favorability ratings among almost two-thirds of consumers surveyed. At the same time, the study showed that there is a gap between how the industry communicates its sustainability efforts and the areas of sustainability that consumers see as important. On the one hand, emphasis on promoting the operational aspects of sustainability has resulted in high consumer awareness of energy efficiency, water conservation, and recycling. At the same time, only one-third of those surveyed recalled promotion of indoor air quality as part of a hotel’s offering.

More than 60 percent of travelers give better ratings to properties with green initiatives in place. Sustainability can be integrated into the design, construction, furnishing, and operations in ways that provide guests a better hotel experience while taking care of the community and our planet,” says MindClick SGM CEO JoAnna Abrams. “Hotels and brands who figure this out first will have a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace.”