Green Lodgings and Restaurants
Maine has a Green Lodging Certificate Program to encourage hotels, B&Bs and motels to adopt more sustainable environmental practices. See a list of Maine’s green lodgings and how to become certified.
The State of Maine certifies restaurants that are working to “green” their operations as “Environmental Leaders.” Find restaurants listed by town and invite your favorite eating establishments to join this innovative program.
Tour Operators Initiative for Sustainable Tourism Development is a nonprofit effort to encourage best practices among tourism providers. The “Good Practices” and “Supply Chain” sections of their site include numerous documents in PDF format that offer specific guidance on improving practices.
The Green Hotels Association brings together lodging owners interested in reducing their environmental impacts through minimizing water and energy use and waste generation. In addition to a member listing, the site offers valuable information resources for all those in the hospitality industry – including a catalog of environmental products, “greening” tips and ideas, and a free questionnaire to help meeting planners “green” their gatherings. Association members receive a newsletter and guidebook and have access to an on-line chat forum.
CERES Green Hotel Initiative seeks to leverage the collective buying power of hotels in support of environmentally responsible services. The site includes a best practices survey, guest request cards, a list-serv and other educational information for hotel purchasers and meeting planners.
Best Green Hotels provides a directory of green accommodations, with a rating system and customer reviews that outline what practices they have adopted. For regional listings, type “Maine” in the basic search form.
Green Hotelier is a magazine for those interested in marking the hospitality industry more environmentally and socially responsible.
Blue Green Meetings provides a wealth of links for hotel operators and meeting planners interested in reducing the environmental impacts of their gatherings.
The Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia publishes a “Sustainable Tourism Self-Audit Workbook” for tourism businesses.
The American Hotel and Lodging Association has case studies and news stories from around the country that highligh green “best practices” in the hospitality field.
