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April 8, 2008 - Hotels seeking to attract - or keep - business customers might consider an environmental audit sooner rather than later. At a recent conference sponsored by the National Business Travel Association Canada, executives from Fairmont Hotels and American Express said many hotels and other travel vendors are ill-equipped to answer clients' specific questions about environmental performance, e-Travel Blackboard reports.

In the absence of hard numbers, hotels typically resort to vague marketing language, according to Helen Brough, director of advisory services for American Express. "They say, 'We are very committed to this. We are putting procedures in place, Brough said, but, there's no hardcore detail.

Yet the demand for such detail is there. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, for example, has received requests for proposal from prospective business clients that call for specifics on its carbon management strategies, according to Michelle White, director of environmental affairs for the hotel chain. Fairmont is currently partnering with World Wildlife Fund to establish its carbon footprint and develop an action plan to minimize greenhouse gas emissions.

While green programs can cost more up-front - a particular burden to smaller establishments - industry data suggests that strong environmental performance can attract more business travelers, many of whom end up being repeat customers. A recent survey commissioned by American Express found that 20% of its business-travel clients say their environmental programs have helped them net more customers.