Hospitality Magazine column

Telling the story

“Being green” and then “being seen to be green” will increasingly be a key driver in the business of tourism and hospitality. While many still consider global warming to be a scientific conspiracy, the reality is that there are business opportunities here that New Zealand must grasp and utilise.

There is no doubt that the world traveller is at least conscious of the global warming debate and wants to salve their conscience while enjoying their trip of a lifetime down under.

Many conservation and sustainability measures make sense from a cost saving perspective. Energy and water are both expensive inputs to the businesses of hospitality. It makes entirely good sense to cut those costs to a minimum to improve bottom line results. Many businesses are already doing this.

The trick is to sell the sustainability and create a story unique to each individual business which both indicates to their customers that they are taking sustainability seriously, and also provides a human interest perspective or hook to excite them. Many businesses already have a favourite charity which they actively support, and encourage (and in some cases facilitate) their customers to support also.

The key is identifying the most appropriate story for the individual business. This will depend entirely on the location, the type of property and what the opportunities are. It could be as simple as having a donation box for saving kiwi. However, a story which can more actively involve your customers in the project is likely to have a greater and longer lasting impact.

Packaging a visitor’s stay – whether it be at a hotel, a restaurant or a bar – with the opportunity to contribute and indeed physically view a local sustainability product has the potential to be a very powerful marketing tool. For example, Wellington hoteliers might package a night’s accommodation to include free entry to the Karori Wildlife Centre, a country hotel might install their own windmill, or a restaurant might recycle their waste to a pig farm and feature the pork on their menu. There are 1001 stories that tourism and hospitality operators can tell. Identifying and delivering the most appropriate story to match the business could have a major impact on future profitability.

Bruce H Robertson
Chief Executive
Hospitality Association of NZ

7 August 2008