Going green can mean €35,000 savings for hotels

Three out of the top 10 ‘green hotels’ in Ireland are in Cork. However, concern has been expressed about the poor uptake of the scheme in Kerry, where no hotels made it into even the top 20.

On average, hotels save €35,000 in the first year of joining the programme.

James Hogan, director of Green Hospitality, which encourages green practices in the hospitality industry, said this was disappointing given the important role that tourism plays in the county.

Addressing students from the Tourism and Catering Department at the Institute of Technology, Tralee, he said: “For us in the Green Hospitality Programme, it was both surprising and disappointing that Kerry hotels didn’t feature in our league table. We don’t know why there has been such a poor uptake of the programme in Kerry, which is the key tourism destination and regarded as one of the greenest counties in Ireland.”

Mr Hogan said Kerry hotels could be significantly greener and could save thousands of euro in the process.

However, Michael Rosney, spokesman for the Kerry branch of the Irish Hotels’ Federation, yesterday said he had no doubt many hotels in the county had green policies and procedures, even if they were not in the Green Hospitality Programme.

“Hotels in Kerry and right across the country are becoming greener with each passing season, but they operate under the radar in many cases without getting involved in competitions, or specific programmes,” he said.

Mr Rosney said Kerry hoteliers did not want to take on another layer of paperwork, or bureaucracy, by getting so involved.

Dublin hotels are big supporters of the programme, with 23% of hotels in the capital signed up.

In Cork, the uptake is 16%, whereas in Kerry it is just 5%.

Green Hospitality is one of the flagship programmes of the National Waste Prevention Programme under which the trade can reduce energy consumption, use water more efficiently and minimise waste.

Top 10 green hotels:

1 Westport Woods Hotel, Westport, Co Mayo

2 River Lee Hotel, Cork

3 Garryvoe Hotel, CoCork

4 Bewley’s Hotel, Dublin Airport

5 Radisson Blu Hotel, Galway city

6 Castle Court Hotel, Westport, Co Mayo

7 Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise, Co Laois

8 Carlton Hotel, Dublin Airport

9 Buswell’s Hotel, Dublin City

10 Maritime Hotel, Bantry, Co Cork