How Far Will Google Take New Hotel and Environment Claims?

Online Travel This Week

In a sign of the times regarding the climate crisis, Google this week will begin to enable travelers to dig into hotels’ sustainability practices when they search for stays.

When consumers search for hotels on Google, including in its Google Travel feature, they will be able to see whether organizations such as Green Key or EarthCheck have certified properties for laudable sustainability practices. After clicking on an About tab, travelers will be able to view a list of a property’s specific practices such as energy efficiency, water conservation efforts, and the use of materials that come from sustainable sources.

Google said it is working with hotel chains such as Hilton and Accor to collect such sustainability information, and to enable the public to peruse it. Hotel owners can add their information on sustainable practices to their Google My Business profiles, or can contact Google My Business support.

Google said it has created a dedicated team of researchers, designers and engineers to further develop tools to help travelers discern between properties practicing sustainability and those that aren’t. Google will use automated and manual means to check on the hotels’ certifications, and to determine whether the property is being truthful about its sustainability accomplishments.

As part of its broader efforts on climate change, Google is joining Travalyst, the coalition founded by Prince Harry, and whose founding members include Booking.com, Skyscanner, Trip.com Group, Tripadvisor and Visa. The coalition is trying to come up with standards for calculating and reporting carbon emissions in air travel, and a uniform framework for lodging sustainability practices.

One key issue for Google and other online travel companies will be how committed they are to promoting sustainability practices. All other things being equal, will a hotel listing move higher in search results based on its sustainability practices, or will profit motives or political concerns leave the listing unaffected?

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