Green hotels and resorts reach out to eco-conscious travellers

0 Comments | AFP, April, 2008

HUA HIN, Thailand (AFP) — As climate change guilt among tourists grows, hotels and resorts are finding they need to do more to please the green consumer than simply ask them to re-use their towels.

Under-sea air cooling systems, intelligent lighting, organically-fertilised herb gardens and spas constructed entirely from mud are all being employed to woo tourists concerned about their carbon footprint.

Businesses are also realising that environmentally-friendly policies are not only good for their conscience, but their wallets and reputations too.

"Now the environment is very important for people," says Nantiya Tulyanond, owner of the Old Bangkok Inn, a small hotel in the Thai capital with an impressive range of energy-saving technologies.

"I think it...