Lee Foster (fostertravel.com)

Travel Goes Green in 2008

Increasingly, a travel consumer will need to react to the concept of “green” when traveling in 2008.

Many travel entities will stress that they are “going green,” so a consumer will need to react in some way to that comment.  Is the comment true?  What does it mean?

As a travel journalist I am getting numerous press releases on green.

Many entities will claim they have an inherent “green” subject in their travel.   Cruising to watch humpback whales in Alaska, wolf watching in Yellowstone, and polar bear viewing in Manitoba will claim a territory as green subjects.  I enjoy reporting on these kinds of activities, as anyone looking over my website at www.fostertravel.com knows.

But “green” will mostly be associated with the process of travel and with saving energy and resources.

Here are five examples of recent “green” press releases.

-24 Orlando Hotels Have Received “Green” Certification.  This communication itemizes all the actions these hotels are taking, such as water conservation, linen reuse, programmable thermostats, and recycling.  A consumer will be asking,“How green is this hotel?"

-A PR Company announces that all its staff will travel with a full “carbon offset” in 2008.   They are estimating the tons of carbon emissions generated in staff travel and pursuing a partnership with an entity such as carbonfund.org to invest in renewable energy sources, planting trees, etc.  A consumer will need to learn more about what “carbon offset” means and determine whether he or she wants to support it, either directly with a donation or in the price paid for the travel choice.

-West Hollywood Going Green.  When I saw this press release, I was skeptical.  What are they doing?  However, one of their good ideas is that all their travel press materials will now be distributed on flash drives, those little drives you can plug into your usb port.  Flash drives are getting quite cheap. 

West Hollywood will not need to print and mail heavy materials.  When going green also means saving money, you can be assured that all travel entities will do the right thing.

-A Mekong Delta Tourism Guide touts how it will feature only “responsible” tourism.  Green will have a major cultural and sustainable element.  The claim here is that the activities listed minimize negative tourism impacts, create income for local people, and conserve natural and cultural heritage.

-Xanterra Set To Install Large Solar Energy System at Death Valley.  One of my favorite press release generators is a woman named Mona Mesereau, who sends info on what’s happening in Xanterra, a company that manages several large national parks in the west, such as Yellowstone and Death Valley.  Xanterrra will be installing what it claims is “the largest solar system in the U.S. tourism industry” in Death Valley.  Xanterra is a progressive company involved in many aspects of green, which I have seen closeup in their operation in Yellowstone.

As a travel journalist, a lot of press releases claiming “green” now come my way.  As a consumer, you too will be hearing many “green” claims.  Your judgment, and mine, will be required to sort through these claims, assess their validity, and determine how this will impact our travel choices.

Seasonal Travel Pleasures in Washington DC

I am in Washington DC for awhile carrying on my travel journalism in a wintry environment.

I am reminded of how some of our favorite travel destinations are celebrated for their relatively changeless year-round pattern (Hawaii is the classic example) and how others (such as Washington DC) offer a major seasonal variation in travel experience.

Each season in Washington DC has its special pleasures.  I come here often and year around, and am working now on a book for travelers on how to photograph Washington DC year around.  The book will be released by Countryman Press in late 2009.  (I am doing a similar book on San Francisco, near my primary residence in Berkeley CA).

As I walk the Mall in this chilly time, I think of Washington and his troops surviving a winter at Valley Forge, to the north in Pennsylvania.  The trees around the White House are spare of leaves and the National Christmas Tree in front of the White House could indeed be in Minnesota if there were snow on the ground, as sometimes does occur. 

My next visit will probably be in the spring Cherry Blossom time, a totally different physical feel to this great imperial city.  You can peruse my past coverage of the Cherry Blossom Festival at your leisure.

In summer, the weather is warm, the trees are lush with foliage, and the perennial Washington seems to appear, rugged and full with seasonal growth.  This is a time to consider my past writeups/photos on Perennial Washington DC.

However, this past year, for the first time, I happened to be in Washington DC for the glorious fall color period, in October.  Even on the Mall, you can find maple trees ablaze with the Washington Monument in the background.

Certainly, there are some destinations, such as Hawaii, that we savor because year round the temperatures may vary by 5 or so degrees.  It takes some local expertise in Hawaii to know what the season is.

But in Washington DC there is a theater of the four seasons,  and every day the performance changes a little, which can have some improvisational pleasure for a traveler.