Charlottesville, VA kicks green tourism into high gear

Local tourism is getting a big, green push in Charlottesville, Virginia, with the launch of new tourism campaign “Green Goes First!”, challenging the local hospitality and tourism industry to join the state’s initiative to become certified Virginia Green businesses.

The statewide partnership between the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC), the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association (VHTA) offers “green” certification to tourism businesses that commit to waste-reducing activities such as recycling, optional linen service, water and energy conservation, green cleaning, purchasing eco-friendly products and other steps that help reduce harmful environmental impacts.

“We support Governor Kaine and our state tourism office’s efforts to keep Virginia Green,” said CACVB Executive Director, Kurt Burkhart.

“Tourism partners will be surprised by how easy the process to become certified really is,” said Bill Hamilton, owner of Hamilton’s at First and Main, “[Partners] took our suggestions to heart, filled out the Virginia Green application and received notice of Virginia Green certified in less than ten days! We hope other partners will follow suit.”

Launched as a pilot in 2006, The Virginia Green program currently has over 500 Virginia Green certified tourism partners statewide. Virginia Green participants ‘self-certify’ that they are meeting the program’s requirements and it encourages active consumer feedback to ensure that Virginia Green facilities live up to their commitments and become even ‘greener’ over time.

Virginia is only one of ten states that have a green lodging certification program, and the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention & Visitors Bureau is one of eight destination marketing organizations in Virginia that is designated, Virginia Green.

“We encourage our many local establishments to participate in the Virginia Green initiative, become important partners in our effort to be a green city, and be recognized for their leadership,” said Kristel Riddervold, Environmental Administrator for the City of Charlottesville.

A history of bringing green to the community

In July 2006, then-mayor and now City of Charlottesville Councilor, David Brown, joined with hundreds of other mayors throughout the United States to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.

On Tuesday, June 16th, Governor Kaine and locally elected officials announced Charlottesville and Albemarle County’s participation in SmartGrid, a program initiated by Dominion Power to promote energy conservation and environmental responsibility by providing digital meters to users. Charlottesville is only second to Boulder, Colorado to launch such an initiative.

The U.S. Green Building Council, in 2008, presented Charlottesville with the first LEED Gold municipal designation in Virginia for the Downtown Transit Station, which is located at 610 E. Main Street, Charlottesville, Virginia. The Visitors Bureau has both its administrative offices and visitor center in this building. The CACVB will soon begin work to overhaul its current website, and businesses that are identified as Virginia Green will get special positioning on the bureau’s home page.

Green Goes First!

Tourism is one of Virginia’s most powerful industries, generating $19 billion in revenue, supporting 210,000 jobs and providing $1.2 billion in state and local taxes for Virginia communities. In 2007, tourism businesses in the Greater Charlottesville region supported nearly 5,000 jobs and produced $435 million of direct economic impact.

The new campaign, of which a website will “go live” in Fall 2009,  will provide the CACVB with a great opportunity to showcase online, what is expected to be, a growing list of business establishments that have signed on to Virginia Green.

“It’s all about getting the word out by articulating the features and benefits,” Burkhart said.

“We expect to see more public attention and business going to those destinations that meet these environmentally sensitive requirements,” added Burkhart. “Destinations like the Greater Charlottesville region are well positioned to take full advantage of going Green. Our office will do whatever we can to assist local businesses that want to get hard-wired for this next wave of economic prosperity.”

“As the consuming public becomes more discerning as to where they will ultimately make the spend on such things as lodging, restaurants, attractions and more, going Green fits perfectly with our community’s landscape.”

For more informatrion, visit http://www.virginiagreentravel.org.