Throughout the Americas, government officials, investors and travelers are eyeing a new arrival on the ecotourism scene—“green” hotel certification systems aimed at evaluating hoteliers’ eco-friendliness. Until recently, most green-hotel efforts were driven solely by eco-minded owners interested in energy savings, waste recycling, land conservation and other environmental improvements. On Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, for instance, the Lapa Ríos resort opted not to clear the land for its cabins, building on a former cattle pasture instead. And in Mexico, the Yucatán Peninsula’s Eco Paraíso resort has implemented some of the most ambitious energy saving steps in the region. Such efforts have not always boosted the bottom line. “I have been marketing as a green hotel for four years and I still don’t... [Log in to read more]