Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), which manages the emirate’s tourism industry, has begun piloting its green hotel guidelines across four properties which are in the early design stage.

When the trial is complete and assessed, by the middle of next year, the authority will absorb its green hotel standards into its world-class hotel classification system.

“This is the first government green hotel design guidelines for new hotels and is based on Abu Dhabi’s Estidama Pearl Rating Scheme, which is a green building rating system for all new buildings in the emirate,” explained Nasser Al Reyami, Tourism Standards director, ADTA.

“By the middle of 2011, Abu Dhabi’s hotels and hotel apartments will have a green rating included in their star rating.”

Al Reyami outlined the news as he delivered the keynote address at the inaugural Great GM Debate, hosted by Hotelier Middle East magazine in Dubai.

Al Reyami said the guidelines are being piloted across two, four-star and two, five-star hotels representing a mix of resorts and down-town urban properties.

Al Reyami said ADTA’s Green Hotels Programme will be the world’s largest with more than 120 properties involved.

ADTA has already developed an Environmental, Health & Safety Management System (EHSMS) for the emirate’s tourism industry – the only one in the world to cover an entire tourism sector.

Al Reyami said ADTA believes that greening the emirate’s hotels is good for the environment and makes keen business sense.

“The fact of the matter is that going green makes dollar sense. Our regional and international customers are becoming increasingly interested in staying in environmentally-friendly hotels. Online booking sites, such as tripadvisor and Expedia, now have sections specifically for the green traveller. Other booking services, such as gogreentraveltreen.com or responsibletourism.co.uk are becoming very popular. As we target international travellers, we need to meet their green expectations.”-TradeArabia News Service