Industry puts spin on ecotourism

With the help of their guests, hotel industry giants hope to reduce the number of linens they wash each day

BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- The United Nations has designated 2002 as the International Year of Ecotourism, and the trend is proving to be among the big issues at this week's Travel and Tourism World Trade Fair.

Most people travel either for business or simply to have a good time. But travelling with a conscience is what the industry is trying to push here in Berlin.

"The world's least developed and developing countries don't have anything but tourism to play in the global marketplace. And they've all got it. It's their comparative advantage," says Geoffrey Lipman of Britain-based Green Globe 21.

"So as an industry, I believe as a society, we actually have to be very positive about making their ecotourism, as it's branded, totally sustainable, totally protected."

VIDEO Hotels are encouraging tourists to be environmentally conscious while on holiday, as CNN's Becky Anderson reports. Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

But it's not just about diving with dolphins. In hotels around the world, thousands of towels and sheets are washed every day. And it's at this level that the giants of the hotel industry claim they can make a difference.

At the Berlin Hilton, showers are outfitted with water-saving devices, and guests can decide whether to have their towels changed every day or every other day.

"That means we save energy for washing, that means also that we save about 20,000 towels per year," says the hotel's Stephan Bruetkner.

In the kitchen, there's little waste. According to chef Christian Haller, scraps are placed into recycling bins, which are taken three times a week to a company that turns the leftovers into compost and food for pigs.

But the industry often faces an uphill battle.

"I would say that consumers are not pushing enough," says Jean-Claude Baumgarten, president of the World Travel & Tourism Council.

"If a product is more expensive than another one and more sustainable in ecology, consumers will not buy it. We're in a very sharp competitive market."

The industry must now prove that ecotourism is a real sea change, and not just this year's fad.