October 2nd, 2009

From Green Right Now Reports

In response to its members’ interest in green hotels, AAA said it will now designate AAA approved lodgings that have been eco-certified through leading government or private programs.

A bright green “ECO” symbol will identify eco-friendly lodgings in the new 2010 editions of the AAA TourBook guides and on AAA.com. Additionally, travelers will be able to customize their hotel searches on the AAA web site to show green properties first in search results.

“The new ECO symbol serves as a notice to AAA members that a property has taken steps to become an environmental advocate,” Michael Petrone, director of AAA Tourism Information Development, said in a statement. “We are pleased to publish this information as a service to members who make sustainability a factor in their lodging selection.”

AAA said it will not be involved in the evaluation of any property’s environmental practices, but will provide the information from recognized organizations as a service to members. Additional information and a list of recognized certification programs are accessible at AAA.com/eco.

North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA has more than 51 million members.