About Travel Green Minnesota

What is the travel green effort in Minnesota?

The emphasis of Minnesota’s travel green program is to protect the environment, promote tourism business practices that reduce environmental impact, educate travelers, and promote Minnesota tourism.

Why a travel green effort in Minnesota?

State legislation (S.F. 1131) passed in 2007 directed Explore Minnesota Tourism, the state’s tourism promotion office, to develop a Minnesota travel green program based on the input of related agencies, organizations and businesses. Explore Minnesota Tourism organized a task force of 22 representatives from various tourism associations, the University of Minnesota Tourism Center, state agencies and businesses to analyze existing travel green programs and develop recommendations for Minnesota.

This website addresses the recommendations to educate travel businesses about “being green” by providing resources, information and best practices.

Definitions of “Green”

What does “green” mean?  Being green is a popular concept today, and the word is used to describe a wide variety of activities and practices. Specific definitions can vary widely, but the common element in almost all is that the product or practices are environmentally friendly-beneficial for the natural environment.

In the travel and tourism industry, there are several related terms and trends including sustainable tourism, geo-tourism, ecotourism, responsible tourism and nature-based tourism. These describe travel that not only helps preserve the environment, but may also promote experiencing and supporting local culture, learning about the people and heritage of the destination, and enhancing the environment.

A discussion of different terms and definitions can be found at www.planeta.com/ecotravel/tour/definitions.html.

Why the University of Minnesota?

The University of Minnesota has been actively engaged in sustainability issues for several decades, including green travel and tourism. The University of Minnesota Tourism Center prepares and supports the tourism industry for success and sustainability. For more information about the University’s overall commitment to sustainability please visit www.uservices.umn.edu/sustainableU/.