Pets Can Stay Pet-Friendly Travel Services

Spotlight - March 2006

EcoSafe® Biodegradable Doggie Bags: A Green Alternative for Managing the Pet Poop Problem

by Roy MacNaughton

Once in the West Indies, my wife and I saw a strange 'mound' moving in the moonlight. I was drawn to this weird sight, until I got much closer and realized that the mound was really dog excrement, covered with cock roaches! As you can imagine, that ruined any romantic stroll for that evening. We went back into the hotel but on our way back to the lobby and pool area, we spotted at least four other piles of such waste. Now it was quite difficult to keep our dinner down.

As a hospitality operator, I was shocked that this situation would be allowed to occur. I went to the front desk and learned that the gardeners and groundskeepers do their best, but the local dogs and their owners did not respect the property of the hotel and from dusk until all hours would run on the property depositing their business. Naturally this immediately attracted all manner of insects, particularly the tropical variety of cockroach. In the Caribbean, this not your normal roach. These guys fly in like B-52's. Locals say you have to watch they don't carry off your cat.

I was reminded of this true story when friends in the lodging business asked me to research a new burgeoning market segment—guests traveling with their pets. Hotel and resort operators have realized that millions of pet owners want to travel with their pet. In fact, research demonstrates that when the pet stays in the same room with the guest, they have a greater likelihood of staying longer, spending more money while they're there. Recognizing this, a Canadian firm, EcoSafe® Plastics, decided to offer the hotel-keeper some help with one aspect of guests staying with pets.

Here's what they did. Getting as basic as I can here—to make my point—one thing we know for sure is that dogs and cats, like us, have to eat and they have to…well you get the picture. So how does an hotelier manage this potential mountain of pet poop? The answer is a biodegradable doggie bag…one that conveniently assists the pet owner in picking up after his pet and allowing him to dispose of this material in such a manner that the plastic bag totally degrades into nothing but CO2, water and humic matter, when it is put in the landfill. This new Ecosafe® Biodegradable Doggie Bag is less expensive; furthermore, it can be overprinted, so it's easy to "brand" the bag.

Let's face it: if you're going to market to and welcome guests traveling with their pets, you're going to have to manage the poop problem. Provide those guests with one or three of these branded doggie bags upon check-in. Then add some explanatory information about your environmentally-responsible® poop management program. It will help your grounds and landscaping provide a pleasant image for all visitors.

Moreover, when the guests see that the property is concerned about the environment and is carefully handling such waste, it sends another positive message to these same guests—including those without pets—that this hotel, inn or resort is "environment friendly" too, as well as professional and caring for the safety and comfort of all guests. Most importantly, using unique services like this will immediately differentiate your property or chain from all the others who are merely jumping on this new pet wagon.

For more information; contact their Chief Pet Officer, at cpo@ecosafeplastics.com ; or click on the site at: www.ecosafeplastics.com/mwr05.

Roy W. MacNaughton is an operator, marketer and journalist with more than a quarter century of international hospitality and lodging expertise. He is president of his own firm, MacNaughton Partners, which specializes in ferreting out and building niche markets for hospitality industry entrepreneurs. You can reach him at: roymacnaughton@gmail.com.