The recent inclusion of a carbon calculator (at the point-of-sale) in addition to green innovations and other environmental-focused enhancements in business travel technology, has earned online booking leader GetThere(R) a commendation - 

The Institute of Travel Management (ITM) honoured GetThere during this week's announcement of the first-ever Project ICARUS Environmental Awards.

This is a program recognising green achievements among business travel industry suppliers. Corporate travellers using GetThere booked more than 10 million business trips online in 2006.

Dr. Keith Mason, chair of the ICARUS Awards judges panel and director of the Business Travel Research Centre at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom, specifically highlighted GetThere's inclusion of a carbon calculator option as the enhancement resulting in commendation. "

With the calculator embedded in the booking tool prior to the booking decision, this enables travellers to make internal decisions about the carbon impact of their choice of airline at the point of sale," said Mason.

"The judges believe it is the right place for such tools. The visual guilt element of showing travellers the carbon cost of various choices has a clear behavioural impact."

In addition to carbon calculation on specific routes, GetThere's other green enhancements include:

• The capability for corporations to designate "eco-friendly" air, hotel, and car suppliers onscreen;
• Use of Dynamic Messaging to educate travellers and provide guidance in the booking process; and
• Options for corporations to add green-focused links on the travel home page.

GetThere will formally introduce the new GetThere Green package to the business travel community at next week's Association of Corporate Travel Executives Global Education Conference in Munich, Germany.

"We're honoured that the Institute of Travel Management and the Project ICARUS judges recognised our environmental enhancements," said Bev Heinritz, general manager of GetThere.

"Corporations across the globe are actively seeking options to incorporate green components into their travel programs. It's rewarding to provide travel managers and procurement officials with a set of tools they can use - regardless of their annual travel spend – to help minimise the environmental impact of business travel.

GetThere Green represents an exciting first phase of our effort to grow with our clients in the corporate social responsibility arena."