Taipei’s economic development agency has found a way to showcase its tourism industry’s efforts to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The city’s Economic Development Agency has convinced tourist hotels around the capital to be green, and include them in an international event.

Through efficiency efforts, the 15 hotels have reportedly saved 846,000 watts of electricity, 153.4 kiloliters fossil fuels and reduced 886 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from August to October this year, compared with the same period in 2008.

The city’s economic agency expects other tourism businesses will follow the example of awarded hotels and join the national eco-friendly campaign.

The service sector now accounts for more than 71 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. But in the first half of 2009, the occupancy rate at tourist hotels was hit by the global recession, resulting to a two-thirds decrease in revenues compared with the previous year.

Hotel managers in Taiwan have been finding ways to reduce operating costs by managing energy and resources better, recycling, greening hotel construction and educating employees about energy conservation and green house gas emission reduction.