A new report from Carbon Lighthouse examined indoor air quality and its perception by the public amid the pandemic. The U.S. Consumer Sentiment on Indoor Air Quality and COVID-19 survey found that a “vast majority”—91 percent—of consumers believe that IAQ is important in the prevention of COVID-19 spread. Seventy-seven percent of consumers said proof about a hotel’s IAQ would impact their decision on where to stay, 52 percent said they would pay more to stay at a hotel with better IAQ and 76 percent said a rating system on the IAQ of a building—similar to restaurant ratings—would help them feel better about entering that building. Twenty percent said that they or an immediate family member was likely to spend time in a hotel over the next six months.
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With these statistics in mind, Carbon Lighthouse suggests owners not only ensure their buildings can adequately manage IAQ and implement the appropriate measures, but they must also effectively communicate their efforts and the resulting impact on occupants to begin driving building occupancy and work towards economic recovery.