Prefer Non-smoking, or Non-smoking?

What do Catherine Zeta Jones, the city of Chicago, Westin Hotels & Resorts and the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre have in common?

Each rang in the New Year in style — smoke-free.

Now for some more critical questions: Who will follow their lead? And when?

How about now?

Westin is the first major American hotel chain to go smoke-free. Within a few days of its Dec. 5 announcement of Breathe Westin (which impacts rooms and public areas in 77 Westin hotels in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean), the Camelot by the Sea hotel in Myrtle Beach, S.C., followed suit.

Some other franchise hotels didn't need Westin to pave the way.

The 30-story Residence Inn by Marriott in Times Square opened Dec. 7 as a smoke-free facility.

The Camelot and Residence Inn might be small potatoes when compared to the Hyatts, Wyndhams, Marriotts and Hiltons of the world, but it might be sooner rather than later that these giants jump onto Westin's smoke-free hotel bandwagon.

Why? One reason that's staring them in the face: consumer demand.

According to Westin's customer data and industry research, 92 percent of its guests request a non-smoking room when traveling anyway, and do not smoke in any of the hotels' public areas. In addition, 80 percent of Westin customers prefer restaurants and other indoor public spaces that are free of cigarette and cigar smoke.

If this is what Westin's customers request, would it surprise anybody to learn that its competitors' guests are of the same mind?

And then there's consumer need.

According to a 2005 American Cancer Society report, lung cancer was expected to cause an estimated 163,510 deaths last year, an increase of more than 60 percent since 1979. Additionally, about 172,570 new cases of lung cancer surfaced last year. Of course, these statistics include cases due to firsthand and secondhand smoke.

So, what's stopping the other chains from throwing out the musty bedspreads and ashtrays?

Hotel companies shouldn't be afraid that a smoke-free policy will hurt business, according to ACS, whose research indicates that smoke-free laws have no negative effect on the hospitality industry and that some smoke-free restrictions actually draw customers.

Maybe a nudge from the American Hotel & Lodging Assn. will help.

Joseph A. McInerney, AHLA president and CEO, recently said of the Westin announcement, "We congratulate Westin on their latest innovation. This follows the success of many trendsetting Westin initiatives and the industry is sure to take notice."

On a broader scale, Chicago joined a long list of smoke-free cities when its new regulations went into effect Jan. 1. It became one of more than 2,000 U.S. municipalities that restrict where smoking is allowed. Fifteen states have also passed smoke-free laws.

The Windy City news is good for the tradeshow industry (at least that portion of it populated by non-smokers). So how far behind might be the host of the largest number of U.S. tradeshows, Las Vegas?

Will Sin City ever become smoke-free? Maybe a little.

Come Nov. 7, Nevada residents will be asked to consider a statewide ballot initiative to ban smoking in public spaces and restaurants (including those inside casino resorts).

The ban won't affect casino gaming areas, standalone bars that don't serve food, or brothels. However, this is a gigantic step for Nevada, which currently only restricts smoking in elevators and school buses, according to ACS.

Another magnet for tradeshows and meetings, Washington, D.C., could also become smoke-free. If Mayor Anthony Williams approves the legislation, a ban would go into effect Jan. 1, 2007.

So, should Las Vegas and Washington industry officials be wary of how these bans will influence tradeshow business in their cities?

The Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau isn't worried.

A bureau spokeswoman pointed out that business travelers adjust to public policy, just as they did to the U.S. airline smoking ban a decade ago.

Yes, some international airlines still allow smoking on flights. (Really. Google it and see for yourself.) But in this day and age, not many people would consider it safe or healthy to get on one of those flights.

Will that be the case for the hotel industry someday soon?