RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO—Wyndham Grand Rio Mar, Wyndham Palmas, the Friends of El Yunque Foundation, and the United States Forest Service announced the signing of an industry-leading donation agreement that will provide a simple way for tourists to directly support El Yunque National Rainforest in the promotion of its educational programs, conservation, and recreation. Under this agreement, guests of Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Rainforest, Beach and Golf Resort and Wyndham Palmas Beach and Golf Resort will have the opportunity to voluntarily donate $1 to the Friends of El Yunque Foundation when they book their stay. Friends of El Yunque is a nonprofit organization in...

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS—Booking.com has released new research, with insights gathered from more than 31,000 travelers across 34 countries and territories, exploring the latest consumer attitudes, priorities and influences related to sustainable travel. While the annual research reveals a continued sense of desire and awareness, with 83 percent of travelers confirming that sustainable travel is important to them, new insights show a sense of weariness could be emerging globally, fueled by the ongoing challenges that travelers experience to make more sustainable travel choices. The recent study shows that almost half (45 percent) feel traveling more sustainably is important, but not a primary consideration...

DUBLIN, IRELAND—The “U.S. Sustainable Travel Market - Focused Insights 2024-2029” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. The U.S. sustainable travel market was valued at $66.22 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach a value of $116.46 billion in 2029, growing at a CAGR of 9.87 percent from 2023-2029. The U.S. sustainable travel or tourism market has seen remarkable growth and transformation in recent years, reflecting an increasing awareness and concern for environmental and social issues. Sustainable travel encompasses a range of aspects, including eco-friendly accommodations, responsible tourism practices, and eco-conscious transportation options. Additionally, travelers can opt for eco-friendly lodgings like ecolodges, treehouses, and sustainable resorts that aim to...

AMSTERDAM—Reaffirming Booking.com’s commitment to showcase more sustainable travel options to all of its customers, and to help support accommodation partners on actions they can take to operate more sustainably, the leading digital travel platform has announced some updates to how it will display more sustainable choices to travelers around the world, focusing on third-party certifications. Booking.com will now introduce a label to acknowledge when a property has achieved a third-party sustainability certification coupled with the ability to filter searches accordingly. To date, over 16,500 properties have a third-party sustainability certification displayed on the platform. Moving forward, the Travel Sustainable name,...

Bigger than the Taylor Swift effect on our industry? Cosmically speaking, for sure. The upcoming total solar eclipse is definitely stirring up a lot of reservation activity across the U.S. Who knew that a show put on by our own solar system could have such an impact? For those of you who have been in “the dark” about the eclipse, the moon will pass between the Earth and the sun on April 8. In the U.S. the path of totality, where the moon will “cover” the sun in its entirety, will begin in Texas at 1:27 p.m. CDT and end...

NATIONAL REPORT—It used to be the case that organizations were only responsible to their owners and shareholders. The primary goal was to make a profit, and if the business met that objective, it was deemed a success. Now all that has changed: Consumer insight is now a crucial driving force in corporate decision-making. Today, consumers increasingly seek to support organizations that align with their own moral and ethical views. That is particularly true of younger consumers, with Millennials and Gen Z leading the charge. According to one study, 91 percent of Millennials would switch brands to one associated with a cause...

In addition to the many brands and independents that are working hard to connect electric vehicle drivers with EV charging stations, so too is a Georgia-based entrepreneur with his Stay-N-Charge website. I recently spoke with Tony Booth, founder and CEO of the site that is a directory for lodgings with EV charging stations. (Click here for the article.) Whether your property has EV charging stations or not, I encourage you to check out the site. Stay-N-Charge, founded in 2021, currently has more than 1,300 properties listed. Today the site is experiencing about 7,000 to 8,000 unique visits a month. “A...

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA.—Capitalizing on the growing percentage of road travelers who drive electric vehicles (EVs), the online Stay-N-Charge directory of lodging establishments with EV chargers in North America is gaining serious traction. A recent search on the site produced 1,353 properties with EV charging stations. The directory serves as a marketing tool for owners as well as a helpful resource for travelers looking for a place to stay and charge. Tony Booth, founder, and CEO of Stay-N-Charge, says that in the U.S. about 2 percent of car owners now drive EVs. In California it is about 15 percent. “Nationwide,...

COLUMBUS, OHIO—Red Roof is once again partnering with Canine Companions through its Room In Your Heart (RIYH) purpose-driven program. Canine Companions is an organization that transforms the lives of people with disabilities by providing expertly trained service dogs to those in need, including veterans. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Ben Connor says his Canine Companions Service Dog, Sims, has brought structure and joy back to his life by doing things for him that most people take for granted. Travelers who book and stay at any Red Roof Inn, Red Roof PLUS+, HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof, or The Red Collection property from February 1,...

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—With its Florida Green Lodging Program, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has one of the largest state-level hotel green designation programs in the United States. As of January 10, the Program had 319 designated Florida Green Lodging properties. The program is certainly one of the oldest as well, having launched in 2004. In its assessment of lodging establishments, the points-based Florida Green Lodging Program looks at the following five categories: 1. Communication and education (customers, employees, public). 2. Waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. 3. Water conservation. 4. Energy efficiency. 5. Indoor air quality. Properties can earn one of four designations: One Palm, Two Palm,...