Green Lodging News has reported on illegal fishing and overfishing in the past—in fact as recently as this past October. It is important that every buyer of fish be aware of the problems as well as the certifications that ensure properly caught fish. Just yesterday, Oceana released a new report showing that the illegal seafood trade, fueled in part by U.S. demand, is hurting local fishing communities around the world. Oceana says this demonstrates the need to expand traceability and transparency requirements for all seafood imports. The United States is the world’s largest seafood importing country, yet around 60 percent of...

Hotel and hostels made from shipping containers are becoming more common. Tomorrow, the Pad, a boutique hotel with hostel-style rooms and a high-end mountain modern design, will open its doors officially in the heart of Silverthorne, Colo. along the banks of the Blue River. The Pad began welcoming guests for a soft opening in late November. As the first newly constructed boutique hostel in the Rocky Mountains, The Pad incorporated 18 upcycled shipping containers into its environmentally friendly construction and design. The Pad is on track to becoming the first Colorado-based lodging company to attain B Corporation certification. Do a search using “shipping container” on...

During September and October 2021, Deloitte polled over 2,000 C-suite executives across 21 countries to examine business leaders’ and companies’ concerns and actions when it comes to climate change and environmental sustainability. Climate weighs heavily on the minds of the world’s executives. However, there is also a disconnect between ambition and impact. Organizations are struggling to implement actions that demonstrate they have embedded climate considerations into their culture and have the senior leader buy-in and influence to effect meaningful transformation. The report further explores the disconnect between ambition and impact as well as steps CxOs can take to start...

I often come across partnerships that result in the planting of trees. I just learned about another one. Mastercard has teamed up with Preferred Hotel Group, the parent company of independent hotel brand Preferred Hotels & Resorts and new sustainable hotel brand Beyond Green, to support the growing number of travelers who wish to make more eco-conscious accommodation choices as members of the guest loyalty program I Prefer Hotel Rewards. For every I Prefer member rate booked and paid for online with a Mastercard, Preferred Hotel Group will fund the planting of one tree up to a maximum of 17,500 trees. This pledge to support global...

When it comes to the carbon footprint of a guestroom space in a hotel, the size of the space is of course critical. I heard today from a PR person informing me that Marriott has partnered with Ori, a robotics and architecture startup, to reimagine guestroom space. The announcement of the partnership was made at CES. The two brands will be working together as part of Marriott’s Design Lab to completely transform the way customers experience travel. Integrating Ori products and technology into Marriott guestrooms will allow travelers flexibility and adaptability and new kinds of rooms and experiences. This is the first large...

A Sustainable Tourism Destination Management certificate is being designed and produced by Cornell STAMP with eCornell to be distributed worldwide, via cooperation with the Travel Foundation and the United Nations World Tourism Organization, and with support from the German Corporation for International Cooperation. Lead instructors are Megan Epler Wood and Dr. Mark Milstein, who will be joined by a wide range of experts from leading institutions and destinations worldwide with illustrative case materials. The certificate will be offered through an 8-module online learning program with 40 hours of video and additional resource materials. The program will challenge professionals and students to advance their skills to document social and environmental...

EHL Insights recently released its 2022 top 10 hospitality industry trends. Three of those trends cross over into the space I cover. Here are those three along with EHL Insights’ descriptions: 2. Holistic Hospitality, Health & Well-being  Preventative medicine and self-care are undisputedly trending right now due to the COVID pandemic. The wellness industry is transforming into a booming trillion-dollar market and hospitality venues are well positioned to take a large piece of the pie, especially those with existing spa facilities. In addition to the usual beauty and relaxation spa offering, there is rapidly growing demand for health diagnostic technology and bespoke treatment plans...

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Trip.com Group have launched “Trending in Travel”, a new report that shows the latest trends in traveler behavior and future booking patterns in the wake of COVID-19. WTTC, representing the global Travel & Tourism sector, joined forces with leading global travel service provider, Trip.com Group, and its major consumer brands Trip.com, Ctrip and Skyscanner, to analyze consumer trends shaping the recovery of the Travel & Tourism sector. WTTC’s latest projections show strong growth in international spending for 2022 and beyond, projected to overtake domestic spending in 2022, as more destinations ease restrictions and...

“Art hotels” are certainly becoming more common in our industry. In this case, the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa recently announced an exclusive, multi-faceted partnership with the Academy of Art University, San Francisco’s leading art school and one of the largest private, accredited art and design schools in the nation. The new hotel seeks to celebrate the local arts community by incorporating curated student works into the property’s public spaces as well as featuring them in the hotel’s executive and presidential suites. Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa worked closely with internationally recognized design firm BHDM and the teams at Academy of Art University to commission...

Most of you are familiar with Clean the World, the organization that repurposes partially or unused soap and bottled amenities. If your hotel is not yet participating in Clean the World’s programs, I strongly encourage it to do so. One of the benefits of supporting Clean the World is receiving its monthly newsletter. Here are some highlights from the organization’s November newsletter: Clean the World has a fresh new look with its new website. Says Clean the World, “Whether you’re a partner, a supporter, or just stopping by to say hi, our new website’s ease of navigation puts the user...