INDIAN SHORES, FLA.—Legacy Vacation Resorts has opened its Indian Shores, Fla. property. Located on the intracoastal waters on the gulf coast of Florida, the property offers villa-style accommodations, with studio, one bedroom and two-bedroom configurations­. The newly designed rooms feature a breezy, modern coastal-chic aesthetic. An inviting sun deck and fishing dock are located directly on the water behind the main resort, and a newly enhanced BBQ area and fire pit allows guests to enjoy their very own outdoor cookouts. Boat slips and beach access are found just a short walk away. Over the last four years, the resort has...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International is one of “America's Top Corporations for Women’s Business Enterprises,” according to the Women’s Business Enterprise Nation Council (WBENC). The annual list is the only national award honoring corporations for world-class supplier diversity programs that reduce barriers and drive growth for women-owned businesses. “We are honored to receive this special recognition for the seventh consecutive year,” said Stacey Taylor, Sr. Vice President & Chief Procurement Officer for MGM Resorts International. “Partnering with women-owned businesses is a top priority and ensures we provide amenities and services of the highest quality to guests visiting our resorts.” MGM Resorts is one...

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND—Findings of a survey conducted by STR’s Tourism Consumer Insights team revealed the importance of sustainable tourism as well as the impact of climate change on traveler perception. Conducted in January 2020, the survey captured the views of over 1,000 international travelers from STR’s proprietary Traveler Panel, a global community of engaged travelers. “Sustainable travel continues to be a hot topic in the tourism industry as travelers and travel brands alike increasingly scrutinize their impact on the environment,” said Sean Morgan, STR’s Director of Research. “Our research examined how ‘eco’ friendly the modern traveler is and evaluated perceptions of the...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,200 hotels across 80 countries, reinforced its commitment to help combat human trafficking. At its first global Town Hall event of the year, Wyndham affirmed its ongoing commitment to support human trafficking awareness and prevention efforts and announced its donation of 1 million Wyndham Rewards points to Polaris, a leader in the global fight to eradicate human trafficking. Wyndham also announced its commitment to achieve—by year end—10 million points donated by Wyndham and Wyndham Rewards members to Polaris since 2008. For Wyndham Rewards members interested in donating points...

NATIONAL REPORT—Humans strive to make life easy. It’s this desire to do less labor that, over our existence, has driven our imagination to invent more efficient ways of completing various tasks ranging from eating to traveling to communicating. Yet our advancement is a double-edged sword. As of recently, especially within the last 100 years, we’ve begun to learn the true consequences that our developments bring with them now. We’ve seen that, in many cases, those very same innovations advancing our species are destroying the planet we live on. One such invention, and likely the most prominent one seen in...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton announced the signing and groundbreaking of Curio Collection by Hilton’s debut property in the Dominican Republic, Hotel Santiago, with the presence of the country’s president, Danilo Medina Sánchez. Set to open in late 2022, the modern hotel will form part of Santiago Center, an upscale mixed-use development offering a variety of entertainment including more than 15 dining options, shopping mall, local artisan market and children’s play area. “Welcoming more than 6.5 million visitors in 2018, the Dominican Republic has shown steady growth as a tourist destination in the Caribbean—with travel and tourism accounting for more than 17 percent...

PHILADELPHIA—In October of 2018, Hersha Hotels and Resorts announced that EarthView, their corporate sustainability program, will provide support to Waterboys, the hallmark initiative of The Chris Long Foundation, through the sale of EarthView water bottles at Hersha hotels. EarthView bottles are made from 100 percent recycled materials, and for each bottle sold, Hersha donates $1 to support Waterboys’ clean water projects in East Africa. Since the launch, EarthView water sales have surpassed expectations. Hersha hotels from coast to coast were empowered to significantly contribute to the cause through water sales—from Maryland’s Annapolis Waterfront hotel selling 4,511 bottles to Hotel...

LAS VEGAS—Las Vegas Sands announced nine-time GRAMMY award winner and American music icon Sheryl Crow will headline the 2020 Sands Cares INSPIRE charity concert benefiting members of its Sands Cares Accelerator on May 28 at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Pacific, Friday, February 21. The show is part of Crow’s summer concert tour and raises critical funds for Sands Cares Accelerator members Green Our Planet (GoP) and Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY). Sands will donate all ticket sales from INSPIRE to the nonprofit organizations as an integral component of the Accelerator’s mission...

LOS ANGELES—A new single use, zero plastic, powder-based amenity collection is providing hoteliers with a groundbreaking way to deliver shampoo, conditioner and body wash to guests with a lighter carbon footprint than traditional single portion plastic bottles. This new Eco Pod collection from Hotel Emporium also provides an eco-friendly and sustainable option for those not wanting to transition to refillable or non-refillable dispensers. The Eco Pod collection comes in compostable containers made from 60 percent bamboo fiber, 30 percent sugarcane, and 10 percent wood fiber. According to Hotel Emporium, each container provides up to four uses. Andy De Silva, Vice President and...

NANTUCKET, MASS.—GSN Planet (GSN) announced the winners and runners-up of the 2019 Sustainability Awards. The 2019 Transformation in Sustainability Award was given to companies and individuals that/who utilize sustainable practices that are healthy for people and planet, save or preserve natural resources, utilize sustainable materials, and/or implement innovative and groundbreaking techniques, services, or programming. The Awards dinner and ceremony took place during GSN’s 2020 Congress at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa on Tuesday, January 28, 2020. The Sustainability Awards recognize the innovations and outstanding accomplishments related to transformation in the field of sustainability within the wellness industry. An independent judging...