KRABEY ISLAND, CAMBODIA—Six Senses Krabey Island has flung open the (sustainably-built) doors of its 40 private pool villas to welcome its first guests as they step off the speedboat to this tropical island escape. The landscaped 30-acre (12-hectare) private island with dense tropical jungle and rocky coastline is located 3 miles (5 kilometers) off Ream National Park in southern Cambodia. From Sihanouk International Airport, it is a 10-minute drive to the resort’s mainland reception for the short 15-minute crossing to Krabey Island. Remote enough yet not cut off from a country offering...

LOS CABOS, MEXICO—Solmar Hotels & Resorts, a collection of seven all-suite properties in Los Cabos, has embraced the destination’s emphasis on environmental stewardship by implementing sustainable regulations and developing eco-friendly projects. At Grand Solmar at Rancho San Lucas, a new resort fronting 1.2-miles of beachfront on the Pacific Ocean 15 minutes north of Cabo San Lucas, 106 acres of the development’s total of 834 acres, has been preserved in its natural state. An additional 186 acres is dedicated to the golf course. Together totaling 292 acres, this parcel represents 35 percent of the development and has resulted in the creation of a low-density resort community. Utilities were...

BEND, ORE.—Leave-No-Trace practices. Sustainable tourism. A focus on community. For two years, Visit Bend has been weaving these values into everything from television campaigns to social media posts, and on Friday, April 5, the Board of Directors voted to make them an official part of the organization’s mission. “Seven years ago, Visit Bend’s strategies centered around bringing as many visitors as possible to Bend to help pull the city out of the recession,” explained Visit Bend CEO Kevney Dugan. “We heard from the community that we did that job well, but it’s time...

ATLANTA—A global study commissioned by IHG Hotels & Resorts has revealed that a lack of sleep is a primary concern for travelers, with four in five (80 percent) stating they have trouble sleeping when traveling away from home. The launch of the findings coincided with World Sleep Day, an annual day devoted to tackling important sleep issues. The findings from the survey revealed: The business traveler loses around 58 minutes of sleep each night when staying away from home, averaging just 5 hours and 17 minutes of sleep. The biggest causes of a restless night’s sleep for those traveling are: different environment (44 percent); unfamiliar noises (35...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA.—Florida-based Legacy Vacation Resorts (LVR) has officially achieved Certified B Corporation Status, becoming the first multi-state hotel and vacation ownership company in the country to secure the prestigious designation. Administered by the nonprofit, B Lab, Certified B Corporations are businesses that voluntarily meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose through third-party review. The certification for LVR comes on the heels of a year-long process to align every aspect of the company with B Lab’s requirements. In that time, LVR has introduced multiple efforts towards a more sustainable business model, including carbon footprint offsetting,...

LONDON—Dominica is one of the best places in the world to get responsibly close to the sperm whale and the island nation is a world leader in ecotourism, offering several activities in and out of the water. The Prime Minster, Roosevelt Skerrit, has publicly endorsed ecotourism as being an important part of the country’s economy. This small Caribbean country has an established Citizenship by Investment Program (CBI), which plays a vital role in sponsoring ecotourist projects on the island. Professional Wealth Management specialists from the Financial Times rank Dominica as having the best second citizenship by...

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—The results of this year’s Sustainable Brand Index have been announced and Scandic has continued to climb closer to the top in all countries in the Nordic region. In Sweden, it was the number one hotel brand for the ninth year in a row, ranking 18 out of 355 brands. Scandic’s performance is based on consumers’ assessments of how the company is working to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as well as its sustainability initiatives in 2018. “We launched many positive initiatives last year that are now widespread, and...

MIAMI—Badia Spices, Inc. has announced a $1 million gift to the Next Horizon campaign at Florida International University to create the Badia Spices Scholarship Endowment at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The Badia Spices Scholarship Endowment will be used to recruit and retain students and enrich the student experience at the Chaplin School. It will do so primarily by providing scholarships for students, with a preference given to those who are first generation or demonstrate financial need. “I am proud to continue to strengthen the legacy of our family at FIU,” said Joseph Badia, CEO of Badia Spices, Inc. “The...

NATIONAL REPORT—With peak travel season approaching for hotels, motels and inns, noise levels will also peak—due to the increase in street traffic/night life, aircraft roar, train/ship horn blare, and late-night pool parties—just as guests pay top dollar for the experience. No matter how beautiful the surroundings or convenient the location, the constant noise can fray guests’ nerves and leave them angry and sleepless. If management is lucky, guests may only demand to change to a quieter room; if not, they may check out early, demand a refund, or leave scathing reviews about excessive noise on online...

HOLLYWOOD, FLA.—As part as of its ongoing commitment to help “save the planet,” Hard Rock International participated in the worldwide Earth Hour movement—turning off the lights at 18 properties across the globe. As the world clock struck 8:30 p.m. local time on March 30, Hard Rock Hotel guests from China to the West Coast of the United States participated in this symbolic lights-out event. From the participating properties, Hard Rock saved a combined total of 11,400 kilowatts, which would be enough to power more than 50 outdoor concerts. “We are proud to...