ATLANTA—ASHRAE announced its unwavering commitment to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions with the launch of its redesigned building decarbonization webpage and the release of a new Building Performance Standards Technical Resource Guide. The ASHRAE Task Force for Building Decarbonization (TFBD) webpage includes technical resources, information, videos and publications to expedite the adoption of climate change mitigation policies and reaffirms the Society’s goals stated in the ASHRAE Vision 2022 Report, approved by ASHRAE’s board of directors, as well as the ASHRAE Position Document on Building Decarbonization, to achieve net zero GHG emissions in operation for all new buildings by 2030. “Over the years, ASHRAE has demonstrated its...

MIAMI—The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) released its annual “Future of Wellness” report, the longest-running, most in-depth (160 pages) and only truly global forecast of the newest directions in wellness. The 12 wellness trends for 2023 were unveiled at a media event in New York City. A few themes emerge: Radically different consumer values. The trends show a profound shift in consumer values coming out of the pandemic: from a rejection of a “self-obsessed” wellness to a demand for science and solutions that work. If in this last decade-plus, wellness led with two lonely models—a sea of “self-care” products and “digital wellness”— the...

LANAI CITY, HAWAII—Maui Nui Marine Resource Council’s Reef Friendly Landscaping Certification Program announced Four Seasons Resort Lanai as its first fully accredited resort partner. The resort was awarded Gold Certification for organic landscape management. The Reef Friendly Landscaping (RFL) Program aims to prevent polluted runoff originating from the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides from resorts, golf courses, businesses, and residential areas. Research has shown that traditional pesticides, fungicides, and fertilizers can negatively impact marine ecosystems, through coral bleaching and developmental issues in juvenile corals and fish and can cause cancerous growths in sea turtles and other marine life. Maui...

LONDON—The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Saudi-based Sustainable Tourism Global Center have unveiled groundbreaking new data detailing the climate footprint of the Travel & Tourism sector in Germany. In one of the largest research projects of its kind, WTTC can for the first time ever, accurately report and track the impact the sector has on the environment. According to this groundbreaking new data, Germany is one of just a few major countries where Travel & Tourism has continued to grow, whilst reducing its absolute emissions. In 2019, the sector was responsible for 10.3 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions...

KAUAI, HAWAII—1 Hotels, the mission-driven luxury lifestyle hotel brand founded by hospitality visionary Barry Sternlicht, announces the opening of 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, its flagship nature-and-wellness-focused island oasis overlooking a storied stretch of Kauai’s North Shore. Guests seeking solace and serenity at this sustainable sanctuary can swim, snorkel, bike, paddle, kayak, soak up the sun and surf off a legendary beach where Native Hawaiians lived in harmony with nature for generations and a laidback surf scene still thrives. The dramatic peaks of the Namolokama and Mamalahoa mountains loom over a verdant valley whose iconic waterfalls capture the breathtaking bounty and beauty of Hawaii’s famed “Garden Island.” “Hanalei Bay...

DENVER—Collective Retreats, a pioneer in outdoor experiential hospitality, has announced a partnership with NEOM to open a next generation, ultra-sustainable retreat in Trojena, the snow-capped mountain destination located in northwestern Saudi Arabia. Slated to open at the start of 2026, Collective Trojena will re-imagine the outdoor hospitality experience 50km from the Gulf of Aqaba. The retreat will feature approximately 60 open-air guestrooms and innovative meeting space concepts as well as dramatic water features, communal campfires and inspired culinary experiences, evoking the intrepid spirit of the Collective Retreats brand while showcasing a masterstroke blend of natural and developed landscapes. Collective Trojena will also offer direct...

NATIONAL REPORT—Travelers never always pack perfectly. Oftentimes that one thing that is forgotten is a toothbrush. There is a very good chance you will hand that guest a cheap single-use plastic toothbrush that will end up in the landfill where it will leak toxic substances into the environment as it breaks down. According to National Geographic, toothbrush waste from the U.S. in just one year is enough to wrap around the earth four times. If Americans change their toothbrushes every three or four months, that is one billion toothbrushes on their way to the landfill or elsewhere, including our...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—This International Women’s Day (March 8) a global survey of business travelers reveals that seven in ten (71 percent) women business travelers say traveling for work as a woman is less safe than traveling as a man. The Opinium survey of 2,000 business travelers in Australia, Canada, United States and United Kingdom, commissioned by World Travel Protection, a leading global travel risk management organization, finds that women travelers are more likely to take measures to protect their safety during business travel than men. Almost one in three (31 percent) say they do not travel or go out on their...

PARIS—In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8, Accor, the region’s largest international hotel operator, has reiterated its long-standing commitment to ensuring gender equality, wage parity and protecting women’s rights in every aspect of its business. IWD has been marked for over a century, but more work is still required to create a gender equal world, free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. The theme of this year’s event is #EmbraceEquality—a concept that underscores Accor’s operations and underpins its future strategy and direction. A total of 13,914 Heartists—Accor’s passionate, inspiring associates—in Southeast Asia, Japan & Korea are women, including many general...

ATLANTA, GA.—The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the largest hotel owners association in the world with nearly 20,000 members, announced that it has already secured a record level of booth sales for the Trade Show at AAHOACON23, April 11 to 14, 2023, making it the largest in AAHOA history. The 2019 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show, AAHOA’s previous biggest show to date, which celebrated the association’s 30-year anniversary, totaled 77,500 square feet of exhibit space. This year, with many weeks remaining for industry partners to secure space, AAHOACON23 already sits at 81,900 square feet of sold exhibit space. In addition,...