CHEVY CHASE, MD.—One of the fastest growing hotel management companies in the United States—PM Hotel Group—also happens to be one of the ones most committed to corporate responsibility. The Chevy Chase, Md.-based company has its own Director of Sustainability + Facilities (Christie Berlin), manages four LEED hotels, including one LEED Platinum (Home2 Suites by Hilton Silver Spring, Md.) and purchases 100 percent green energy. “We started 10 years ago with 11 hotels,” Berlin says. “We now manage 51 and are working on three development projects at the moment.” “This company has always been committed to corporate responsibility,” Berlin adds. “It definitely...

COAST SALISH TERRITORY, VANCOUVER, B.C.—Budget 2021: A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience, released in recent weeks, suggests that there has been federal investments allocated for rebuilding and recovering the tourism industry as well as for Indigenous communities, yet it remains unclear how the Indigenous tourism sector is specifically being supported, during a critical time for its survival. “There’s a discrepancy with the government saying that they are investing into Indigenous tourism versus funding solutions that we and the industry actually have access to,” says Keith Henry, President and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC). “Separate from ITAC’s operational budget,...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—As the world emerges from the pandemic, there is an increasing amount of buzz about sustainability, particularly the climate crisis. Governments around the world are setting ambitious decarbonization targets in advance of the COP26 event in the United Kingdome in December. Investors are putting increasing pressure on companies to measure and disclose their sustainability impacts, and consumers are showing more propensity towards sustainable products. What does this mean for the hospitality industry? While many companies have robust and well-established sustainability programs, and the carbon intensity of the global hotel sector has decreased by 10 percent since 2015, the pandemic has added pressure in areas such as...

CHICAGO—Twenty years after launching the first LGBTQ print ad encouraging travelers to “see the world on your terms,” travel site Orbitz is debuting a new national ad campaign and call to action for LGBTQIA+ travelers as the travel industry readies for a comeback. The campaign, titled “Travel As You Are,” invites all people to travel on their own terms, not the ones society created for them. A short brand film and new manifesto premiered on Orbitz’s LGBTQIA+ travel microsite www.Orbitz.com/Pride with creative appearing online and on streaming video platforms. According to Orbitz Brand Director Carey Malloy, the campaign reaffirms Orbitz’s long-standing commitment to inclusive travel, dating back to the early 2000s when the brand launched a series of advertising firsts in support of LGBTQ travelers. “2020...

PARIS—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its award-winning Fairmont Sustainability Partnership, now part of Accor’s Planet21 program. In continuing to set the industry standard in sustainable practices, Fairmont along with Accor has announced the goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. A commitment has also been made to eliminate any remaining single-use plastics in guestrooms, meeting areas, and restaurants across all hotels by the end of 2022. “Thirty years ago, our forward-thinking team literally wrote the book on environmental sustainability in the hospitality industry with the very first edition of our famed Green Partnership Guides,”...

FRANKFURT AM MAIN—Deutsche Hospitality is putting sustainability at the very heart of its global corporate approach. The group has completely redrawn its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy to emphasize that a strong commitment to the environment and to society will now form the foundation of all business activities. “We need to make decisions which are not detrimental to the environment or to future generations. This should be self-evident to us,” stated Marcus Bernhardt, CEO of Deutsche Hospitality. “Hoteliers are an active part of a society looking to create enduring and sustainable values. For us, Corporate Social Responsibility means taking...

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO—Mexico’s Velas Resorts has surpassed its original goal of 100 free all-inclusive stays to healthcare heroes. Showing appreciation to those who have fought tirelessly against the coronavirus pandemic, the “Let’s Be Thankful” campaign allows individuals to give back just by booking a reservation. For every five-night stay reserved by April 30 at any of the resort collection’s properties, in Los Cabos, Riviera Maya, Riviera Nayarit, and Puerto Vallarta, Velas Resorts put one free night into the prize pot. Nights can also be donated directly to the pool for healthcare workers and will be matched by Velas Resorts. On April...

MALIBU, CALIF.—Kind Traveler, which describes itself as the 1st socially conscious Give + Get booking and media platform, will turn five later this year with 120 properties in 22 countries in its system. Jessica Blotter, Co-founder of the website, says more hotels will soon be added. Seventy nonprofits benefit from the platform that sees travelers donate $10 to a local or global charity each time they book a hotel through Kind Traveler. In return for that donation, travelers get an exclusive rate with the site’s member hotels. According to the Kind Traveler website, a room booked at one New...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—ASHRAE and the International Code Council have announced the release of the 2018 International Green Construction Code (IgCC) User’s Manual. The manual provides readers an understanding of the requirements of the code and how those requirements may be met. The publication contains sample calculations, forms to demonstrate compliance, and references to helpful resources and websites. “ASHRAE remains committed to providing sustainability strategies to improve indoor air quality and building performance,” said 2020-21 ASHRAE President Charles E. Gulledge III, P.E. “The IgCC User’s Manual offers a clear roadmap to the specific requirements of the 2018 IgCC with provisions that promote sustainable construction...

COLOGNE, GERMANY—HRS, the leading global corporate lodging platform, introduced a first-of-its-kind solution that gives corporations and employees a way to organize travel more sustainably. HRS’ Green Stay Initiative, in pilot this quarter, leverages proprietary technology to give procurement leaders and everyday business travelers an intuitive system to identify, compare and prioritize hotels that contribute to reducing the ecological footprint of the lodging portion of the typical business trip. HRS is assimilating data from thousands of hotel groups and independent properties as part of a groundbreaking framework, including details on energy consumption, water use, and waste disposal. Through the unprecedented normalization and...