MOUNTAINDALE, N.Y.—The Green Tourism Working Group announces the 2nd Annual 2015 Green Tourism Conference at the Woodloch Pines in Hawley, Pa., on April 14 and 15. The conference networks regional food service and lodging facilities, tourism agencies, recreational activity businesses and their “eco” product and service suppliers for two days of workshops, training and collaboration to grow tourism through the surging interest in “green” travel and regionally sourced and prepared dining. Last year’s event attracted over 200 participants from Wayne, Monroe, Pike and Carbon counties in Pennsylvania and Delaware, Greene, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties in New York, and...

AMSTERDAM—BookDifferent has begun to publicize the carbon emission figures for 591,000 hotels. According to BookDifferent, it is the first OTA to do this. The carbon footprint of each accommodation is shown by a footprint icon containing the number of kilos CO2 emission per night stayed. Hotels with a green footprint have a low carbon footprint and are therefore a better choice than the hotels with a red one.“By showing the carbon footprint icons we give consumers a voice by enabling them to choose to stay in a hotel with a small carbon footprint,” said Lonneke de Kort, Director of...

NATIONAL REPORT—Several leading associations that develop codes and standards to create green buildings are collaborating to align the International Green Construction Code (IgCC), ANSI/ASHRAE/IES/USGBC Standard 189.1 and the LEED green building program. The initiative is being welcomed by code officials, architects, engineers and contractors.“In just a few years we progressed from developing the first model code for green buildings to a new cooperative document that will make it easier for owners, designers, builders and code officials to deliver sustainable, high-performing buildings,” said International Code Council (ICC) Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. “Thank you to our cooperating sponsors, ICC...

PORTLAND, ORE.—February 14 was Oregon’s birthday. So, what does one get a state that has everything? In 2014, visitors to Oregon contributed more than $27,000 to enhance communities across Oregon through an innovative philanthropy program created by Travel Oregon and Sustainable Travel International. Funds will be directed to projects throughout the state that improve the environment, support local culture and enrich the destination through the Oregon Travel Philanthropy Fund (OTPF).OTPF is the first statewide program of its kind. The goal of the program is to improve experiences for visitors and locals by connecting them to participating businesses that directly...

MIAMI—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announced the opening of the Holiday Inn Express Marília hotel in São Paulo State, Brazil. The new-build, 102-room hotel is among the first internationally-branded properties in the city of Marilia. The hotel is centrally situated near Marilia’s industrial district, airport, and less than a mile away from the city’s main shopping center.“IHG properties have thrived in Brazil since the InterContinental brand arrived in 1946,” said Alvaro Diago, COO, Latin America and Caribbean, IHG. “We helped forge Brazil’s hospitality industry, and thanks to strong relationships with our Brazilian partners, we are pleased to be an integral...

MIAMI—Virgin Hotels is now offering guests car service seven days a week to select areas in Chicago in a top-of-the-line red Tesla Model S, a premium electric vehicle. The new all-wheel-drive Model S P85D is not only electric; it’s also the quickest-accelerating four door vehicle ever built. For guests wishing to arrive in style, they simply need to ring the concierge and a Virgin Hotels representative will drive them to their destination.Doug Carrillo, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Virgin Hotels, said, “Tesla is the hottest electric car on the road right now, and we’re elated to provide our...

OAK BROOK, ILL.—Nine months after taking over as General Manager of the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center, Stefan Mühle is just part of the way toward reaching his goal of transforming the property into a uniquely green destination with a “boutique heart and soul.” Mühle, who co-founded the Sustainability Committee for the Hotel Council of San Francisco, knows a thing or two about greening a boutique hotel. During his time as General Manager, the 104-room Orchard Hotel in San Francisco earned Green Seal and LEED certification. Transforming the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center...

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI—The new Marriott Port-au-Prince Hotel has checked in its first guests. Among the 200 new Haitian hotel workers who welcomed them were young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and Haitian-Americans who want to share their hospitality skills to help boost Haiti’s tourism economy. The stories of these new associates include Luccardo, who was recruited to work at the hotel’s front desk from the Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs orphanage, and Hermine, who was part of the hotel’s intern program and will be an entry-level supervisor. In addition to members of a Haitian-American executive team, the Haiti Marriott is led...

CHICAGO—More energy-efficient elevators can significantly reduce the costs of operating a building, but the information needed to help building owners identify the appropriate elevator system—and the savings associated with it—aren’t readily available, according to a new study published by a leading policy group. The study, by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, was published with the support of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, the parent organization of Otis, the world’s largest manufacturer and maintainer of people-moving products.Elevators and escalators make up 2 to 5 percent of the energy used in most buildings, but can reach as high as...

NATIONAL REPORT—The Association of Green Property Owners and Managers (AGPOM), along with the International Tourism Partnership (ITP), are planning several educational webinars. The first one, “How to measure and report your carbon footprint using the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) methodology,” will take place on Tuesday, March 17.More than 21,000 hotels around the world have adopted the HCMI methodology that allows them to calculate and communicate the carbon footprint of hotel stays and meetings in a consistent and transparent way.During the webinar one can learn to:•    Provide the carbon footprint information your customers are requesting;•    Understand your environmental impacts...