HALES LOCATION, N.H.—Golfers who took a drive up to the White Mountain Hotel for opening day at the Hale’s Location Golf Course on May 4 noticed something missing—the sound of gas-powered golf carts. “We have switched to an all-electric powered fleet,” said Wayne Sprouse, the new head professional at Hale’s Location Golf Course. Electric carts are much more environmentally friendly, not just because they don’t use gas or pollute the air but also because they are quiet. “Golf is a game that benefits from silence during play,” adds Sprouse. “These new, quiet carts make for a better experience for...

LAS VEGAS—Registration is now open for the sixth annual WaterSmart Innovations (WSI) Conference and Exposition, scheduled for October 2 to 4 at the South Point Hotel and Conference Center in Las Vegas.Full registration for the urban water efficiency conference includes admission to the WaterSense Partner of the Year Awards luncheon October 3, hosted by the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Program.Since its debut in 2008, WSI has drawn attendees from 45 states and 27 foreign nations. This year’s conference will again feature a full slate of comprehensive professional sessions and an expo hall...

SAN DIEGO—Nonsmoking rooms in hotels operating a partial smoking ban don’t protect their occupants from tobacco smoke, reveals research published online in Tobacco Control. Non-smokers should give hotels that allow smoking in certain rooms a wide berth, say the authors, and instead choose completely smoke free hotels.The researchers analyzed the surfaces and air quality of rooms for evidence of tobacco smoke pollution (nicotine and 3EP), known as third hand smoke, in a random sample of budget to mid-range hotels in San Diego. Ten hotels in the sample operated complete bans and 30 operated partial smoking bans, providing designated nonsmoking...

PHOENIX—Thanks to the debut of the PHX Sky Train, visitors arriving at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport can now travel to downtown Phoenix for $2, in about 20 minutes, without burning an ounce of gasoline. The Sky Train, which began operation April 8, is an automated train that transports travelers between the airport’s busiest terminal and the nearest light-rail station. Sky Train is free and operates 24 hours a day, arriving at stations about every three minutes.Passengers flying Southwest and US Airways, the two highest-volume carriers at Sky Harbor, can check their bags in early, for free, before boarding...

NATIONAL REPORT—There are very few industries in which competitors have come together and collaborated to address the problem of inconsistent carbon reporting. Despite increasing concerns that carbon reporting is a “tick box” exercise, non-comparable and ultimately informs little about the actual positive change a company is making, collaboration for the sake of a solution often seems a step too far. The global hotel industry is proving that it’s not. The Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI), created by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and International Tourism Partnership (ITP), is the first consistent approach to reporting in the industry....

WHITE SALMON, WASH.—Travel businesses face a multitude of challenges: rising costs, shrinking resources, and increasing pressure to raise the bar on sustainable practices that reduce environmental impacts. Leading-edge businesses are turning responsibility into opportunity. They understand that long-term success requires stewardship of the destinations they serve. They also effectively communicate how their actions can make a difference by engaging customers and increasing brand loyalty. Join Sustainable Travel International’s business development manager, Andrew Grossmann, on Thursday, May 23 at 1 p.m. EST, to learn about carbon emission calculation methodologies that make sense for your business, and to explore how carbon...

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Lodging Program and IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) have joined together in an effort to boost eco-tourism throughout the state. These programs will encourage hotel properties to continue to develop new strategies and implement practices designed to promote green travel.“By working together, the Department and IHG show a common understanding of environmental responsibility,” said DEP Office of Sustainable Initiatives director Brad Stombock. “Together, we will be impacting the tourism industry and making a difference in both Florida’s economy and ecosystem.”The program offers IHG-branded hotels the opportunity to earn a dual designation as...

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CALIF.—Travelers who want to recharge themselves and their Nissan Leafs can take advantage of a new feature at the Residence Inn San Juan Capistrano. The hotel is helping the environment with a California first by offering the Nissan Leaf Rapid Charger. The Rapid Charger is the first publicly available one of its kind in the state.As one of the premier hotels in San Juan Capistrano, the Residence Inn is the convenient halfway point between San Diego and Los Angeles. Without charging, most electric vehicles wouldn’t be able to make the entire trip. The Rapid Charger, however,...

NATIONAL REPORT—The bicycle is making a big comeback. More than 500 cities in 49 countries now have advanced bicycle-sharing programs—evidence of the growing interest in carbon-free travel. In the lodging industry, making bicycles available to guests is becoming more common and even standard practice in some companies. Starwood’s Element hotels, for example, are required to have at least two bicycles available for guests as part of the brand’s Bikes-to-Borrow program. All Kimpton hotel properties offer bicycles as well. Properties offering bicycles as an amenity are meeting the needs of an increasingly green-minded and health-conscious traveler community. The cost of...

LAS VEGAS—Twelve MGM Resorts International properties have been awarded a new designation by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website, that helps identify the most environmentally friendly hotels. The properties on the Las Vegas Strip were accepted into the new TripAdvisor GreenLeaders program. The program considers a property’s holistic approach to green practices and ranks them based on four levels of participation—Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum.ARIA Resort & Casino and Vdara Hotel & Spa each received a Platinum designation—denoting the highest level of environmental responsibility, an achievement earned by less than 10 percent of participants. Gold designations went to MGM...