LOS ANGELES—L’Heure Bleue, the eco-chic resort of Nosy Be, in Madagascar, has been created as a model for sustainable tourism: Everything is designed from the outset, in a spirit of respect for the environment and sustainable development, in harmony with local people. L’Heure Bleue was recently awarded Green Globe certification.“L’Heure Bleue wants to demonstrate that another type of tourism is achievable, based on ethical values and respect,” said Yves Benouaich, general manager. “We would like to prove that responsible tourism brings together pleasure and well-being, without impacting on the quality of services and benefits. We are committed to fight...

NEWTON, MASS.—Since the official launch of TripAdvisor’s GreenLeaders/GreenPartners program on Earth Day this year, the number of participants in the program has more than doubled—from 1,000 to more than 2,100. Hotels and B&Bs in the United States are currently eligible to participate. The program’s cost is certainly an attraction—it is free—and exposure of one’s green practices on a website that sees 200 million visitors a month is also a huge incentive to participate. Jenny Rushmore, director of responsible travel at TripAdvisor, told Green Lodging News that as fast as the program has been growing, it has the potential to...

PARIS—Accor’s two decades-long commitment to sustainable development has been recognized by regional travel industry players, as the Group earned a prestigious distinction at the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)’s annual PATA Gold Awards. The French hospitality group has won the 2013 PATA Gold Award for Corporate Environmental Program in recognition of PLANET 21, Accor’s sustainable development program.With PLANET 21, Accor has made 21 commitments to act together for the well-being of the world. These commitments span a range of issues and have associated targets for the year 2015, including a 15 percent reduction in water consumption, a 10 percent...

CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels Corp. has launched its 2012 corporate responsibility report update, highlighting critical advances in environmental sustainability in support of the company’s signature corporate responsibility platform Hyatt Thrive.The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) 3.1-compliant companion piece serves as a mid-cycle reporting update to Hyatt’s full 2011 corporate responsibility report. Together, the reports offer a two-year snapshot of the company’s work to make local communities places where Hyatt associates are proud to work, where guests want to visit, where neighbors want to live and where hotel owners want to invest. “2012 offered opportunity to build on our strong foundation and extend...

PORTLAND, ORE.—GMIC in partnership with Twirl Management is launching the Certificate in Sustainable Event Planning as a 360-degree learning environment to create a new class of sustainable event practitioners. The students will be working towards the mission of creating, guiding and implementing the sustainability goals and performance outcomes of the 2014 Sustainable Meeting Conference. Through their participation the students will be responsible for the successful implementation of the sustainable event initiatives. Calls with the GMIC Sustainable Event Conference planning, marketing and client teams, communication with vendors, potential site visits and pre-conference attendance will be part of the curriculum.Adult learners...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort is changing its roof top landscape by adding six wind turbines to the 25-story all-suite resort located across from the Atlantic Ocean on AIA in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The 374-suite resort has been committed to saving energy since opening in 2007 and was the first hotel in Fort Lauderdale Beach to be awarded a Florida green lodging designation. Continuing the commitment of going above and beyond environmental regulations and voluntarily implementing hotel conservation programs, the hotel has begun installation of the six wind turbines that will help reduce energy consumption that will...

TORONTO—This September, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will reach out and support local charitable organizations during the luxury hotel brand’s Community Connections Month. As part of Fairmont’s new Sustainability Partnership program and the brand’s ongoing commitment to proactively engage with its local communities, hotel colleagues in participating locations will be rolling up their sleeves and pitching in, whether it be volunteering at a shelter, highlighting the preservation of a threatened species like bees, raising funds for at-risk children or lending a helping hand (or hammer) to improve facilities for the elderly. Hotel guests can also get involved from donating money...

PLAYA OCOTAL, NICARAGUA—The owners of Morgan’s Rock Hacienda and Ecolodge on 4,500 acres in Playa Ocotal State, Nicaragua, announced plans to create a second boutique lodge destination on a 5,000-acre coffee plantation surrounded by primary growth rainforest in the north of the country. The lodge will built in the next two years. Eric and Carolina Poncon envision their second upscale eco-lodge as yet another step in fulfilling their vision of putting their family lands to productive agriculture, forestry and tourism use—but only if it’s done sustainably. Instead of building mega resorts, which Eric Poncon says is not in the family’s DNA,...

OTTAWA, ONT.—The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) is now accepting entries for the 2013 Hall of Fame Awards of Excellence. In its tenth year the Hall of Fame Awards program continues the Association’s tradition of acknowledging the strong standards and values of those involved in and with the lodging industry.  The awards program recognizes those individuals, companies or properties that have demonstrated significant accomplishments, exemplary leadership and tireless commitment to the industry in the following divisions:The Energy & Environment Award—Recognizes lodging properties that have developed a culture towards integrating environmental management practices that improve everyday operations and the bottom...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A new report published by the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Greenprint Center for Building Performance suggests that the global real estate industry continues to make progress in improving the environmental performance of existing buildings.Volume 4 of the Greenprint Performance Report, which measures and tracks the performance of 3,232 buildings owned by Greenprint’s members, demonstrates a year-over-year reduction of 3.2 percent in energy consumption and 3.4 percent in carbon emissions. The report finds that the reduction in carbon emissions equates to nearly 268,400 barrels of oil not consumed, 24,044 cars taken off the road, and more than 2.9 million...