NEW YORK—Preferred Travel Group, parent company of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Beyond Green, Historic Hotels of America, Historic Hotels Worldwide, PTG Consulting, and Beyond Green Travel, is reaffirming its commitment to sustainable tourism and climate action with the development of a comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CAP). Created in partnership with the Travel Foundation, a prominent international sustainable tourism organization, this initiative builds on the organization’s signing of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. It underscores Preferred Travel Group’s proactive role in leading by example to drive necessary change within the travel industry. Acknowledging the urgent need for climate leadership, scalable...

NEW YORK—The Open Wing Alliance (OWA), a leading global coalition of 95 animal protection organizations in over 70 countries, has released the inaugural Fair and Fowl: Global Companies Edition. This comprehensive report addresses the urgent need for corporate transparency in the fast-growing cage-free movement. It ranks global companies with cage-free egg commitments, highlighting the “early birds” leading the way in their transitions and the “bad eggs” refusing to disclose progress despite their public promises. Companies that publish progress reports build consumer trust and showcase their dedication to responsible sourcing, while those engaging in “greenhushing”—concealing their progress to avoid scrutiny—risk...

Diversity and inclusion (DE&I) are not just buzzwords—they are critical components of success and longevity in the hospitality and events industry. Event management professionals, often at the forefront of customer experience and staff coordination, play a pivotal role in embedding DE&I principles into the fabric of hospitality operations. Here’s why DE&I is vital and how you can champion inclusivity for both staff and customers. Hospitality is all about creating memorable experiences for diverse groups of people. Regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, abilities, etc., you need to create a hospitable experience for all customers. By embracing DE&I,...

TAMPA, FLA.—Wellness in Travel & Tourism (WITT), an independent organization composed of experts with over 125 years of combined experience at the intersection of hospitality, wellness, and travel, announced the launch of a wellness certification for hotels and resorts. This groundbreaking initiative aims to transform the hospitality sector by providing prestigious certification criteria that sets properties apart in a competitive market, enabling them to enhance their wellness offerings and attract travelers. “The WITT Certified seal provides hotels and resorts with a significant advantage in attracting travelers by offering objective and rigorous audits of their wellness amenities and services,” said Robin Ruiz, WITT’s CEO and...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Green Key Global—the sustainability certification designed specifically for hotels—announced its first-ever slate of board members and the appointment of Heather McCrory, a hospitality expert with 40 years of experience in the industry, as chair. McCrory recently served as CEO of Accor’s North American and Central American operations, and currently advises the hospitality industry as principal of Heather J. McCrory & Associates. She joins other top hospitality professionals who will guide Green Key Global, the world’s leading hotel sustainability certification provider, which is jointly operated by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC). In addition to McCrory,...

NATIONAL REPORT—Good housekeeping is the backbone of a great hotel. Keeping rooms clean, ensuring the guest experience is top-tier, and reporting any damaged or broken items—it all falls to your housekeepers. That said, it’s possible to have a negative housekeeping experience. Who hasn’t felt the disappointment of returning to their hotel room and discovering it hasn’t been made up? Or wanting to take a nap, but your room is being cleaned? In today’s day and age, guest preferences are a top priority, and as a hotel, you must find ways to impress your guests. But how do you get the balance right when good housekeeping means...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—AHLA Foundation recently announced their third annual No Room for Trafficking Summit will take place July 30, 2024, the same day as the United Nation’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. At last year’s No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) Summit, the inaugural grantees of the NRFT Survivor Fund were announced, including: Safe House Project, Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST), Restore NYC, Inc., University of Maryland Support, Advocacy, Freedom, and Empowerment (SAFE) Center for Human Trafficking Survivors. AHLA Foundation also shared quantitative and qualitative data demonstrating the impact the four Survivor Grantees have made to-date with the $500,000 disseminated across their respective organizations: Collectively, the...

SHAWANO, WIS.—NEWH, Inc. recently announced that Diana Dobin of Valley Forge Fabrics is this year’s NEWH ICON of Industry recipient. Alongside E’lexis Brewer, who was honored with the Harvey Nudelman Memorial Scholarship, sponsored by Fabricut Contract, FR One, and Jacquaia Szucs, awardee of the Diversity in Hospitality Scholarship, a partnership between Hospitality Diversity Action Council (HDAC) and NEWH and underwritten by Emerald, Dobin was announced as the recipient as part of HD Expo’s inaugural Women in Design Awards Breakfast. NEWH’s programming at the Las Vegas conference included a booth on the show floecor for attendees to learn more about the...

TAMPA, FLA.—McKibbon Hospitality, an award-winning leader in third-party hotel management, announced its partnership with Procure Impact, a women-owned B2B marketplace for social enterprise product procurement in the United States. Building on McKibbon’s commitment to responsible sourcing and aligning with the company’s guiding principles of Do the Right Thing, Support Each Other, and Love Your Community, McKibbon has committed to the Dignity of Work Pledge with a goal of creating 7,500 hours of work for overlooked populations through purchases of products on the Procure Impact platform. “At McKibbon, we know the simplest form of hospitality is serving others. Everyone desires to be seen, heard, understood,...

PARIS—In a united front, Kylian Mbappé and Accor exemplify their shared commitment to crafting a more inclusive and sustainable future for all. The partnership seals a long-term commitment aimed at furthering corporate social responsibility and bolstering Kylian Mbappé’s initiatives worldwide. Accommodation support and logistical assistance will be extended to “Inspired by KM” activities, with Kylian Mbappé leveraging Accor’s expansive reach through awareness activations across Accor group channels, notably via its loyalty and distribution platform, ALL.com. This strategic collaboration also enriches ALL.com’s appeal, harnessing Kylian Mbappé’s notable influence to attract members and guests while staying true to Accor’s core values....