MINNEAPOLIS—Carlson, a global hospitality and travel company with operations in more than 150 countries, announced that Carlson president and CEO Hubert Joly has signed the United Nations Global Compact. The initiative encourages businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies supporting 10 principles in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption. Carlson is one of the first global hospitality and travel companies to become part of the compact, the world’s largest corporate citizenship initiative. It was first announced in Davos by then-U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in January 1999, and it was officially launched at the...

BOSTON—The Comfort Inn & Suites Logan International Airport, a Saunders Group Hotel, is nearing completion of a multi-million dollar eco-driven renovation. Today more than 90 green practices are in place including in-room recycling bins, a food waste composting program that engages guests, a laundry ozone system that eliminates most hot water usage, spa-quality shampoo and soap dispensing systems that eliminate 270 thousand small bottles from entering the waste stream, a pool ionizing system which makes the water sparkling clean without unhealthy chlorine, and a small fleet of CNG (compressed natural gas) shuttles. To promote excellent indoor air quality, the...

BARBADOS—From May 9 to 12, the 11th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism, otherwise known as the Sustainable Tourism Conference, will be held in Barbados. This year’s conference will be held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Center (formally Sherbourne Conference Center). The theme for this year’s conference is “Keeping the Right Balance: Creating Opportunities Through a World Class Sustainable Tourism Product,” and is being organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization in collaboration with the Barbados Tourism Authority. Strategic heritage tourism planning will be the focus of the opening general session, and a panel of experts will examine the subject...

RIVIERA MAYA AND HUATULCO, MEXICO—From vegetable gardens and green houses to a water purification plant, the Barceló Maya Beach Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico, and Barceló Huatulco Beach in Huatulco, Mexico, have embraced the green revolution to help preserve the environment while simultaneously appealing to their eco-conscious guests. Both resorts have even earned the Certified Gold status from Green Globe, a benchmarking program for sustainability in travel and tourism. At Barceló Maya Beach Resort, guests are invited to participate in the resort’s sustainability and energy-saving practices. Throughout the complex, guests can read important information about protecting the local environment and...

PITTSBURGH—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of the Fairmont Pittsburgh, the city’s first premier luxury hotel. Featuring 185 guestrooms, 12,000 square feet of event space and a 6,000 square-foot health club, Fairmont Pittsburgh has made its home at Three PNC Plaza, one of the largest mixed-use buildings to be certified by the United States Green Building Council in accordance with its LEED rating system. Later this year, Fairmont Pittsburgh expects to receive LEED certification at a Gold level, which complements the company’s industry leading Green Partnership, a program focused on operational sustainability and responsible tourism practices. Guestrooms...

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C.—Kiawah Island Golf Resort announced that its second annual Earth Day celebration will take place on April 24, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Night Heron Park. The Kiawah Island Earth Fest features local vendors selling eco-friendly products, artists showcasing works based on the environment, and live entertainment. The event includes the Trashformation Station, where guests can spark their creativity by using clean recyclables and various donated items to construct pieces of art. Trashformation judging and a grand prizewinner will be announced at the end of the festival on the Night Heron Park Stage. Recycling...

LAS VEGAS—Considered the only conference dedicated solely to sustainable hospitality design, Hospitality Design Green Day (HD Green Day) will be presented by Hospitality Design (HD) magazine at the Sands Expo & Convention Center and Venetian Conference Center in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 18, 2010. HD Green Day is the industry’s leading event focused on idea exchange, education and trends related to sustainable design and operations. Co-located with Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference (HD Expo), the event will take place from noon to 4:15 p.m. “HD Green Day provides a unique opportunity to connect with the companies and individuals who...

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK—Yellowstone’s newest gift store—“For Future Generations: Yellowstone Gifts”—has received a special sustainability award from the Association for Retail Environments (A.R.E.) in the category “Consumer Education & Outreach.” A.R.E. is a nonprofit trade association representing the retail environments industry. More than 800 member companies include store fixture suppliers, retail design firms, suppliers of visual merchandising products, and suppliers of materials and equipment for the retail environments industry. Conceived, designed and operated by Xanterra Parks & Resorts, the store opened in 2009 and was dedicated in January 2010. Xanterra converted an existing gift shop in the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel...

AUSTIN, TEXAS—Hospitality technology products and solutions are all in one location at the 2010 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC). The conference and exhibition provides easy access to vendors and experts for those looking for new technology and those needing to make the best of what they already have. Qualified buyers can take advantage of this smart business opportunity with complimentary exhibit hall passes, now available. HITEC 2010, a service of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), is the world’s largest hospitality technology exposition and conference, with an approximately 150,000-square-foot exhibit hall. The event will be held June...

LOGAN, OHIO—The Hocking Hills Tourism Association, located in Southeast Ohio, has launched Hocking Hills Green, a voluntary environmental certification program for the local tourism industry. Twenty-three lodging establishments have already signed up for the program. Participants represent cabins and cottages, campgrounds and horse camps, hotels and motels, and inns and B&Bs. One of the goals of the program is to reduce the environmental footprint of the Hocking Hills travel and hospitality industry. An additional goal is to help promote the Southeast Ohio region—known for its parks, forests, hiking, canoeing, canopy tours, and attractions such as Old Man’s Cave—as a...