LONDON—Polar explorer Pen Hadow, the first person to sledge alone from Canada to the North Geographic Pole without any resupplying, is set to put WTM World Responsible Tourism Day in the spotlight when he officially launches the day of action at World Travel Market on Wednesday, November 14, 2007. The major global initiative, in association with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), “is a unique opportunity for governments, the travel industry, local communities and travelers to show that it is practical contributions that count, not just talk,” says Fiona Jeffery, World Travel Market’s Managing Director. “We are delighted that...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK—California’s LodgingSavers program is going strong after just one year in operation. Introduced at last fall’s California Lodging Expo, it now has approximately 150 participants, including several properties in Yosemite National Park that are managed by Delaware North Companies (DNC). LodgingSavers is implemented by Ecology Action, Santa Cruz, Calif., and funded by California utility ratepayers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. LodgingSavers is open to properties throughout California that are serviced by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E). According to Aaron Glade, program specialist for Ecology Action, LodgingSavers is attractive to hoteliers because of the...

NEEDHAM, MASS.—TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel community, announced the results of its annual travel trends survey of more than 2,500 travelers from around the world. Top trends identified in the survey are concerns about germs, the growth of green tourism, and opposition to cell phone use on planes. Eighty percent of respondents are concerned about germs, bacteria and viruses when traveling. Airplanes are the biggest concern, according to 28 percent of those polled. Public transportation was next, followed by restaurants, hotels, and airports. Respondents outside the United States were particularly worried about the risk of germs at restaurants, while...

CONCORD, N.H.—The New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association underlined the move toward greening hospitality at its recent annual Hospitality Expo. The show, held at the Center of New Hampshire in Manchester, featured its first ever green aisle, but also found many vendors outside the aisle showing off their green lines, many of which are certified by Green Seal. The “Greening Your Property” seminar saw a standing room only crowd. The seminar featured tips on making hospitality operations more sustainable, information on the nhsaves rebate program for small business, integrating New Hampshire products into menus and developing green programs...

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—This winter, the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is inviting guests to travel green, escape to the Sonoran Desert’s warm weather and learn about local conservation efforts during private, half-day guided hikes as part of its new Sonoran Eco-Education Package. During their trek with an expert guide from 360 Adventures, guests will learn first-hand about the flora and fauna of the region and will be treated to an “insider’s” view of the desert to learn not only about its ecology, but also about conservation and how to enjoy nature while “leaving no trace.” In addition to the hike, this package features...

NEW YORK—The 20-day national Energy Star Change a Light Bus Tour concluded with nearly 1 million Americans across the country pledging to change more than 2.6 million lights to help fight climate change. This represents a potential savings of nearly $70 million in energy costs and prevention of 1 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson ended the 10-city tour at Manhattan’s Union Square. “Some have said one person can’t change the world,” Johnson says. “Well, how about a million people? By teaching nearly a million Americans that protecting the environment and saving money is...

NEW YORK—The Sugar Hill Harlem Inn, housed in a historic building more than 100 years old, is finalizing the installation of 18 solar panels on its roof. Jeremy Archer, owner of the five-room inn, expects the panels to supply one-half of the building’s electricity needs. The panels cost the inn $17,000 but a grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) covered one-third of the costs. A low-interest loan from New York City’s Neighborhood Housing Services also is helping to defray the expenses. Archer says part of the requirement for obtaining the NYSERDA grant was that...

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CALIF.—Although environmental conservation is an important topic across the globe and, in response, many hotels have implemented environmentally friendly programs at their properties, nearly one-half of European hotel guests are unaware of them, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 European Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study. The study found that a large majority of hotel guests (77 percent) who are aware of the environmentally friendly programs their property offers say they willingly participate in them. However, while 49 percent of European hotel guests say that they knew of their hotel’ conservation programs during a recent stay, almost...

PORTLAND, ORE.—The Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Portland-Lloyd Center announced that the property has won the Grand Prize at the 2007 Metafore Innovation Awards. This prize is awarded to the company that offers product and service innovations for reducing or offsetting climate change through new methods and processes. The prizes recognize companies across the United States and internationally. The awards were announced at the 2007 Corporate Climate Response Conference in Chicago. This two-day conference included a panel discussion by the awards finalists, as well as presentations on sustainability and climate change strategy by experts representing companies such as Ford...

HONOLULU, HAWAII—Outrigger Hotels & Resorts received top honors for its commitment to the marine environment in the Travel and Tourism Business category of the Third Annual Hawaii’s Living Reef Program Awards. Sponsored by the Coral Reef Outreach Network, the award recognized Outrigger’s responsible stewardship of sensitive shoreline areas, and its ongoing collaborations with various government agencies and nonprofit organizations dedicated to preserving Hawaii’s environment. The award was presented to the hotelier at a special ceremony held on September 21, 2007, during which Outrigger was commended for its support of multiple public education efforts about the environment, even though the environment...