NATIONAL REPORT—Imagine as a hotel general manager or chief engineer never having to worry about energy budgets, energy deviations and energy conservation. This is a new marketing strategy being employed by suppliers of gas and electricity to the hotel industry. These suppliers are commonly known as energy “remarketers.” The concept is fairly simple. The remarketer approaches the hotel owner, general manager or chief engineer with a proposal that entails just one payment every month for all forms of energy, regardless of how much energy the hotel uses. At first glance, this proposal may seem very attractive, as the negotiated figure...

SAN JUAN, P.R.—“Enhancing the Business of Tourism—The Path to Sustainability” is the general theme of the Green Globe International Conference and the Green Tourism Conference to be held November 1 to 3 at the Half Moon Hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The conference is a joint staging of the second biennial International Green Globe Conference (the inaugural edition was held March 2004 in New Zeeland) and the third biennial Caribbean Green Tourism Conference. The 2006 edition is being organized by the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) with the assistance of its parent organization, the Caribbean Hotel Assn.,...

OAKLAND, GUATEMALA—Eco hotel Uxlabil Atitlán, part of Uxlabil Hotels, announced that it has received awards three times this year for its efforts in the area of social responsibility. The last of these awards was received August 22. For the first time in Guatemala there were six awards publicly given to Socially Responsible Enterprises in six different categories. In the category of Opportunities to Reduce Poverty, the winner was Banco del Café; the second place award was given to Eco hotel Uxlabil. The next day both enterprises shared their experiences and the specific manner in which their work has benefited families...

NATIONAL REPORT—Ten billion. That is the estimated number of shower amenity packaging pieces that are thrown away annually by the world’s hotels. Thanks to efforts by dispenser vendors and participating hotels, however, those mountains of shampoo bottles are getting just a little bit smaller. Especially in four- and five-diamond hotels, resistance to using dispensers has been great. “Franchisors oftentimes don’t consider them as safe, secure and attractive,” says Ray Burger, president of Saint Charles, Mo.-based Pineapple Hospitality, a seller of amenity dispensers. Dispensers are becoming more common in three-star and lower properties. The perception has been that guests love to take home...

SOUTHAMPTON, BERMUDA—The Fairmont Southampton has achieved designation as a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System (ACSS), the educational division of Audubon International. Jason Pick, assistant superintendent, has led the effort to obtain sanctuary status for the property’s golf course and is being recognized for Environmental Stewardship by Audubon International. The Fairmont Southampton is the first golf course in Bermuda and the 617th in the world to receive the honor. “Fairmont Southampton has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program,” says Shawn Williams, staff ecologist for the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Programs. “They are to...

LONDON—The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has issued a call for entries for the 2007 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. The awards, now in their third year under WTTC stewardship, promote and reward best practices in travel and tourism all over the world. There are four categories for entry, allowing for applications from tourism destinations, businesses and organizations. The categories are: • Destination Award: for destinations of any size that show a commitment to responsible tourism development; • Conservation Award: for any tourism organization committed to the protection of natural and cultural heritage; • Investor in People...

BROOMFIELD, COLO.—Vail Resorts Inc. and the National Forest Foundation have partnered together to raise money for conservation projects in the White River National Forest in Colorado and the national forests of Lake Tahoe Basin in California and Nevada, where Vail Resorts operates its five mountain resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly. Throughout the 2006-2007 winter season, Vail Resorts will offer guests at its five mountain resorts the opportunity to participate in a special fundraising effort by contributing $1 on season passes, $1 on online lift ticket transactions, and $1 per room night at its Colorado-based...

ATLANTA—As the hotel industry continues to enjoy strong trends in occupancy and rate in its third year of recovery, there are increasing signs that the pace of increases in certain areas on the expense side of the ledger is gaining momentum. According to a recent study, from 2001 to 2005, hotel maintenance expenses grew 18.3 percent. This is nearly 33 percent greater than the pace of growth for all other hotel operating costs during this same period. As a result of these relatively strong increases, maintenance department costs as a percent of total hotel operating expenses have averaged...

NATIONAL REPORT—The next time you think about throwing away a fluorescent lamp, think twice. Fluorescents contain a small amount of hazardous material—mercury. In fact, it is the mercury that conducts the charge that produces light. When disposed of improperly, the mercury can cause great harm to not only the environment, but to every link in the food chain—humans included. As of November 2004, according to a report released by the Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers, 70 percent of the mercury lamps used by businesses were not being recycled. Throughout the United States, regulations vary on proper disposal of fluorescent...

SAN JUAN, P.R.—The Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) has updated its logo and corporate identity, following the approval of the board of directors during the organization’s annual industry conference (CHIC 2006) in Miami. The new brand image reflects the changing Caribbean tourism industry. “An organization’s logo is its face to the world,” says Alec Sanguinetti, director general and c.e.o. of CHA. “After 46 years without making any change of substance to our image, we decided it was time to have a significant makeover, mainly to better reflect today’s Caribbean hotel and tourism sector.” Sanguinetti says the new image...