On a typical day in the U.S., there are thousands of requests for emergency shelter that are unmet. There are different reasons folks need such housing—domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, and other crimes. Fortunately, an increasing number of hotel companies are stepping up to provide rooms for those victims in need through the Safe Stays by ReloShare alliance. According to ReloShare, there are now more than 13,000 hotels participating. A big supporter of ReloShare has been Choice Hotels International, which, as of January 10, had more than six thousand U.S. hotels activated with ReloShare to provide safe housing solutions. Choice...

BUENOS AIRES—What do 20,000 trees look like? For one, spaced evenly, 20,000 trees would cover more than 32 football fields. Planting 20,000 native trees by August 2023 has become a passion for the team at Say Hueque Argentina Journeys, Argentina’s leading sustainable adventure tour operator. Owner Rafa Mayer has led the company towards an epically ambitious carbon negative, climate positive response to the climate emergency, through the pandemic up to now. Among other efforts, they have already planted more than 5,000 trees in damaged zones of Patagonia to help restore native forests and are rapidly heading towards their goal. Say...

LOS ANGELES—EV Mobility, LLC., the leading all-electric vehicle car-sharing platform and Hotel 1000 Seattle, announced that they have signed an agreement to deploy electric vehicles (EVs) for hotel guests. Hotel 1000 is a gateway to an immersive Seattle experience and is ideally located next to major downtown attractions, including the iconic Pike Place Market, Space Needle, and the newly enhanced waterfront. Smart, modern design in the 120 large guestrooms and suites are enhanced with luxury amenities, which will now include two Model 3 Teslas on-demand at the property. “Having electric vehicles as a hotel amenity, through EV Mobility, adds value to...

NORWALK, CONN.—Booking Holdings, a leading provider of online travel and related services, announced the expansion of its Travel Sustainable program to relevant brands across the Booking Holdings family. The news marks the company’s delivery on its commitment to launch its first-of-its-kind program for accommodations enterprise-wide by the end of 2023. Travel Sustainable provides credible information on impactful sustainability efforts taken by properties worldwide and gives travelers a transparent, consistent and easy-to-understand way to identify a wider range of more sustainable stays, no matter where they want to travel. The aim of the program is to give visibility to accommodations that...

LONDON—Leading digital travel platform Booking.com announced an array of new product features in celebration of the one-year anniversary of its Travel Sustainable program, introduced in 2021 to provide travelers with transparent and credible information to make more mindful choices for their trips. With the ongoing aim to recognize the efforts of a wide range of property types to operate more sustainably and to provide travelers with consistent and easy-to-understand information, the company is introducing three distinct badge levels to the Travel Sustainable program. The new levels have been designed to clearly demonstrate a broader spectrum of where different accommodations are...

There is no denying it. The last two years were difficult for all of us. But as we take a collective breath on the other side of the pandemic and ruminate on the positive takeaways from that time, many of us will settle on the same sentiment—sometimes it’s good to slow down. Our lives, which are so often defined by constant motion, suddenly came to a halt, a change of pace that many of us would never have chosen or stumbled upon organically. As social calendars were cleared of activities, travel plans were postponed, and work obligations came home with...

COLOGNE, GERMANY—HRS, the leading global corporate travel and payment technology platform, and GBTA, the world’s largest business travel association, announced results tied to sustainability and corporate lodging from a comprehensive survey of travel management and procurement leaders from Europe and North America. The results from the survey showcase the increasing frequency of sustainability as a key factor in influencing where millions of business travelers may decide to sleep when they are on the road in 2023 and beyond. According to the research, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) say they would prioritize hotels that have earned a validated sustainability certification (i.e. LEED or HRS Green Stay, for...

PASO ROBLES, CALIF.—The Allegretto Vineyard Resort, nestled in Paso Robles wine country, has recently partnered with Kind Traveler, a hotel booking site and sustainable travel media platform that empowers travelers to positively impact the communities they visit. Kind Traveler Hotels offer special rates and perks upon a $10 nightly donation to a charity that positively impacts the local community. The Allegretto Vineyard Resort chose the Surfrider Foundation SLO, an organization dedicated to protecting and enjoying the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches through a robust activist network. The Allegretto Vineyard Resort, a gem of San Luis Obispo County, has always been interested in...

Offering a unique promotion related to something you have done sustainably can get your company or property in the news and that is exactly what Booking.com has done with its two-night weekend getaway at the new “Smokey Bear Ranger District House” in New Mexico’s Lincoln National Forest, the birthplace of the famed nostalgic environmental icon. After the stay, the sustainable house will be donated to the forest as a place of respite for park rangers and firefighters who dedicate their life’s work to protecting the environment and local communities. Created out of recycled and sustainable materials, Booking.com’s Smokey Bear Ranger...

Inclusion is the practice of allowing diversity and local cultures and communities to thrive while ensuring equitable access to travel for everyone. It’s also understanding intersectional identities and embracing people as complex individuals with unique experiences of discrimination and oppression. As consumers increasingly value inclusion and the industry continues to serve a more diverse customer base, inclusion is critical for travel marketers. Our recent Inclusive Travel Insights Report research shows that seven in 10 consumers would choose a destination, lodging or transportation option that is more inclusive to every type of traveler, even if it is more expensive. This shows that consumers are actively...