NEW YORK—Booking.com has released new research, with insights gathered from more than 33,000 travelers across 35 countries and territories, that highlights a dilemma where people feel potentially forced to choose between cutting costs and being more mindful about making more sustainable travel choices. At a time of general global uncertainty, traveling more sustainably continues to be front of mind for U.S. travelers, with two thirds (67 percent) believing people need to act now and make more sustainable choices to save the planet for future generations. The news continues to be a key influence driver for 44 percent, who say...

NATIONAL REPORT—The Vacationer has posted its Sustainable Travel Survey 2023. Click here to see it. The survey was conducted before Earth Day 2023 to find out how Americans feel about sustainable travel, how many are willing to spend more money to travel sustainably, how many plan on making more eco-friendly decisions when planning travel, and what the most important factor is when booking travel. Unfortunately, the results show sentiment is down this year compared to last year. The anonymous survey included 1,017 American adults over the age of 18 and was conducted online using SurveyMonkey’s interface/audience from March 1, 2023, to...

MIAMI—1 Hotels, the luxury lifestyle hotel brand that cultivates the best of sustainable design and architecture, together with extraordinary comfort and an unrivaled level of service, will celebrate Earth Month with a series of brand and property offerings that honor the beauty of the natural world, promote environmental unity and encourage individuals to take small steps towards sustainability. For the month of April, all eight carbon-neutral properties in North America will launch activities and initiatives that promote a more collective effort towards protecting our planet. As a mission driven brand, 1 Hotels aims to serve as a platform for change....

CHANNEL ISLANDS HARBOR, CALIF.—While it has received minimal attention in the United States, a new law proposed by the European Union (EU) will require manufacturers and other organizations to prove their product’s green claims. The goal is to eliminate greenwashing, which studies find is more prevalent in Europe—and many other places worldwide—than we may realize. For instance, in January 2021, the European Commission, a politically independent arm of the EU, published the results of a study involving 344 claims on European company websites. According to the researchers, forty-two percent of those green claims were “exaggerated, false, or misleading.” The Commission went on to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Travel Association launched a first-of-its-kind initiative, JourneyToClean.com, to share the collective story of the U.S. travel industry’s bold vision for achieving greater sustainability. The initiative consists of more than 100 examples of sustainable travel practices from a diverse cross-section of more than 50 travel businesses. “The travel industry embraces sustainability initiatives and business practices because it is good for the planet and it’s good for business,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman. “Travelers and businesses alike are demanding more sustainable options, and our industry is evolving to meet the needs of travelers now and for...

DUBAI, U.A.E.—Dubai, U.A.E.-based Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, has launched its Green Collection, bringing under one umbrella nearly 200 hotels, resorts and palaces operated by GHA hotel brands that are demonstrating their commitment to protecting people and the planet. Every Green Collection property has attained at least one certification from a globally recognized environmental organization, with EarthCheck, Green Growth 2050, Green Key and Green Globe among the 15 leading certification bodies represented, and each requiring hotels to meet the highest international standards for sustainability initiatives and performance, with regular third-party audits conducted to...

DUBUQUE, IOWA—Innovative Ink Publishing, an imprint of Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, has released Sustainable Hospitality, written by green hospitality industry expert Dan Ruben. The textbook provides hospitality professionals and students with the knowledge and resources to make their properties environmentally sustainable. “The target audience is hospitality professionals who work for hotels, cruise ships, and other hospitality sectors, as well as hospitality students,” Ruben says. “Managers of senior living facilities, dormitories, and other lodging facilities will benefit from this book, too. Sustainable Hospitality offers a roadmap to a leaner operation—one where less energy and water are consumed, and where less waste is generated....

CHANNEL ISLANDS HARBOR, CALIF.—While it has received minimal attention in the United States, a new law proposed by the European Union (EU) will require manufacturers and other organizations to prove their product’s green claims. The goal is to eliminate greenwashing, which studies find is more prevalent in Europe—and many other places worldwide—than we may realize. For instance, in January 2021, the European Commission, a politically independent arm of the EU, published the results of a study involving 344 claims on European company websites. According to the researchers, 42 percent of those green claims were “exaggerated, false, or misleading.” Defining Greenwashing The Commission went on...

Over the past few years, like all companies, Amadeus has been working both internally and externally, on the impact of its actions with regards to sustainability. However, I believe we have reached a tipping point, particularly in corporate travel, where sustainability is now starting to drive the conversation. We are at a decisive moment in time where governments and organizations move from commitments to actions; from measurement to reducing carbon emissions, and from looking at one sustainability issue to a more holistic view with more elements. For instance, many airlines are defining clear and ambitious “net-zero emission targets by X”...

BARCELONA, SPAIN—While the hotel industry is awash in sustainability certifications, there is a dearth of them in the short-term rental (STR) sector. Until now, owners of short-term rentals haven’t had an STR-specific standard to work toward. Vanessa de Souza Lage, founder and CEO of Sustonica, aims to change that. Her Barcelona-based startup awards properties a “certification for environmental sustainability” that she claims is the first sustainability certification open to all STRs, regardless of where they’re listed. STR sustainability is “a very confusing world as you may find lots and lots of contradicting information,” de Souza Lage says. The industry needs “one certification,...