ITHACA, N.Y.—The Hotel Ithaca, boasting 98.8 percent totality, is offering a Solar Eclipse Package on Sunday through Tuesday, April 7 to 9, to include an Eclipse Viewing Party along with special amenities. Sell-outs are anticipated, so consumers are encouraged to book now. Rooms can be reserved by visiting thehotelithaca.com or calling (607) 272-1000. The Solar Eclipse Package includes: Deluxe accommodations for two guests (additional nights may be added); Keepsake blankets for two; Eclipse-viewing eyeglasses for two; Eclipse Viewing Party from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday; Heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar; and DJ entertainment. It is a two-night minimum package....

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND—South Pole’s latest annual Net Zero Report found that the majority of surveyed companies in nine of the 14 major sectors are intentionally decreasing their climate communications, otherwise known as “greenhushing”, first evidenced by South Pole in 2022. This year’s report, which surveyed over 1,400 companies with dedicated sustainability leads, across 12 countries and 14 sectors, takes a closer look at companies choosing to not publicize their climate strategies or goals and deliberately decrease or cease external communications around them. The report confirms, for the first time, that the trend of greenhushing is present across nearly every major sector around the...

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK—BeCause, the technology start-up transforming how the global hospitality, travel and tourism industries manage their sustainability data, announced an expanded partnership with hubli, the leading online marketplace and booking platform for corporate meetings, events and group hotel lodging. This partnership will allow hubli to add an ever-growing list of over 25,000 eco-labelled hotels on its platform, giving clients better visibility on a hotel’s environmental footprint and allowing them to book options that comply with their environmental, social and governance policies. With the BeCause sustainability API, hubli will be able to collect sustainability data from over sixty Travalyst-recognized certifications and automatically map it...

In the dynamic hospitality landscape, the overlap of sustainability and profitability brings a paradigm of consideration. It’s not just about shrinking carbon footprints; it’s also about broadening the horizons for revenue and loyalty. The quest to be green is now a golden key to customer retention, answering the call of the conscious traveler and carving out a market niche that marries ethical stewardship with business savvy. We know that traveler demand is growing and according to Booking.com’s 2023 report, the commitment to answering the demand is on the rise: “over 400,000 travel partners have earned a Travel Sustainable Badge, with...

Over the years the events industry has agreed upon several versions of steps it should take to reduce the environmental impact of events. On December 11 at ExCeL London, the Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) initiative published seven best practice guidance and methodology documents to aid the global events industry in reducing carbon emissions and achieving net-zero goals. The documents range from 12 to 93 pages in length and include links to many helpful resources. Be sure to review these documents and support the efforts behind them. The seven documents include: Smart Production & Waste Management Guidance—This document is divided into...

SANTA FE, N.M.—On April 8, 2024, a Total Solar Eclipse will sweep across the United States from Texas to Maine sending millions of Americans into darkness. A total of 31 million Americans currently live inside the path of totality. Millions more will travel on eclipse day to witness nature’s greatest sight. Knowing how many people may come, and the places they will gather is important information for communities, first responders, and businesses inside the path. To aid community planners and help eclipse visitors avoid the worst traffic, Great American Eclipse has developed a geographic model to estimate how many people will travel...

DUBAI, U.A.E.—WebBeds has partnered with BeCause—a sustainability technology start-up transforming how companies in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries manage their sustainability data—to scale up the number of properties tagged as “eco-certified” on WebBeds booking platforms. BeCause will enable WebBeds to automatically match hotels in its database to those with Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GTSC) credentials (currently 49 recognized standards). Individual properties that meet GTSC criteria will receive an eco-friendly identifier on WebBeds’ booking platforms, which travel trade partners can use to book hotel stays for the end traveler aligned with their values on sustainability. Daryl Lee, WebBeds CEO said, “Partnering...

Green Lodging News has posted numerous articles highlighting the degree of consumer interest in sustainable travel. New research from Phocuswright shows those consumers are not walking their talk. According to Phocuswright’s travel research report Sustainability Dissonance: What Travelers Say vs. What They Do (and What to Do About It), travelers often have good intentions, but they lack an understanding of how to travel sustainably, and sustainability considerations rarely impact their trip decisions. Knowledge of travelers’ awareness of the issues, motivations to travel sustainably, travel behaviors and how much responsibility they are willing to take for the health of the destinations they...

The future of transportation is undoubtedly electric, and the United States is on the verge of an EV revolution. Investments by the government in publicly accessible EV charging stations are critical to bringing in this shift. The recently announced National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding gives state and local governments a powerful weapon for shaping the landscape of the U.S. EV charging infrastructure. The implications of this funding reach far and wide, impacting various industries, including hospitality. Hospitality owners and managers play a vital role in accommodating the growing number of EV owners, and by understanding what NEVI funding means...

BETHESDA, MD.—The Ritz-Carlton announced a new Ritz Kids program, designed to engage young guests with immersive and unforgettable travel experiences across all of its 15 hotels in Greater China. In key cities from Beijing to Shanghai, Guangzhou, Sanya and Hong Kong, Leo the Lion, the program’s newest mascot, will engage with kids on bespoke activities and adventures around the hotels as they learn about local art, culture, cuisine, and nature. Kids will also receive a take-home Leo the Lion plush toy as a keepsake of their stay. As part of the newly evolved program, the highly popular Ritz Kids Night Safari also...