BETHESDA, MD.—Westin Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott International, Inc., unveiled its first global brand campaign in more than five years, taking on the disruptions, distractions and unpredictability of travel and empowering travelers to embrace well-being as a way to regain control of their routines and be their best while on the road. The $30 million dollar, integrated advertising campaign—called Let’s Rise—communicates Westin’s commitment to its guests’ well-being before, during and after their stay. Beginning this week, the Let’s Rise campaign will be featured in broadcast, digital, radio and out-of-home channels, with print placements to follow later this year....

PERTH, SCOTLAND—Formerly known as the Green Tourism Business Scheme, the nonprofit Green Tourism will mark 20 years next year as one of the planet’s leading tourism accreditation organizations. Based in Perth, Scotland, Green Tourism now has approximately 2,300 accredited tourism-related businesses in its fold and is still led by its two founders—Jon Proctor, Chief Executive, and Andrea Nicholas, Managing Director. Green Tourism, primarily a U.K.-oriented organization, has been expanding in recent years and now has accredited properties in Canada and Italy. In an interview with Green Lodging News, Proctor said Green Tourism has a pilot project under way in...

ODESSA, FLA. & SINGAPORE—Green Lodging News, lodging’s leading environmental news source, and Greenview, a leader in advancing hotel sustainability, have released the Green Lodging Trends Report 2016. The report details the results of the first annual Green Lodging Survey conducted earlier this year and is available at no cost by clicking here. The report is based on data from more than 2,000 hotels in 44 countries and covers topics ranging from air quality to energy management to staff involvement. The report includes results of more than 100 questions asked in 11 categories. Supporters of this year’s survey include The Arbor...

NATIONAL REPORT—To determine what’s important to travelers when selecting a vacation or business trip location, a recent survey of 1,000 men and women in the United States was conducted by Social Science Research Solutions (SSRS) for Imprint Plus, a leading manufacturer of customized, eco-friendly, name badge and signage systems. When asked if they preferred to stay at eco-friendly establishments, an overwhelming 71 percent of the respondents reported that it was important. The survey also reported that breakfast included in the rate was considered to be an important offering in selecting a place to stay by 41 percent of the...

RESTON, VA.—Being environmentally friendly is a growing trend, and the Westin Reston Heights walks the walk, taking home the 2016 Green Travel Leader Award. The award was given by the Commonwealth of Virginia’s travel arm, the Virginia Tourism Corp. Located just outside of Washington, D.C., the hotel is managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts, an operator of over 100 hotels throughout North America, including 14 in the Washington, D.C. area. “We are so proud to have won this award among the countless hotels in the state of Virginia,” said Don Anderson, Complex General Manager, who oversees the hotel and the adjacent Sheraton...

BETHESDA, MD.—HIP Network announced the acquisition of sustainability platform Convene Green from ASAE (American Society of Association Executives). Previously a stand-alone brand within the ASAE Membership Toolset, Convene Green is positioned to become a preeminent industry benchmark for innovative event organizers, hotels, destinations and suppliers who service the meetings and events sector. “We recognize that event sustainability is still one of the most underserved areas within our industry,” said Dan Sherman, Founder & CEO at HIP Network. “As a brand who represents some of the most influential Association & Corporate Planners and Suppliers, the HIP Network platform allows Convene Green...

MIAMI—The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) recently reported that global wellness tourism revenues grew 14 percent from 2013 to 2015 (to $563 billion), more than twice as fast as overall tourism (6.9 percent)—while also projecting that this “unstoppable” travel category would grow another 37.5 percent, to $808 billion, by year 2020. The GWI just released new data, revealing that international wellness tourism revenues have been growing at a significantly faster clip (20 percent from 2013 to 2015) than domestic wellness travel (11 percent). And that secondary wellness tourism (wellness services sought during travel, but where wellness is not the main purpose...

TAMPA, FLA.—Advanced air purification, circadian rhythm lighting, dawn simulation and aromatherapy are just some of the new amenities in the newly opened Stay Well rooms at Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina. Created by Delos, the Stay Well room concept offers evidence-based health and wellness features to help travelers while they’re on the road. Wellness offerings have become increasingly important for business and leisure travelers. Marriott’s new Stay Well rooms offer a holistic hospitality experience to help minimize the impact travel has on the body and mind. Rooms strive to reduce the effects of jet lag, decrease stress, enable more...

NEEDHAM, MASS.—TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, today announced its commitment to launch a set of industry-leading actions, including changes to its policy on selling tickets to animal attractions, and the launch of a new education portal to help inform travelers about the standards of care for wild, captive, and endangered species in tourism and their interactions with tourists, and their impact on wildlife conservation. TripAdvisor and its Viator brand will discontinue selling tickets for specific tourism experiences where travelers come into physical contact with captive wild animals or endangered species, including but not limited to elephant rides, petting tigers,...

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND—MCI, a key driver of innovation in global meetings, events, association and congress industries has launched its 2015 Sustainability Report: Harnessing the Power of Community. The seventh sustainability report to date, Harnessing the Power of Community reports on MCI’s annual progress according to the U.N. Global Compact principles and follows the Global Reporting Initiative’s G4 Framework to improve the structure, completeness and comparability of its reports. “Looking to 2016—and beyond—it is clear that corporations have a responsibility to deliver the most responsible products, and we play a key role in changing behaviors and enabling more sustainable commerce,” said Sebastien...