ST. MICHAEL, BARBADOS—Some of the world’s most popular and appealing travel destinations are in jeopardy, vulnerable to issues like climate change and unsustainable development. Several leading organizations have joined forces to address these challenges head-on by helping tourism destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America to safeguard their natural and cultural assets, while enhancing communities and securing a vibrant regional economy. The new Sustainable Destinations Alliance for the Americas (SDAA), which was launched today (March 27) at an event in Barbados, marks the largest-scale effort to date through which public and private entities have united to focus on destination...

NATIONAL REPORT—Hotel companies around the world are preparing for the eighth annual Earth Hour on Saturday, March 29 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time. Sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour has grown to involve hundreds of millions of people across 7,000 cities and 154 countries in a collective statement of concern about climate change. While many lodging establishments will be extinguishing lights for an hour and asking guests to do the same, others are using the occasion to build business—offering Earth Hour-inspired drinks, for example.MGM Resorts International will once again dim lights at its resorts....

PORTLAND, ORE.—The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, has been named a Platinum-level “Leader in Sustainable Tourism” by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) and National Geographic Traveler. The award recognizes demonstrable leadership and innovation in preserving and communicating an authentic sense of place through a wisely managed tourism campaign.The awards committee judged the nominees based on how their efforts preserve the environmental, cultural and historical integrity of a destination and how the program demonstrated leadership and innovation and accomplished its goals. The Platinum award is the top-level award.Travel Oregon received the honor for its work implementing...

NEW YORK—On World Water Day, March 22, WHOLE WORLD Water, a social enterprise that unites the hospitality and tourism industry to collectively address one of the world’s most pressing issues, access to clean and safe water, launched a global call to action: Give the #WholeWorldWater.One of the most prominent creative elements is a custom animation of the Yahoo logo to represent the ebb and flow of water, which ran on March 22.The Give the #WholeWorldWater campaign will focus on galvanizing consumers to get involved in simple yet powerful ways. To raise awareness of this new social enterprise and the...

NEWTON, MASS.—TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, announced plans to extend its TripAdvisor GreenLeaders program into Canada and Europe for the first time, following rapid growth in the United States. Developed in consultation with the United Nations Environment Programme, the U.S. Green Building Council, Energy Star, and the International Center for Responsible Tourism Canada, the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders program aims to help travelers around the world plan greener trips by highlighting hotels and B&Bs engaging in environmentally friendly practices.For the first time, hotels and B&Bs in 19 markets, including Canada, U.K., Ireland, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, are able to...

CHICAGO—Most travelers say they prefer to buy from or patronize green vendors and service providers when they are out of town, according to a joint survey conducted by The GO Group, LLC, an international ground transportation provider and GO Airport Express, a GO Group member company based in Chicago.More than 450 people responded to the survey which asked recipients whether they made travel decisions based on companies’ environmentally-friendly practices. Of these, a total of 66 percent said being green has at least some influence on their travel purchases, with nine percent of those noting they always prefer green vendors;...

PORTLAND, ORE.—MeetGreen, a leader in sustainable meeting and conference management, announced the release of the latest version of their Resource Kit featuring many tools and information designed for professional meeting planners and suppliers.The kit includes a new meeting impact measurement tool stylized in the form of a board game. The tool allows meeting planners to visually see the impact of various choices made by conference attendees. What if an attendee packs one less pair of shoes or eats chicken instead of beef? “If One Attendee…” calculates the total impact based on the number of attendees the meeting planner enters....

LAS VEGAS—In response to guest demand for healthy travel options, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino and Delos, a pioneer of Wellness Real Estate, recently completed an expansion of the Stay Well room collection and introduced the new Stay Well Lounge, providing Stay Well guests a sanctuary for private registration and relaxation as well as an elevated level of service throughout their stay.Encompassing the hotel’s entire 14th floor, the Stay Well collection now includes 171 rooms and suites, including a Skyline Marquee Suite. These unique accommodations include more than 20 evidence-based health and wellness features which allow guests to maintain...

EDMONTON, ALBERTA—The Shaw Conference Centre (SCC) officially unveiled its new Sustainability Wall, which showcases a vertical garden by local horticulture company Greenjeans. The garden adds color and visual interest to its location on the pedway level across from Hall D. In addition to the garden, the wall highlights a number of sustainable initiatives at the SCC and throughout the City of Edmonton.“This unique showpiece helps tell our sustainability story,” said Cliff Higuchi, Vice President and General Manager of the Shaw Conference Centre. “The convention centre’s location allows us to connect a thriving downtown with the historic river valley, using...

SHELTON, CONN.—Due to the increasing importance of sustainability in the events industry and calls for more independent certification, global assurance provider BPA Worldwide announced new responsibilities for John Mikstay, who will now oversee BPA’s events supply chain certification services under the new title of Manager, Assurance Services.Effective this month, Mikstay will devote his efforts to new business development for BPA’s growing event sustainability certification offerings to industry standards, including APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meeting Standards and ISO 20121. He will focus on those organizations seeking industry sustainability certification, including venues, convention/visitor bureaus, destinations/cities and accommodations.”Throughout the supply chain, customers and...