ORLANDO, FLA.—From lodging brand preferences to leisure travel party composition and emerging attitudes about “green” travel, recent changes in the U.S. economy have resulted in fundamental shifts in the way Americans plan and purchase travel services. The most recent findings may be found in the just-released Ypartnership/Yankelovich, Inc. 2009 National Travel MONITOR, a nationally representative survey of 1,590 leisure travelers conducted during the first calendar quarter of 2009. The 186-page publication, now in its 18th year, contains a comprehensive examination of the travel habits, preferences and intentions of Americans. It serves a strategic planning tool for organizations specializing in marketing...

BOULDER, CO.—Renewable Choice Energy, a national provider of renewable energy credits and carbon offsets, has launched Green Your Event to empower meeting and event planners at hotels and event centers to support wind power and carbon reduction by offsetting event facilities, attendee travel, and more. A number of boutique and hotel chain branches kicked off the program last month including Chicago’s Talbott Hotel, Marriott’s Fairfield Inn & Suites, Baltimore; DoubleTree Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and the Hotels Parisi and L’Auberge Del Mar in La Jolla, Calif. “We chose to be a Green Your Event partner because the program allows us to...

OKLAHOMA CITY—The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department is developing a program to promote sustainable travel in that state. Still in its early planning stages, one goal of the program will also be to educate tourism-related businesses and consumers about sustainable travel. The program, still without a name or branding logo, will include a certification initiative for tourism-related businesses such as hotels. Educational workshops and online educational materials also will be provided. The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department is working with the state’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and other agencies to put together the program. “We are planning to test...

HEATHROW, FLA.—Green Lodging News has learned that AAA will include an “eco” icon in its 2010 TourBook editions to indicate properties that promote environmental and energy conservation. The “eco” option will also be included as an advanced search option in AAA’s hotels section on its website. Only those properties that are AAA approved or Diamond rated will be eligible. Properties must also be a certified green lodging site as part of one of a number of state or national green lodging programs. For example, in order for a property in Florida to be included, it must be not only...

PHOENIX—On Friday, June 26, Dover Downs Hotel and Casino, located in Dover, Delaware, became the 700th lodging property to complete iStayGreen.org’s online self-audit. The hotel and casino earned a 4 Green Eco-Leaf Rating. The eco-rating allows the public to know the specific environmental initiatives in place at a property. Properties complete the comprehensive online self-audit and earn a Green Eco-Leaf Rating ranging from one to five Eco-Leafs with 5 Green Eco-Leafs being the highest level attainable. Ratings are based on environmental initiatives in place at the property. Only 14 properties have earned the 5 Green Eco-Leaf Rating thus far; eight...

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—Sustainability will have a prominent place on the agenda at the Meeting Professionals International’s (MPI) World Education Congress, to be held July 11 to 14 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. Eight educational sessions will touch on topics such as corporate social responsibility and green meetings, and attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a community service project. MPI has incorporated the principles of the first sustainable event standard, British Standard 8901, into the Salt Lake City event. This includes planning for the event, on-site implementation of the event, and a...

CHICAGO—The American Hotel & Lodging Assn. (AH&LA) announced the winners of the AH&LA Achievement Awards, part of the annual Stars of the Industry Awards, which honor stand-out initiatives at hotel properties. In a ceremony held during the AH&LA Summer Summit at the Hilton Chicago, these awards, which have been awarded annually since 1966, distinguish individual hotels that have developed outstanding programs, events, and campaigns. Winners were chosen for awards in the categories of Good Earthkeeping, Guest Relations, Outstanding Community Service, Special Events (one-time event and ongoing), as well as exceptional diversity initiatives. The environment and community service award winners...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Impact Enterprises as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. The company’s eco-friendly presentation products have been used by the lodging industry since 2003. Impact offers unique, quality, durable custom presentation folders, menu covers, guest services directory covers, tabletop accessories and corporate gifts all manufactured from materials that minimally impact the environment. To learn more, call (866) 370-0340, e-mail rsalisbury@impactenterprises.com, or go to www.impactenterprises.com.

BETHESDA, MD.—Through Marriott’s Spirit to Preserve program, the company announced It is rolling out “Green Events” at all Continental Europe JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts and Courtyard by Marriott Hotels. The largest hotel industry initiative of its kind, this program builds on Marriott’s aggressive environmental strategy, applying the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle to all events and meetings in Continental Europe, making them more eco-friendly and helping guests and meeting planners reduce their environmental impact. Last year, Marriott hotels throughout the United States began to offer green meetings and it...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Tough times may be turning road warriors into eco-warriors. The faltering economy—not the fragile environment—is the biggest motivator for frequent travelers who have become “more conscious of waste” according to a survey commissioned by Element Hotels, which is launching The Element Eco-Travel Index, an annual index of green travel habits among frequent travelers. Element is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.’s newest lifestyle hotel brand and innovation lab for environmentally sustainable construction, building and operational practices. Element is the first major hotel brand to mandate that all its properties pursue the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in...