WEST PALM BEACH, FLA.—3 Pillar Solutions, LLC announced the launch of their online 3Pillar Hotel Sustainability Assessment, eliminating what can sometimes be unaffordable on-site consulting and travel fees. This comprehensive 238-question assessment takes a comprehensive snapshot of the entire operations. Shortly after submittal, a custom-tailored report of recommendations for improvement and cost savings are provided, along with a 3Pillar Hotel Sustainability Guide offering education in all areas of sustainable hospitality, from food waste prevention, stakeholder engagement strategies, to adopting the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals 2030 locally. “The 3P Hotel Sustainability Assessment by 3 Pillar Solutions provided a comprehensive and affordable...

SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA—The owners of Song Saa Private Island—Cambodia’s first luxury coastal resort, renown internationally for its commitment to environment and social sustainability—announced the launch of a new project, centered in the Cambodian province of Siem Reap: the Song Saa Reserve. Building on the knowledge and success of Song Saa Private Island and its sister NGO, the Song Saa Foundation, the Song Saa Reserve seeks to fulfil Rory and Melita Hunter’s vision of creating a commercially successful, ethically led integrated resort: a place where all luxury tourism blends effortlessly with initiatives that restore and improve the local natural and human...

ORLANDO—In response to Hurricane Michael, Clean the World is answering to the need for hygiene and relief supplies in affected areas with plans to assemble and distribute 50,000 emergency relief kits. After working around the clock to provide 50,000 relief kits to areas devastated by flooding in the Carolinas after Hurricane Florence, many of Clean the World’s supplies are running low in addition to drained financial resources due to shipping and costs associated with the distribution of kits from Orlando and Las Vegas facilities. In order to provide much needed relief and comfort to displaced families overwhelmed by the devastation of...

PALMA, MALLORCA, SPAIN—Meliá Hotels International announced that it is joining the #PorElClima community as part of its commitment to combat climate change. The platform is a pioneering Spanish project which brings together individuals, companies, organizations and public administration with a common goal: concrete actions to ensure Spain complies with its Paris Agreement commitment to reduce emissions. The 2015 Paris Agreement defined objectives for slowing down global warming and limiting the increase in the Earth’s temperature to 1.5°C, which would considerably reduce the risks and impact of climate change. Meliá Hotels International plays a leading role in combatting climate change within the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST) released The Case for Responsible Travel: Trends & Statistics 2018, which includes an in-depth look at the complex issue of overtourism and the role of responsible travel in developing solutions. The new CREST report considers overtourism trends in five distinct types of destinations and concludes that the principles of responsible travel and visitor education provide a vital framework for effectively addressing the issue. It also highlights growing consumer demand for authentic and meaningful travel experiences and analyzes the role of tourism businesses in mainstreaming responsible travel. Trends & Statistics 2018 updates CREST’s previous industry...

MALOLO ISLAND, FIJI—The annual Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) has announced the winners for the HICAP 2018 Sustainable Hotel Awards and Six Senses Fiji has taken the title in the Climate Action Category. The awards are designed to recognize hotels in the Asia Pacific region, creating innovative new methods, strategies and technologies to face today’s sustainable development challenge, while providing tangible examples of sustainable best practices that can be replicated and adapted across the region. For climate efforts, Six Senses Fiji is honored to have been awarded top spot for a range of initiatives that are practiced within the resort....

PHILADELPHIA—Hersha Hotels and Resorts announced that EarthView, their corporate social responsibility platform, will be providing support to the Waterboys program—the hallmark initiative of the Chris Long Foundation. Hersha will donate $1 from the sale of each EarthView water bottle that is purchased at their hotels towards the funding of wells in East Africa. Launched in 2015 by Philadelphia Eagles’ Chris Long, Waterboys unites NFL players from across the league in service. The charity provides underserved rural communities in emerging economies with clean, safe and sustainable water per well by drilling wells serving up to 7,500 people at a cost of...

NATIONAL REPORT—Non-organic Cotton linen is standard in hotels today but their environmental impact—from the cotton field to the guestroom—is significant. According to Anna Sova, a provider of luxury organic cotton linen, conventional cotton makes up only 3 percent of the world’s crops but uses 25 percent of the world’s pesticides annually. Every pound of cotton grown has been treated with one-third pound of pesticides. Pesticide residues often can remain in the fabric through the processing and finishing stages of the garment. It is not just the pesticides that pose an environmental and health risk—especially for those workers applying it—it is...

NEW ORLEANS—The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center continues to lead the way into a green future with their award-winning Sustainability Program, which aims to improve the environment through innovations in the use of energy conservation techniques, renewable energy, and more. The Convention Center continues to follow through on its commitment to being a sustainability champion through collaborative efforts with like-minded community partners. Beginning in 2010, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center’s sustainability program continues to be a model of excellence for the steps taken to reduce the building’s impact on the environment. The Convention Center recently...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton announced an initial investment of $1 million to drive sustainable travel and tourism in Africa. To do so, the company will focus on five key areas—Hilton’s Big Five: Youth Opportunity: investing in training and apprenticeship programs to build a strong talent pipeline and tackle identified challenges for youth, including underemployment; Water Stewardship: the expansion of existing partnerships and the creation of new alliances to help Hilton achieve its goal to reduce its water consumption by 50 percent and activate 20 context-based water projects in at-risk communities by 2030; Anti-Human Trafficking: the provision of training and auditing to...