LAHAINA, HAWAII—Following on the heels of Earth Day, The Westin Maui Resort & Spa announced a new program, allowing guests to participate in thoughtfully-designed ocean adventures with paddle boarders, boat captains, canoe racers, and others who want to share their respect for the water and passion for the environment with travelers, while giving back to the local community. These watermen and women will also lead guests to learn about the national marine sanctuary fronting Ka’anapali Beach and the importance of “malama aina” (“protecting the land”) through the beach clean-up activity as the sun rises above the majestic Mauna Kahalawai...

MAUI, HAWAII—Continuing efforts to help preserve Hawaii’s marine ecosystem and its special location at Pu‘u Keka‘a (Black Rock), Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa has partnered with Raw Elements USA, a certified-natural, mineral-based, reef-safe sunscreen company, to offer reef-safe sunscreen dispensers throughout the resort. Pu‘u Keka‘a, fronting the resort, is one of the top destinations on Maui to see tropical marine life and vibrant coral reefs. Implementing reef-safe sunscreen dispensers, complimentary for resort guests, is one of the many sustainability initiatives the resort has introduced at a property level to educate guests on ocean conservation and encourage environmentally-conscious choices. In August 2017,...

NATIONAL REPORT—What should public companies do with at least some of their tax savings? The pressure grows for greater investment, not just in employee bonuses, but in human capital. In early February, the highly respected Barrons financial weekly published its first “100 Most Sustainable Companies” report showing that organizations that focus on their human capital significantly outperform the stock market in share price performance. This comes on the heels of the release, by its sister financial publication, of the “Wall Street Journal Top 250” in December, compiled by the Drucker Institute based on ratings of customer satisfaction, employee engagement and development,...

LAS VEGAS—Leaders from the top resort companies in Las Vegas recently convened for the 2018 Global Meetings Industry Day to share current investments and future advancements that will help Las Vegas remain the number one trade show destination in the country. At the event, Wynn Las Vegas’ Director of Energy Procurement, Erik Hansen, outlined the company’s approach to sustainable energy and eco-friendly meetings and conventions practices after announcing Wynn’s new 280,000 square foot meetings space expansion. “Our meetings and conventions clients are increasingly concerned about their impact on the environment, prioritizing clean energy use, responsibly supplying and using data, and...

SAN FRANCISCO—Airbnb launched the Office of Healthy Tourism, an initiative to drive local, authentic and sustainable tourism in countries and cities across the globe. Along with the launch of the Office, Airbnb is also releasing data that shows the benefits of healthy tourism for hosts, guests and cities around the world, as well as announcing the creation of its new Tourism Advisory Board, which will be made up of travel industry leaders from around the world. Since the company was founded 10 years ago, travelers have discovered new destinations and neighborhoods off the typical tourist path, bringing the economic benefits of...

FAIRFAX, VA.—INTUS Windows has become the first One for One giving company in the building industry with the launch of One Window, One Tree. For every window or door purchased, they plant a tree to further offset the structure’s carbon footprint. By 2030 INTUS anticipates they’ll be planting 2 million trees in the United States every single year. This is about the size of 5,000 football fields or one third of Manhattan. Their new carbon reduction goal is to offset carbon emissions enough to recover the absorption rate of 5 billion trees by 2036. This will be accomplished through their energy-efficient windows and...

PARIS—To mark Planet 21 Day, AccorHotels announces the rollout by 2021 of a new range of eco-friendly linen. Not chemically bleached, it will approach an unbleached color: the natural color of cotton. Novotel, Mercure, ibis, ibis Styles and ibis budget will equip their rooms with bed linen and towels that respect the environment. The first global hotel group to offer its guests natural colored linen, AccorHotels is marking a turning point in the hospitality sector by declaring “Natural is the new white!”, as part of its overall policy to reduce the carbon footprint generated by its rooms. The new textile products...

AMBERGRIS CAYE, BELIZE—ECI Development announced plans to introduce the Marriott Hotels’ namesake brand to Belize with a project designed for customers seeking a relaxed Caribbean lifestyle. The hotel will grace Ambergris Caye, Belize’s largest island known for its world-class scuba diving, fishing, water sports and white sandy beaches. “We are thrilled to bring the Marriott Hotels’ brand to Ambergris Caye, one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful island destinations with famed access to the Belize Barrier Reef and dive sites,” said Michael K. Cobb, Chairman and CEO of ECI Development. “Known for developing inspired residences for adventurous souls across Latin America...

WOODBURY, N.Y.—Now every guest’s stay at a WNW managed hotel will support forestry preservation in two meaningful ways. Alongside WNW Group’s sustainable purchasing choice of Emerald Brand Tree-Free paper products, every stay will support the EcoStay Forestry Initiative. The synergy between Emerald Brand and EcoStay is a perfect marriage of ethos and practical application for the WNW Group. Each night a guest stays at a WNW hotel they will help plant trees with their contribution to EcoStay’s Forestry Initiative; a collaborative effort to replant and protect thousands of acres of native species woodlands in northern Maine. This will provide important...

TAMPA, FLA.—Choice Hotels International, Inc., one of the world’s leading hotel companies, announced that it has selected NovaCHARGE as a Qualified Vendor for providing Choice Hotels properties with Electric Vehicle (EV) charging solutions. Choice Hotels franchises over 6,800 hotels representing more than 500,000 rooms worldwide through its 12 unique brands, including Ascend Hotel Collection, Cambria Hotels, Comfort, Sleep Inn, Quality, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, WoodSpring Suites, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn. “NovaCHARGE is a tremendous addition to our Qualified Vendor Program,” said Rick Summa, Vice President of Procurement Services for Choice Hotels. “At Choice Hotels, we are consistently...