SHANGHAI—Travelzoo, a global publisher of exclusive offers and experiences for members, has seen a highly positive reaction from its members in China to the company’s #GreenAmbassador initiative. The #GreenAmbassador is the first in a series of initiatives to be launched by Travelzoo as part of its new Global Sustainability Campaign to champion sustainable travel solutions for the world. China is now the fastest-growing market for new-energy vehicles in the world. In 2014, only 74,763 new-energy vehicles were sold in China; by 2017, that number had increased by over 1,000 percent to 777,000 (source: South China Morning Post, April 2018). Recognizing...

LAAMU, MALDIVES—Tourists visit the Maldives to experience diverse coral reefs, out-of-the-ordinary marine life and beautiful palm-fringed beaches. When a business relies on natural assets, like Six Senses Laamu does, environmentally-responsible operations that conserve them are a must. What the resort does on land is just as important as what it does on and under water, and that is why MATATO (Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators) has named Six Senses Laamu the Leading Eco-Resort at the Maldives Travel Awards 2018. Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas operate with the philosophies of wellness and sustainability at their core. These values...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton’s Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton and All Suites brands are launching the Clean the World Challenge in partnership with Clean the World, a global health leader dedicated to sustainability and water, sanitization and health. Embassy Suites by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton by Hilton, Homewood Suites by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton will challenge hotel owners and Team Members to collect bars of soap left behind by guests to be recycled into 1 million bars of new soap by Global Handwashing Day (October 15) for Clean the World to distribute to communities in need. “As one...

CINCINNATI—This World Water Day, Procter & Gamble (P&G) is celebrating the achievement of its 2020 goal of delivering 15 billion liters of clean drinking water through its nonprofit Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program. P&G is now accelerating its efforts to help provide clean drinking water to even more people by delivering 25 billion liters—more than 100 billion glasses of water—worldwide by 2025. Since the program launched in 2004, P&G has worked closely with a network of more than 150 partners to raise awareness of the global water crisis and provide water to families in more than 90 countries through...

SYOSSET, N.Y.—Emerald Brand is expanding its expert sustainability team to staff members of Emerald Licensed Dealers by launching the Emerald Sustainability Accreditation Program (ESA). The program, currently offered by invitation only, gives each member the opportunity to carry the ESA Accreditation. In addition, the program certifies members to represent Emerald to national end-user accounts and to present on Emerald’s newest sustainable material technology, provides access to ongoing sustainability education and updates on environmental laws and regulations, and allows participation in research and development of new product concepts. “Graduates of the program will truly have a front row seat on all that is happening at Emerald Brand and...

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.—FoodMaven, a Colorado-based startup, announced an initiative aimed at helping hospitality institutions source local, sustainable food products for their kitchens in Colorado and Texas. The initiative is already in place at Hilton properties in Denver including the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel-Westminster, Hilton Denver City Center, and Hilton Stapleton North. “As part of Hilton’s Travel with Purpose commitment to cut our environmental footprint in half by 2030 and double our social impact investment around the world, we are identifying solutions to reduce food waste and expand sustainable sourcing,” said Terry Jenkins, Sr. Manager of Corporate Responsibility Americas, Hilton. “Our...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released the results of a comprehensive Lodging Survey, a detailed assessment of advancements in amenities, guest services, sustainability and technology, in addition to other industry trends. This recent survey underscores how hotels advance, accommodate and innovate the guest experience. Consumers can expect seamless transitions between their everyday lives and their lives on the road thanks to increased mobile compatibility, flexible dining options and welcoming accommodations. This comprehensive survey is conducted every two years by industry data provider and AHLA partner STR, renowned for providing premium data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights for...

NEW YORK—The pristine Faroe Islands—a group of volcanic islands in the North Atlantic, halfway between Iceland and Norway—welcome approximately 100,000 visitors each year, attracted by the country’s dramatic scenery, including rugged cliffs, sea caves, spectacular waterfalls and an abundance of birdlife, not forgetting a population of just 50,000 Faroese people and their 80,000 sheep. But, for one weekend in spring 2019 and in celebration of Earth Day, the Faroe Islands will be taking a time out from tourism. Why? The Faroese people are keen to keep their green islands pristine. Notably—and happily—the Faroe Islands currently have no over-tourism problems. However, the fragile natural...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Earth Day Network announced the release of its Earth Day 2019 poster. In one stunning image, the poster visually conveys the meaning and importance of its 2019 Protect Our Species campaign. It features Brad Wilson’s photograph of a giraffe, part of his series AFFINITY that depicts threatened, endangered and other species. Giraffe populations have declined from 155,000 in 1985 to under 100,000 in 2018. No international treaties protect giraffes, and the United States is the number one importer of giraffe trophies and parts. Habitat loss, civil unrest, illegal poaching and hunting, and climate change collectively contribute to the decline...

TORONTO—More than 79 percent of American travelers hope to become more ethically-conscious in their future adventures, according to new research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Exodus Travels. As a leading adventure tour operator that has been committed to low impact tourism and elevating local communities for the past 45 years, Exodus decided to dig into how much the average traveler values responsible tourism practices in today’s world, so they commissioned OnePoll to survey 2,000 Americans (who have been outside of North America and the Caribbean in last three years), to get to the heart of the matter. “We really...