KAPAAU, HAWAII—Guests staying at the boutique-style Hawaii Island Retreat on Hawaii Island’s North Kohala coast can choose to stay in one of the Retreat’s nine lavishly appointed guestrooms or “rough” it a little bit and stay in one of the property’s seven well-appointed yurts. No matter what accommodations are chosen, guests have the satisfaction of knowing they are staying in a place that is off the grid—powered by the sun and wind.The Hawaii Island Retreat is nearing its third anniversary. It opened on April 1, 2009. Jacque Waters, associate director at the property, said the owners—Jeanne Sunderland and Robert...

NEW YORK—There’s a lot of talk about the other green of sustainability—financial savings. However, a recent survey from Ernst & Young LLP found that many companies might be missing opportunities, as tax departments and sustainability programs lack integration. Only 16 percent of companies that either have or are developing an environmental sustainability strategy said their tax or finance departments are actively involved in it, according to the survey entitled, “Working Together: Linking sustainability and tax to reduce the cost of implementing sustainability initiatives.” The survey included responses from 223 senior executives at companies predominantly in the United States. Of...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Center for Responsible Travel (CREST), a research and policy institute affiliated with Stanford University, released a new report designed to assist large-scale coastal tourism projects in Mexico meet internationally recognized standards for sustainable development. The report, Alternative Development Models and Good Practices for Sustainable Coastal Tourism: A Framework for Decision Makers in Mexico, compiles existing good practices for resorts, vacation homes, marinas and golf courses in a clear, user-friendly format. “This is not a technical manual for engineers, nor a tip sheet for travelers,” says co-author David Krantz, “but rather a practical handbook based on existing good practices...

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS—The top man at the world’s leading international tourism organization will address the Caribbean’s premier tourism gathering, organized by the region’s tourism development agency. The secretary general of the World Tourism Organization—a United Nations agency (UNWTO), Taleb Rifai, has confirmed that he will speak at the State of the Industry Conference scheduled for October 11 to 13, 2012, in St. Kitts. The conference is being organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the international organization responsible for the development of Caribbean tourism. “We are pleased that Dr. Rifai has accepted our invitation to speak at the CTO State of...

NEW YORK—With a crowd of more than 800 industry and agency professionals, The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) presented the winners of its 55th annual Adrian Awards at the New York Marriott Marquis recently to the top companies and individuals in hospitality, travel and tourism for achievements in advertising, public relations and digital marketing. Founded in 1957, the Adrian Awards embraces every segment of the industry, including hotels, airlines, cruise lines, car rental companies, destinations, credit card companies and more.Within this distinguished framework, Costa Rica’s Parador Resort & Spa and its agency, Andria Mitsakos Public Relations (AMPR)...

GLEN RAVEN, N.C.—Glen Raven Custom Fabrics announced that two of its new Sunbrella Contract fabrics—a filling-face twill and plain-weave canvas—have attained Silver level compliance with the NSF/ANSI 336-2011 Sustainable Assessment for Commercial Furnishings Fabrics. The company is the first to declare compliance under the standard, which was adopted by the Association of Contract Textiles (ACT) in 2011 to provide the industry with a universal measurement and language for sustainability. “Glen Raven was active in the development of the NSF/ANSI 336 standard and has been committed to designing fabrics that would be compliant well before the standard was finalized,” said John...

BORA BORA—Surrounded by the legendary sparkling blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, The St. Regis Bora Bora is home to a rich underwater ecosystem. This week the resort announced a partnership with BoraEcoFish, an aquaculture company whose main purpose is to spread information and educate the public on marine organisms and reef development in Bora Bora. The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort is working closely with BoraEcoFish to preserve the region’s rich underwater ecosystem—one of the immediate key projects is protecting the lagoon area at the property.The marine environment is an integral part of the Polynesian culture and economy....

NATIONAL REPORT—From an industry penetration standpoint, mattress encasements are still in their “infancy stage,” says Sandy DiVito, vice president Hospitality & Healthcare for Protect-A-Bed. Increasingly, however, lodging establishments are using encasements to extend the life of their mattresses, keeping them out of the landfill and ready for the day when they can either be donated or recycled. From a sustainability standpoint, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to encasements. Encasements reduce the need to clean or treat mattresses, which is often done with toxic chemicals. A reduced need to clean means less labor and less...

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—The Green Hotel Pilot Program, funded by the New York State Pollution Prevention Institute (NYSP2I), was created in order to engage New York State’s lodging properties and understand key environmental challenges affecting this industry. The goal of the program was to assist lodging properties in reducing their environmental footprint while saving operating costs as well as increase revenue by attracting environmentally conscious tourists. In addition, those participating in the certification process would have the opportunity to increase the number of certified green hotels in New York and be featured in green tourism marketing.In the spring of 2009 in...

ST. JOHN, U.S.V.I.—Eco Serendib Villa and Spa, a new eco-friendly, luxury retreat on U.S. Virgin Islands’ St. John, has initiated a conservation program in partnership with the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park to save the island’s pristine beaches from the devastating impact of erosion while reducing the property’s carbon footprint. The Eco Serendib Beach Restoration Project will re-introduce indigenous trees and shrubs, such as sea grape, at beaches throughout the island and is funded by Eco Serendib Villa and Spa. In addition to providing seed money to kick start the program, the Restoration Project will sponsor one...