SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA—Early last year, Christian de Boer, Managing Director of Jaya House River Park, a 36-room hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia, launched a campaign to get businesses throughout the region to offer refillable aluminum water bottles instead of disposable plastic ones. The campaign, called Refill Not Landfill, has already avoided the placement of 1.2 million plastic bottles into Cambodia’s waste stream. More than 40 members of Siem Reap’s hospitality and tourism industries and development sector have joined ReFill Not Landfill. Key to the success of the campaign is a sophisticated way to show bottle users where they can fill...

VAIL, COLO.—Vail announced their certification as a sustainable mountain resort destination. Vail is the first destination in the world to be certified to the Mountain IDEAL sustainable destination standard. Additionally, Vail’s adherence to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC) destination criteria makes it the first Certified Sustainable Destination in the United States certified by a GSTC-Accredited certifying body, Green Destinations. The conditional certification is the result of a multi-year partnership between the Town of Vail, Walking Mountains Science Center, Sustainable Travel International, Vail Resorts, The U.S. Forest Service, and others. It marks the culmination of 56 years of leadership...

BANGKOK—Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has recently unveiled plans for their latest project and first South America property, Six Senses Formosa Bay in Brazil, which will open in 2021. Located at Baia Formosa, which translates to Beautiful Bay, the resort is set in the most eastern territory of Brazil and the country’s closest point to Europe. The site, which is a part of the Eco Estrela Project, features almost 4.5 miles of Atlantic Ocean beachfront and covers an area of 6,350 acres. It was home to a former coconut plantation which shared the land with prolific mangroves through which...

Overtourism was the focus of sessions at ITB Berlin and the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Global Summit earlier this year. It is also the focus of a new documentary released by activist travel company Responsible Travel. With the current global population at 7.6 billion and more than 1 billion international arrivals each year, there is reason to be concerned. Too much tourism can cause too much traffic, too much pollution, put natural attractions at risk, and, according to one expert, make a destination less competitive. As a baseball fan, of course this quote came to mind: “Nobody goes...

LANCASTER, PA.—High Hotels Ltd. announced it is installing a $1.5 million solar array that will generate 100 percent of the electrical power required to operate one of its existing hotels in Greenfield Corporate Center. The completed installation will make the 133-room Courtyard by Marriott-Lancaster at 1931 Hospitality Drive the first Marriott-branded hotel in the United States with 100 percent of its electricity needs generated from solar power. It is also believed to be the first solar array in the country installed for the sole purpose of generating 100 percent of the electricity needs of a hotel. “This is an exciting...

SOUTHAMPTON, BERMUDA—Nurture Hospitality Group (NHG), a U.S. based amenities company, has launched with a strong social WE CARE message. Unique to the company is its reuse of ocean bound plastics in its 1 oz. and 2 oz. amenities containers and caps. “To the best of our knowledge, nobody is doing this in the hotel industry,” says NHG’s Gary Coward. According to NHG, its nOcean (NO OCEAN) plastics manufactured by NHG have the potential to create a paradigm shift within the guest amenity industry; an industry that produces billions of portion size hotel bottles and tubes that are used and often...

BALI, INDONESIA—Katamama has focused on sustainability issues and supported the traditions of its island home since inception. The hotel is built from 1.8 million bricks, each hand-pressed by local artisans and fired using only biomass from coconut shells—a time-consuming technique typically reserved for Bali’s sacred temples. The painstaking process both fulfilled the artistic vision of Indonesian architect Andra Matin and the company’s mission to rescue this diminishing handicraft. Locally produced textiles tinted with plant-based dyes and bamboo basketry featuring traditional patterns are also part of Katamama’s commitment to sustainability and Balinese culture. Potato Head Beach Club, located next to Katamama,...

PARIS—Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), the global digital travel management company, published its latest Annual Responsible Business Report, showing significant progress towards its 2020 objectives. This latest report has reached the UN Global Compact Advanced Level, recognizing the success of CWT’s Corporate Social Responsibility program. “I am very proud the UN Global Compact has honored our commitment to ethical business behavior in this way,” said Kurt Ekert, CWT’s President and CEO. “Responsible Business is deeply embedded in our culture, and this recognition—on top of being rated Gold by EcoVadis for a second year running—shows that we are on the right path.” Demonstrating...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—This week, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) have launched the Wood Furniture Scorecard, a comprehensive assessment of wood sourcing policies for over 50 of the largest furniture retailers in North America. Published on a dedicated website and available through both organizations, the scorecard covers publicly available information on how companies source virgin wood. It also evaluates company use of recycled and reclaimed wood. Scorecard results include 7 Top Scorers: ABC Carpet & Home, Williams-Sonoma Group, IKEA, Crate & Barrel, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, City Furniture, and Target. Six companies earned Honorable Mentions...

MACAO—The Venetian Macao has been awarded the Macao Green Hotel Platinum Award, the first and only hotel in Macao to earn the new top designation of platinum, which was introduced in the latest edition of the awards. Award criteria met by the integrated resort include showing evidence of year-on-year waste reduction; availability of electric vehicle parking spaces and charging stations for staff and guests; establishing an eco-friendly mattress replacement program; monitoring the environmental performance of shuttle buses, including turning off idling engines; establishing a management plan for reducing food waste; and carrying out regular carbon audits to identify areas for improvement. The...