Global warming is having a worrying effect on hospitality and the entire travel industry. Climate change is not only impacting where we stay, but where and when we travel. We see those signs every day, as friends, work colleagues or relatives are forced to change their travel plans—and where to stay—due to our changing weather conditions. Be it flooding in Florida, extreme heat in Europe, wildfire smoke in California’s wine country or air pollution in India and China. The warning indications from climate change are inescapable. Some of today’s popular tourist destinations are becoming intolerable due to highly unusual heat waves. September 2023,...

MILWAUKEE—Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corp. was named by Newsweek and Statista as one of America’s Most Responsible Companies 2024. Zurn Elkay ranked No. 78 overall and No. 1 in the state of Wisconsin of the 600 companies making the list. “Being recognized as one of the most responsible companies in America for the fourth consecutive year is a testament to the strength of our ESG (environmental, social and governance) efforts and validation of our guiding principle: simply Doing the Right Thing,” said Todd A. Adams, Chairman and CEO of Zurn Elkay Water Solutions. “Clean water is the most important natural resource in...

Green Lodging News has posted numerous articles highlighting the degree of consumer interest in sustainable travel. New research from Phocuswright shows those consumers are not walking their talk. According to Phocuswright’s travel research report Sustainability Dissonance: What Travelers Say vs. What They Do (and What to Do About It), travelers often have good intentions, but they lack an understanding of how to travel sustainably, and sustainability considerations rarely impact their trip decisions. Knowledge of travelers’ awareness of the issues, motivations to travel sustainably, travel behaviors and how much responsibility they are willing to take for the health of the destinations they...

SWORDS, IRELAND—Trane Technologies, a global climate innovator, has been named to the S&P Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the third consecutive year and the North America Index for the thirteenth consecutive year. The company performed in the 98th percentile in the Building Products industry in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA score as of November 27, 2023), with a perfect score of 100 in the Resource Efficiency and Circularity category. The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index represents the top 10 percent of the 2,500 largest companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index (BMI) based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria. The North...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc., a hotel industry leader for more than 95 years, announced its commitment to incorporate neuroinclusive practices at Marriott-hosted customer events of 250 people or more globally. This commitment is a result of joining forces with The Neu Project, an initiative from Google’s Experience Institute (Xi) that aims to share resources designed to better accommodate and create a more inclusive experience during meetings and events for neurodivergent attendees. These practices were initially previewed at Marriott’s Corporate Partnership Customer Conference, THE EXCHANGE, which took place November 28 through December 1, 2023 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in...

MAGNOLIA, ARK.—Southern Aluminum, a leading provider of sustainable furniture solutions for the hospitality sector, announced its ninth consecutive year as a MindClick Sustainability Leader. This prestigious recognition solidifies Southern Aluminum’s commitment to sustainability in the hospitality supply chain. MindClick, a pioneering platform for sustainable supply chain sourcing, has awarded Southern Aluminum with its top Sustainability Leader status for consistently aligning with the highest standards of eco-friendly practices in its manufacturing processes. The MindClick Sustainability Assessment Program (MSAP) was created through the Hospitality Sustainable Purchasing Consortium in collaboration with Marriott International, the US Green Building Council, design firms, purchasing agents, sustainability...

NEW ORLEANS—Last month, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) received three prestigious awards: the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Community Leader Award for the South Central Region and two Love Your City Awards from LifeCity. These awards celebrate the Convention Center’s commitment and achievements around sustainability and equity. “As much as we focus on delivering exceptional events for our clients, our Convention Center teams are also hard at work behind the scenes finding new ways to make our facility more sustainable and our organization more inclusive,” said Michael J. Sawaya, Convention Center President and CEO. “We view these awards from the USGBC and LifeCity not just as confirmation that our work...

Do you vet the natural attractions you send your guests to? Not long after I moved to Florida my family visited a local animal “sanctuary”. I was quite surprised by the living conditions the animals had to endure—especially the very small areas they had to run around in. I remember they allowed folks to take pictures or selfies with some of the animals. The facility was later shut down. According to World Animal Protection, it is long past time to end all attractions that force animals to suffer by allowing them to be ridden, touched, or posed for selfies. “The...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA—Red Sea Global (RSG), the multi-project developer behind the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism destinations, The Red Sea and Amaala, has achieved the highest score recorded to date in the prestigious Platinum LEED v4.1 Cities: Plan and Design accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which serves as a testament to RSG’s steadfast dedication to sustainability and marks a major milestone in the development of regenerative tourism destinations. With an outstanding score of 96 out of 110 points for The Red Sea destination’s phase one masterplan, RSG has solidified its position as a global frontrunner in developing...

MIAMI—Club Med, the pioneer of the all-inclusive concept, announced a variety of new developments including three forthcoming international resorts—the brand’s first resort in South Africa and the first Exclusive Collection (5-Star) resort in South America. These new openings will reinforce Club Med’s shift to exclusively offer 4 and 5-star products and the brand’s ambition to expand its portfolio with three to five openings or renovations per year. Additionally, the brand continues to build on its Happy to Care corporate social responsibility program with a new environmental certification at Club Med Tignes and additional developments in North America. New Beach & Safari Resort: Club Med...