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...

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK—BeCause, the Danish start-up transforming how the global hospitality, travel and tourism industries manage their sustainability data, announced that it has secured $1.9 million in seed funding from investors. The round, co-led by Denmark’s Ugly Duckling Ventures and Estonia’s Superangel.io, includes a $708,000 open tail-end and the $1.9 million for strategic investors to join on equal terms. “We have retained the possibility of adding another investor to this round and hope to find a partner that has experience with high-growth startups in the impact space, particularly those with a background in B2B SaaS models, travel and big data API, to help accelerate our mission even further,” explains Frederik Steensgaard, BeCause...

WISCONSIN DELLS, WIS.—Kalahari Resorts and Conventions, home to America’s Largest Indoor Waterparks, announced its pledge to bring clean water to one million people throughout Africa in partnership with the world-renowned nonprofit, charity: water. The pledge equates to a commitment of $50 million. Kalahari Resorts is authentically African-themed, inspired by a trip to Africa over 20 years ago by the owners and founders, the Nelson family. Known for their four award-winning waterpark resorts in Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas, the Nelson family opened the first Kalahari Resort in 2000 and continue to own and operate the resort brand today. Kalahari recently...

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—Scandic has reached a sustainability milestone by recertifying all of its previously ecolabeled hotels according to the Nordic Swan Ecolabel’s new, tougher environmental requirements. More than 88 percent of Scandic’s hotels are ecolabeled and the company is continuing its efforts to ensure that all hotels are certified by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is the official environmental certification in the Nordic countries. It updates its requirements approximately every four years, and the most recent update in 2023 included higher environmental goals. To continue to be certified, Scandic’s ecolabeled hotels have now undergone a rigorous recertification process...

COLOGNE, GERMANY—HRS, the only procure-to-reclaim corporate lodging and meetings platform, unveiled new technology that supports both corporate lodging programs and their hotel suppliers as companies strive to achieve Net Zero operations. HRS’ Emissions Compensation Program (ECP) effectively facilitates an automated process for hotels to compensate for unavoidable emissions related to the stay of corporate travelers. Corporate hotel programs gain from an additional avenue to reduce emissions, while participating hotels stand to gain from more volume as corporations increasingly target properties with the most sustainable attributes. In Europe, requirements tied to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) begin in January. In the USA, the Security...

MONTEGROTTO TERME, ITALY—An eco-friendly approach to hospitality, in full respect of the region and its preexisting elements: the new Green Lodges of the Terme Preistoriche Resort & Spa in Montegrotto Terme, designed by Studio Apostoli, is meant to be a manifesto of zero-emission wellness hospitality. Seven suites are incorporated into four wooden stilted structures and interconnected through a raised system of ramps, walkways, and accessible terraces. They also include a historically preserved villa, the eighth and most extensive offering within this entrepreneurial endeavor. A total of 160 micro piles support the new constructions and outdoor spaces, preserving the roots...