INTERNATIONAL REPORT—The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the urgency for companies and individuals to act to protect the wellbeing of the planet, their communities, their employees, and in the case of hotels, their guests. As such, environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives have accelerated. The hotel industry’s commitment to ESG initiatives, while somewhat nascent, is increasing. Rising energy costs, which have increased electricity costs by 10 percent since May 2021, are likely to accelerate the industry’s focus on sustainability, particularly given the shift in traveler preferences toward more sustainable tourism and green accommodations and the growing demand for disclosure around climate risk....

NEW YORK—Nassimi—a leading textile manufacturer and pioneer in sustainable performance upholstery materials—continues to lead the industry toward higher product standards with a move to eradicate Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from all new production. Staying true to its ethos, Nassimi’s commitment to 100 percent removal of PFAS is characteristically bold. As the first textile company to produce phthalate-free faux leather in the early 2010s and remove flame-retardant chemicals from its upholstery materials in 2017, Nassimi has always prioritized self-motivated product improvements. Now, the company has reformulated the last of its textile lines containing PFAS, Resilience TX, to create a...

Within the United States, billions of materials like concrete, steel, and lumber maintain and construct the buildings we use daily. The use and disposal of these materials and new building construction have resulted in substantial environmental impacts with a rise in the air, water, and land emissions. Construction is a significant source of airborne pollution production and has continued to rise since October 2022, with non-residential buildings and multi-family homes up 26 percent. Climate change is pushing polluted air indoors, and to reduce these air quality impurities and their impact on indoor environments, construction contractors should consider bettering outdoor...

CHICAGO—AirAnswers has announced a new partnership with Superstratum. Both companies have joined forces to identify and alleviate indoor mycotoxins and molds that can contribute to symptoms associated with sick building syndrome. Sick building syndrome and other health issues could potentially be caused by molds, mycotoxins, allergens, and viruses in indoor spaces. AirAnswers is the only commercially available air sampling system that detects, identifies, and measures all biological particles including molds, mycotoxins, viruses, and allergens, down to 0.1 microns in size. AirAnswers’ technology provides users with the capability to assess and to monitor indoor spaces for the presence of biological...

BERLIN—JW Marriott, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s global portfolio of 30 hotel brands, unveils its second property in Germany with the opening of JW Marriott Hotel Berlin. Owned by one of the leading hospitality investment companies Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company (ARTIC), JW Marriott Hotel Berlin brings guests together through thoughtfully crafted spaces, warm service, and a commitment to well-being. Converting from Hotel Berlin Central District, this announcement marks the completion of the first stage in the property’s transformation to join the JW Marriott brand, set to offer a different perspective to the capital city’s hospitality scene. “JW Marriott blends a...

TARRYTOWN, NEW YORK—Nightfood, Inc., the company pioneering the sleep-friendly nighttime snacking category, believes the hotel industry has an immediate opportunity to support wellness and better sleep by making sleep-friendly snacks available in lobby marketplaces to satisfy guests’ nighttime cravings. “Hotels have been letting their snack business undermine their sleep business, interfering with their commitment to the well-being of their guests,” said Nightfood CEO Sean Folkson. “What you eat before bed matters. Hotel companies have spent billions in their quest to give guests the best sleep possible—making significant capital investments upgrading beds, pillows, and mattresses and outfitting rooms with black-out curtains...

NEWPORT, R.I.—Medical Tourism Training has launched the first of its kind Healthy Hospitality training program to protect hotel and hospitality staff and guests. Incorporating simple, easy to learn skills, Healthy Hospitality training reduces staff sick-days, improves morale, and demonstrates “concerned competence” to customers. The program is an essential addition to hospitality providers’ training and development portfolios. Created by hospitality, public health and e-Learning experts, Healthy Hospitality training equips service providers with the knowledge and skills to deliver workplaces where the transmission of germs can be substantially reduced. This on demand, self-guided online course fulfills the recommendation of the World Travel...

ATLANTA—Acuity Brands, Inc. announced that its subsidiary Acuity Brands Lighting, Inc. has entered into an agreement with Biological Innovations and Optimization Systems, LLC to participate in the BIOS ILLUMINATED partnership program. In connection with this agreement, BIOS will sell to Acuity Brands certain human-centric LED lighting components for use in its architectural lighting fixtures for wellness. Acuity Brands will also have the worldwide right to use the BIOS trademark for marketing and promoting these lighting fixtures that include BIOS SkyBlue technology. “We continue to see a growing demand and business case for design strategies and technologies to promote wellness. Wellness lighting, and specifically in this...

NATIONAL REPORT—Eleven states have enacted laws that ban PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” in food packaging in response to concerns about potential health risks. Another seven states have proposed similar bans—and more states are expected to follow. A recent Restaurant Law Center webinar explores what restaurant operators need to know about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food packaging. The webinar, “Outlook on PFAS in 2023,” is available to watch on demand. It features a panel of experts from the international law firm Steptoe. Laura Abshire, Director of Food and Sustainability Policy for the National Restaurant Association, moderates. PFAS is a large, diverse group of human-made...

Euronews just released its 2023 Travel Trend Report. Almost all the trends touch on sustainability or wellness in one way or another. First on the list is regenerative travel—nature positive and carbon positive travel. “Tour operators, destination bodies and hotels are tasked with the job of actively repairing, restoring and investing in nature, in order to keep pace with consumer sentiment,” the report says. Third on the list is Rail Revival. Driving the return to this form of travel is the convenience, cost and lower carbon footprint. “A handful of private companies are reviving night trains across Europe,” the report says....