Green Travel: How the Industry is Changing

This week, we have guest contributor, Sam Marquit, independent green contractor and home renovation/remodeling expert in New York, as well as co-author of the book, Fair Marquit Value, to inform our green gods and goddesses about the ever-changing world of green hospitality. He makes it a point to share with his readers a day in the life of sustainable building, and forecasting the possible application and implementation of new green building materials and technologies is just one small part of his efforts to reduce everyone’s carbon footprint.

The Palazzo Resort & Casino

Before I was a commercial contractor, I was an independent contractor and worked on various projects. Some of which involved green building materials and newer technology to save on resources. I enjoy learning about all kinds of new ways to prevent waste. I’m incredibly happy that many businesses in the travel industry have also adopted some ways to conserve energy and resources. It’s about more than being LEED certified in my opinion. Many businesses in America are turning towards eco-friendly travel. However, in Asia, responsible tourism is wildly celebrated. For example, the Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards present awards for categories like cultural awareness, community development, wildlife conservation and more. Businesses can land big honors for doing things in their local communities and protecting local animals from harm. That’s something that we can do more adopt in America as well.

Many hotels in big cities have turned towards eco-friendly tourism. Las Vegas is one of the most popular tourist destinations in America with over 120,000 hotel rooms. Just last year, 40,000,000 travelers went to Las Vegas. That means there is a ton of business in this city but there can also be a lot of waste. The Palazzo Resort is just one of the many hotels in Las Vegas that has changed their policies and facilities to be more accommodating of our planet. In fact, this hotel won the award for “Most Eco-Friendly Hotel in America” because of its reusable waste program and self-sustaining facilities. In this instance, it’s easy to see how this hotel can market itself as a more responsible business and gain more recognition for its eco-friendly practices. Other hotels have also adopted similar policies to increase awareness for green technology in the travel industry. 

The Ink48 Rooftop Bar

The Big Apple offers hundreds of different hotels, many of which have eco-friendly products and even some self-sustaining programs. The ink48 Hotel offers a program called Earthcare. Members get together to talk about ways that we can affect change in our local communities as well as on a global scale. It’s about protecting the planet for future generations and ensuring our survival but also that there is awareness of the responsible tourism campaign. With eco-friendly travel gaining new ground each year, it’s important that businesses update their facilities and also think about the future. I’m happy to be apart of this effort and hope that I can continue to contribute to the campaign.

Healthy Recycled Bottles for You and Your Baby

Traveling without exposing yourself to toxin-laden plastics or contributing to the massive waste problem created by bottled water can often be a difficult challenge. We should know. We love our Bobble, but we also love a good stainless steel option. And, although we don’t yet have little ones of our own, our contributors do, which is why we wanted to tell our peeps about Pura bottles. Pura bottles are a toxin-free, durable and cost-effective alternative to buying bottled water or using petroleum-based (i.e. plastic) reusable bottles. Unlike other options on the market, stainless steel is much more durable than plastic, glass or aluminum bottles because steel bottles do not shatter or crack and are much more puncture resistant. The bottles are made from 60% recycled steel and are 100% recyclable at end of life, not that you’ll ever need to as they carry a lifetime warranty in line with the company’s ‘One Life, One Bottle’ mantra.

Not only healthy for the planet, Pura Stainless bottles are one of the safest options on the planet as the ONLY 100% plastic free bottle on the global market. Bottles are made from food-grade stainless steel which, unlike other materials, does not leach harmful chemicals, does not require chemical linings and is resistant to corrosion and staining. Even tops are 100% plastic and BPA free – made of stainless steel and medical grade silicon. Available in adult water bottles as well as a baby bottle line (see photo above) for those traveling with little ones.

Retails for $15.99-$17.99

www.purastainless.com

All Nippon Airways Innovative New Website: Let’s Do Japan!

For Nippon Lovers like me, you have to check out All Nippon Airways (ANA) awesome new website. Yes, Japan’s leading airline has just launched an innovative new site called “Let’s Do Japan” (www.letsdojapan.com), which lets visitors create their own Japanese manga personality while they learn helpful tips about Japanese culture and trends. A quirky little intro to the culture before you set your sights on sushi and kabuki, the clean design and tongue-in-cheek style is enough to make anyone with a pulse and a smile want to book a ticket ASAP. And, if you are a true Japanophile and anime enthusiast, you also don’t want to miss, Manganizer.

Visitors can immerse themselves in their own story through Manganizer, or discover other helpful tips and interesting facts about Japan and Japanese culture through 360 Japan, another fun, high-tech glimpse into what to expect when you visit Japan for the first time or the tenth. Who wouldn’t want to be the hero of their own manga-style story?