The Global Conservation Award goes to... Emirates

Terra Curve reports on the Global Conservation Award win by the Emirates Hotels & Resorts.

The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are the World Travel & Tourism Council’s highest-profile global accolade, recognizing best practices in sustainable tourism development, conservation and biodiversity protection.

Within the Emirates Group, the Emirates Hotels & Resorts (EH&R) portfolio encompasses three major conservation projects spread across three continents: Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai; Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa in Australia; and the forthcoming Cap Ternay Resort & Spa in the Seychelles.

Read the full story: Emirates wins big for conservation

Here's a look at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve at the Al Maha along with other Dubai conservation efforts:

Air Canada green flights

Terra Curve reports that Air Canada will offer voluntary carbon offsets to all passengers wishing to make their flights "green."

Powered by a new partnership with Zerofootprint, a leading organization in the global fight against climate change, the bilingual Voluntary Carbon Offset program offers travelers the choice of two new ISO-14064 certified carbon offsets projects – including an Ontario-based landfill gas recovery project and a tire recycling program in Quebec.

Read more here: Choose to fly green with Air Canada

Photo from Global Giants

Massachusetts tourism promotes green

Terra Curve reports the new green tourism promotion in Massachusetts.

MA Green is a new program from the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism created to encourage sustainable hospitality practices in the state.

Launched in early 2010, the site aims to help prospective visitors find information on green-certified hotels in Massachusetts; utilizing certification programs like the Green Key Eco-Rating Program.

MA GREEN is comes equipped with a dual mission: First, serve the industry by providing resources and guidance to help travel businesses adopt environmentally sound practices; second, provide information to consumers seeking to stay at green hotels in their travels to the Bay State.

Read the full story: Promoting green travel online: MA gets it right

Illustration from MA Green

All Starwood resorts to celebrate Earth Hour

Terra Curve reports that hotel brand Starwood will celebrate this month's Earth Hour at all properties.

This year, in more than 90,000 hotel rooms, guests staying in participating Starwood properties will be encouraged to turn off the lights. Additionally, as they did last year, participating Starwood hotels will take the steps of turning off exterior signage lighting; last year, the darkened hotels offered striking visual imagery that provided an apt symbol of Earth Hour. Properties will also participate by dimming or turning off non-essential interior lighting, using candlelight in appropriate public areas such as restaurants and bars, and using in-room voicemail messages and in-room television messages to inform guests about Earth Hour observances.

Read the full story: Starwood gets in on the Earth Hour festivities

Photo from Starwood

Arizona hotel offers "EcoRooms"

Terra Curve reports on the eco-upgrade at Arizona hotel Kings Ransom Sedona.

After the success of offering environmentally-friendly rooms at the Kings other property, the hotel chain now has 95 at this property.

The EcoRooms offer natural soaps, lotions and shampoos along with energy-efficient lighting, low-flow shower heads, use nontoxic cleaning products and reuse linen.

"Our housekeeping staff is also enthusiastic as we now use earth-friendly cleaning products which they love," said Amy Bertorelli, president of the Kings Ransom Sedona Hotel. "We believe it is vitally important for individuals and businesses to be mindful of our planet’s health and contribute to sustaining that health by implementing green practices daily."

Read the full story: Sedona hotel comes equipped with eco-ammenities

Photo from Terra Curve.com