Apply Today for the IH&RA 2005 Environmental Award 'Engaging the Guest In Environmental Actions'

Paris, Is your business at the cutting edge of service delivery while making the property a cleaner, healthier and safer place to work and rest in? If so, IH&RA wants to hear from you! Apply today for the IH&RA Environmental Award, now in its 14th year, and receive international recognition for your environmental best practices at the association’s Annual Congress, “Orient Express: Destination China! New Markets, New Competition” to be held 28-30 October in Beijing!

The IH&RA and founding sponsor American Express created the Environmental Award in partnership with UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to recognize environmental leadership in the hospitality industry. In addition to American Express, the 2005 Award is again supported by UNEP, Green Globe 21 and ITP (International Tourism Partnership). New this year on the judging panel is Conservation International’s Center for Environmental Leadership in Business (CELB), which provides a new forum for collaboration between the private sector and the environmental community.

The 2005 theme “Engaging the Guest in Environmental Actions” will showcase hotels and restaurants that engage in communicating their environmental practice and environmental issues to their customers. This award is given in two categories: one independent and one chain-affiliated hotel or restaurant. Applications are submitted on-line on the IH&RA website, by the deadline of 1 September 2005. The winners will then be announced and receive recognition from industry peers and international media at the IH&RA 42nd Annual Congress to be held 28-30 October in Beijing, China. The prize also includes a Certificate Recognizing Environmental Excellence as well as 2,500 USD for each winner.

"By providing global recognition of environmental and business leadership, the IH&RA Environmental Award serves as a beacon of the progress made by the hospitality industry to support biodiversity conservation and local social and economic development", says Jamie Sweeting, Senior Director for Travel and Leisure at Conservation International's Center for Environmental Leadership in Business. "While there is still much to do in this regard, IH&RA is demonstrating to its membership and broader constituencies that sound environmental stewardship should be a cornerstone of all successful hotel businesses."

This year’s theme “Engaging the Guest In Environmental Actions” focuses on:

1. The extent to which the hotel and restaurant informs the guests of their environmental commitment and activities.
2. Methods used for inviting customer feedback on environmental issues and examples where customer feedback has contributed to increased environmental awareness or actions.
3. Opportunities for the guest to become involved in the hotel or restaurant environmental activities (such as water saving, to reducing solid waste, etc.)
4. The way in which the hotel or restaurant provides information to guests about any local
5. environmental, social or cultural issues and if there are ways for guests to become directly involved in any related activities (such as recommending “sustainable” excursion providers, transport opportunities, and responsible behaviour in the community).
6. The types of materials used by the property to communicate with guests.
7. The property’s involvement in environmental charitable causes with examples of how guest contributions are supporting the environment.
8. The property’s leadership role in environmental awareness and actions.

“IH&RA was one of the first associations in the hospitality industry to launch an annual environmental award, thanks to the support of American Express. This pioneering program has helped not only to heighten environmental awareness, but also to identify best practice and highlight the industry’s proactive stance on environmental management. We look forward to receiving applications from hotels and restaurants worldwide to illustrate hospitality’s outstanding commitment to the environment,” said John Bell, IH&RA President.

David Herrick, Head of American Express Establishment Services, Europe said, "We are proud to be a founding sponsor of this award, which celebrates environmental leaders in the hospitality industry. Recognising those who are making strides in the environmental arena while running successful businesses can help encourage others to do the same.”

“The International Tourism Partnership is a keen supporter of the IH&RA Environmental Award and are pleased to judge this year's theme as the industry promotes the need to involve the guest in environmental action,” says Lyndall DeMarco, Executive Director of the International Tourism Partnership (ITP). “Hotels now recognise that their actions for protecting the environment and their role as a responsible operator is of great interest to the guest. Preserving the planet needs to be a partnership between the operators and the consumers. The industry and particularly IH&RA are to be applauded for their efforts in encouraging this partnership and these awards not only recognise the leadership of hotels in this area but also serve as a guide for those hotels who want to learn how.”

“The rapidly growing tourism and travel sector does and will increasingly have a major impact on the environment. As a consequence hotels need to look at ways to integrate environmental considerations into day-to-day business decisions," said Monique Barbut, Director of the Division of Technology, Industry & Economics, UNEP, “UNEP is once again pleased to be associated with the IH&RA Environmental Award. We strongly support this initiative and applaud those hotels which operate in a sustainable way to protect the environment."

"As a partner of IH&RA, GREEN GLOBE 21 is proud to support this Environmental Award and to be part of the judging panel,” said Cathy Parsons, CEO, Green Globe Asia Pacific and GGAP International. “We believe that it is vital that the tourism industry shows leadership in building a more sustainable future for the planet. Through initiatives such as this Environmental Award, hotels and restaurants are provided with the opportunity to promote their outstanding environmental practices which can serve as a model to others in the tourism industry. I commend IH&RA on this commitment to supporting environmental actions which will make a measurable difference.”

In 2004, the Environmental Award was themed “Innovation in Environmental Best Practice.” Winner in the independent property category was Bucuti Beach Resort Aruba (). "This award is the crowning touch to our environmental efforts and makes us all proud," said Mr. Ewald Biemans, Bucuti Beach Resort owner and manager, upon receiving his Award and, referring to the IH&RA Annual Congress held in Istanbul, 2004, "The whole Congress was really interesting and a great learning experience with the award dinner as the grand finale!"

The winner in the Corporate category in 2004 was the Western Premier Hotel Victoria in Freiburg Germany (). "It's a great honour for us to have been selected for this award from all the other excellent international applications," said Bertram Späth, owner and manager of the Best Western Premier Hotel Victoria in Freiburg, Germany, "and we want to share our experience with all hotel colleagues from Best Western International."

• IH&RA, the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (), is the only global business organization representing the hospitality industry worldwide. Its members are national hotel and restaurant associations throughout the world, and international and national hotel and restaurant chains representing some 50 brands. Officially recognized by the United Nations, IH&RA monitors and lobbies all international agencies on behalf of this industry, estimated to comprise 300,000 hotels and 8 million restaurants, employ 60 million people and contribute 950 billion USD annually to the global economy.
  
  
• American Express () is a diversified worldwide travel and financial services company, founded in 1850. It is a leader in charge and credit cards, travellers cheques, financial planning, investment products, insurance services, on-line brokerage and international banking. There are more than 60 million American Express Cards in circulation worldwide. American Express issues Green, Blue, Gold, Platinum and Centurion Cards to Cardmembers. It also issues the Corporate Card and Purchasing Card to corporations to help them manage their T&E expenditure.
  
  
• Conservation International believes that the Earth's natural heritage must be maintained if future generations are to thrive spiritually, culturally and economically. CI is currently working on projects in more than 40 countries on four continents to protect global biodiversity and demonstrate that human societies can live harmoniously with nature. CI develops scientific, policy, and economic solutions to protect threatened natural ecosystems that are rich in biodiversity. To find out more, visit
  
  
• The Center for Environmental Leadership in Business (CELB) provides a new forum for collaboration between the private sector and the environmental community. Created in a partnership between Conservation International (CI) and Ford Motor Company, the Center operates as a division of CI and is governed by a distinct executive board of leaders from the business and environmental communities. The Center engages the private sector worldwide in creating solutions to critical global environmental problems in which industry plays a defining role. More information is available at
  
  
• GREEN GLOBE 21 (www.greenglobe21.com) is the worldwide benchmarking and certification program which facilitates sustainable travel and tourism for consumers, companies and communities. It is based on Agenda 21 and principles for Sustainable Development endorsed by 182 governments at the United Nations Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992. There are 4 GREEN GLOBE 21 Standards - The GREEN GLOBE 21 Company Standard; the GREEN GLOBE 21 Standard for Communities; the International Ecotourism Standard; and the Design and Construct Standard.
  
  
• The International Tourism Partnership (ITP ) is an industry-led initiative that draws on the tourism sector to maximise positive and alleviate negative environmental and socio-economic impacts by working with global leadership and practical solutions to promote responsible business for a sustainable industry.
  
  UNEP, the United Nations Environment Programme (www.unep.org) aims to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UNEP DTIE has over ten years tradition in promoting sustainable tourism. Among the many issues that have been addressed there are conservation of natural resources, development of management for the tourism sector and management of tourism in sensitive areas. One of the main responsibilities of UNEP has also been the co-ordination of the Tour Operators’ Initiative () , a network of 20 tour operators committed to integrate sustainability in their business practices, and in particular in addressing sustainability issues at the destination level and in integrating sustainable principles in their supply chains.