Dear readers

Well Planet introduced a unique and noble golf tee brand; Plantee. The integrated concept “teefortree” is exactly the reason why this tees is much different then all other existing golf tee brands. The concept is simple: for each tee sold a tree will be planted in an area where agroforestry is badly needed. So the more tees sold, the more trees will be planted!

It might be a very symbolic gesture but it is clearly a great communcation success: so as to to persuade world leaders to go green and demonstrate their commitment to renewable energy, the President of the Maldives, Mohammad Nasheed will adopt a solar energy model at his residence shunning non-renewable energy.

The Maldives are widely known as a luxury travel destination where luxury hotels are developing fast all around these islands that are on average 5 feet under sea level.

Here his video , at the UN Climate Summit Copenhagen advocating action against Climate Change

Nasheed, last year, had led his cabinet into an under-water meeting t highlight the dangers of global warming and the risk the rise in water levels posed to low-lying islands like his country.

More details on ecotourism at http://www.greenty.com/

the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel became lately famous for being the first american luxury resort to receive the gold LEED-certified Prize. But what is LEED corresponding to?

LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. To get LEED certification from the United States Green Building Council, hotels must gain points in five categories, including the design of am eco-friendly site, which is Gaia’s strength.

In Gaia Napa Valley Hotels, the carpets are recycled, the wood is harvested from a managed forest, and the furnished vegetation has grown up without the need of fertilizers. The property is still close to main cities, located an hour drive from Sacramento and San Francisco, in the heart of wine country.

It is a great place for resourcing. Just for example, the eco-resort is offering a heated outdoor pool and hot tub in which to relax after a day of wine tasting and biking.

The website Conscious Ventures has come up with a list of destinations that include luxury resorts, spas, and lodges built according to strict environmental standards or renovating to improve energy-efficiency and water conservation.

Dear readers,

Please have a look at the video on Planeterra’s YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/planeterra#p/u/6/zC6iPxNmRQ8 .

This aims at promoting the upcoming Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC) Sept. 8-10 in Portland in the US. This conference is the only North American conference focused on green travel.

Planeterra (www.planeterra.org/ )is bringing a focus on voluntourism to the conference by moderating a panel of experts to discuss the complexities of this increasingly popular niche of sustainable tourism as well as organizing voluntourism activities for delegates.

As usual more info on luxury travel is available at www.oneluxurytravel.com

Many people dichotomize luxury and sustainable development, claiming that it is impossible to mix the two.

There is a nice article on the controversial subject here:
http://www.gadling.com/2009/06/03/the-hard-truth-of-green-luxury-travel/

More info on luxurytravel is available in these good directories:
http://www.oneluxurytravel.com/articles
http://www.oneluxurytravel.com/glossary
http://www.oneluxurytravel.com/glossaire10
http://www.oneluxurytravel.com/glossaire50
http://www.oneluxurytravel.com/glossaire100
http://www.oneluxurytravel.com/glossaire200

Marriott just annouced that it will follow the LEED guidelines for a greener hotels at The Courtyard Charleston/Summerville that will open in South Carolina in 2012.

This will be the first hotel built using Marriott International’s green hotel prototype,,as part of a plan to have 300 LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) hotels by 2015.

“This new program packages all the basic requirements for LEED certification in a prototype,” said Karim Khalifa, senior vice president, architecture and construction for Marriott International. “It saves our owners valuable time and money in the planning process and allows us to provide a greener portfolio of hotels for our guests.”

More info on Marriott at http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/23/marriott-unveils-green-hotel-prototype/

More info on luxury travel in cities like Singapore or Hong Kong can be found on our websites.

Green Travel info is available at http://www.greenty.com

Just a short note to congratulate our friends from http://weekend.com.sg/ who have just launched this website dedicated to travel in south east asia on many topics such as http://www.weekend.com.sg/glossary

The Awards for new certified Travel Organizations in Sustainable Tourism in Alaska have been announced on March 10 in Palmer

2010 certified businesses include:

GOLD LEVEL
– Agate Inn, Harvey and Sandy Bowers owners in Wasilla, Alaska. 907-272-2290,Alaska@agateinn.com
– Kayak Adventures Worldwide, Wendy and David Doughty owners in Seward, Alaska. 907-224-3960, fun@kayakak.com
– Orca Island Cabins, Dennis and Susan Swiderski, owners in Seward, Alaska. 907-491-1988,sswiderski@ak.net
– Pike’s Waterfront Lodge, Jay Ramras, owner in Fairbanks, Alaska. 907-258-7543,deborah.l.hansen@gmail.com
– Sunny Cove Sea Kayaking, John Page, owner in Seward, Alaska. 907-224-8810,info@sunnycove.com

SILVER LEVEL
– Great Alaska Adventure Lodge, Kent and Laurence John, owners in Sterling, Alaska. 360-434-7347,kent@greatalaska.com
– Spirit Walker Expeditions, Stephen Van Derhoff, owner in Gustavus, Alaska. 907-697-2266,info@seakayakalaska.com

BRONZE LEVEL
– Kodiak Island Charters, owners Chris and Jai-Nan Fiala in Kodiak, Alaska. 907-486-5380,gofishing@ak.net

If you need more information about Adventure Green Alaska, you can visit www.adventuregreenalaska.org