The glorious reality of sustainable tourism development

Bulletin number 4: Palm wine, wedding blessing, switch off save big and more

Jo Baddeley, Thomas Cook’s Sustainable Destination Manager, gives a candid view… of how it works in a destination - tourists and all!

Update from the field no.4

The crew from greenguidestravel.tv finally went home last week after a fantastic week of being out and about and getting 10 HOURS of footage which they need to condense into much shorter programmes.

I'm really sad to see them go actually, we had such a good time and fitted so much in and I think they'll definitely come back for a holiday at some point. There was a time where I thought we were doing animal pornography as every male baboon that we tried to film at Makasutu Cultural Forest seemed to be in the habit of exposing themselves as soon as the camera was pointed at them. We were surrounded by them at one point and weren't sure if they were classing the camera as the evil eye so, we made our move towards the edge of the forest valiantly accompanied by Sheila the dog. From there we got loads more footage of mum and baby baboons and a good few acrobatic shows in the trees, it was really fabulous .

We almost got ourselves drunk on palm wine as we had to do the take 7 times, the guide kept putting the bottle in the wrong place, or saying the wrong thing...my phone rang in the middle of one perfect take so we had to do it again. As there were no tourists around I had to drink it and it's not exactly my favourite tipple. It all worked out in the end though.

My friends wedding blessing on 9th December was lovely and I'm really glad I was here for that. We had a little ceremony around the pool and then went to a karaoke bar where Janice works. My 2 friends from the UK were also invited and they've loved every minute of being here, they were quite amazed by the age difference between some British and Gambian couples and never really realised all that went on. They've loved the food though, the people, the culture and the destination as a whole and are already desperate to come back for another holiday.

Bryan, our manager moved into a hotel closer to the office last week. When using the shower for the first time he couldn't work out why he could hear water running but nothing was coming out of the shower head, he turned the cold water on and that was fine but no hot water. He shook the showerhead, tried other methods of making it work and then suddenly saw lots of water coming towards him on the bathroom floor....it turns out that the hot water pipe hadn't been properly connected to the shower and was just coming out of a hole in the wall instead!!

I've had to change my car for some reason and have now been given something even bigger but this one has indicators that work and a radio with a 'cassette player', I haven't used a cassette for years! It's definitely a better car but the passenger side window doesn't quite close fully and the man tried to give it to me with outdated insurance from Aug 11, he must have thought I was a bit soft.

So, real work... I'm off to the Hoteliers Association Meeting today to find out what goes on there and to get my hotel appointments for Switch Off Save Big, then it's off to meet the buyer for Gambian Top Shop, she has 3 shops in hotels and we're hoping that she will become one of the important buyers for the craft products.

We're just about to put some new excursions together and do a new planner, I'm waiting on some good photos from the TV team. I've put together a customer feedback questionnaire for the Roots event, we really want to know what our customers think about each aspect of the trip and we want to analyse how much is being spent at each stop and therefore going directly into the local economy. We really want to know what people think about the Children's Centre and other aspects that have been funded by the Travel Foundation as well, so these will now go out on the event and be collected in by the guide.

We're off to the opening of the Gambia's first theatre on Saturday night, it's been built with the eco-brick technology used at Sandele and looks amazing on the picture. The first performance is going to be dedicated to the slave trade in the Gambia and we're quite looking forward to it. Me and Bryan are on a special list of invitees and there is a cocktail for an hour before hand, the Vice President is also expected to be there so it's a very good thing to be seen at. Very much looking forward to that and hopefully some chill out time on Sunday somewhere lovely and quiet.

Met some Thomas Cook Belgium retail staff the other day, they're here on a FAM trip to Gambia and Senegal and hopefully will be selling more Gambian holidays to the Belgians. I also met our contractor Ils who is lovely, so it was a nice impromptu meeting of group colleagues and an opportunity to sell the sustainability message to more people. They were really impressed with what we're doing and Ils has asked me to keep her updated, so another green champion for the fold.

I was also invited to be on the panel of the Brighton University students presentations at Safari Garden on Sunday. They've been here for a week and were looking at sustainable development of the Kartong area, some of the presentations were really good. I found out then that one of the girls on the course is actually a high season Thomas Cook rep, so that's another green champion for us as well. She's hoping to go to Greece or Turkey this year and will make sure that she coordinates some Make Holidays Greener activities for us which is great news.

All in all, it's all going well. I wish we had a camera in the office to be able to play everything that goes on here back to you, The Only Way is Gambia would just be hysterical!

Next bulletin next week...

Says Jo:

As part of my six week stint in the Gambia this winter I've been working together with The Travel Foundation, Sandele Eco-Lodge and Rupert & Lynne (our craft experts) to promote a brand of jewellery, crafts and textiles that will be recognised by customers for its committment to natural products and to a fair working ethic for the producers involved.


During the last 12 months everyone has been working very hard here in the destination to develop new innovative designs and products that will meet all customer's needs and pockets. The 8th December was agreed as the launch date of the 'Guaranteed Gambian' products and we were generously offered promotional space at the beautiful Gaya Art Cafe. A range of buyers and other interested parties were invited to the event, resulting in some fabulous feedback and interest for orders. Following the launch, myself and Rupert met with Anna from Top Shop who has shops at three popular hotels, she has become our first Guaranteed Gambian customer and is placing orders for all of our items within the catalogue.


For many of the producers of our crafts, this is going to be the first time that they've ever had any kind of real employment and opportunity to make a decent living from tourism.

The respect that will come from having this opportunity is something that I can't even put a value on for them...instead of bumstering their wares on the streets they now have 3 confirmed outlets for their work. With next year's work focussing on marketing and building brand awareness of Guaranteed Gambian I know that the producers will really feel very proud to be part of it and to say that their work is sold under this label.

It guarantees a fair wage for their products and the time that they have put into making them. The story boards of the producers will help to tell the story to the customer and bring life to the brand as well as awareness raising of sustainability as a whole. We'll be able to fully report on stats this time next year to demonstrate the difference this has made to the income of the producers.

I remember when I met a marabou (fortune teller) here the first time I came to do H&S 5 years ago, he told me that I would always come back to the Gambia and that I would bring wealth to people of the destination, I never believed a word of it, as far as I was concerned I was doing a one off trip there and never knew that I'd even come back. As soon as we got the Top Shop agreement it struck me that this could be exactly what he was referring to all that time ago! Scary that someone can know these things so far ahead of time

Of everything that I've done so far in this job, this is probably the highlight and the most amazing achievement yet. There's a lot of special people working on this project here and it's such priviledge to be part of it. I just wanted to share the good news!

Jo Baddeley is the Sustainable Destinations Manager at Thomas Cook UK and Ireland and has been in the role for almost four years. She recently graduated from Leeds University with a Masters Degree in Responsible Tourism and was highly commended for her personal contribution to sustainability at World Travel Market in 2010.

Jo is passionate about bringing sustainability to life in destinations for customers, suppliers, local people and Thomas Cook's own employees. Making it part of an improved customer experience is the best way to get people involved. Some of Jo's favourite overseas initiatives have come about as a response to the Travel Foundation's 'Make Holidays Greener' week and include ongoing children's activities and promotion of new local products and events.

The opportunity to travel, to spend time with people and to develop an understanding of the flavour of different destinations are the highlights of the job. Jo hopes to continue to encourage more and more people to become involved with sustainability and to enjoy the many benefits it brings.

source: http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=2000148&c=setreg&region=2

Radisson Blu Edinburgh crowned Gram Hotel Sustainable Champion of the Year

 Radisson Blu Edinburgh has been crowned Gram Hotel Sustainable Champion of the Year by Gram UK, the award-winning manufacturer of energy efficient commercial refrigeration. The prize is awarded to the most environmentally conscious hotel in the UK.

To make the important decision, Gram appointed an independent judging panel, formed of representatives from Caterer & Hotelkeeper Magazine, the Considerate Hoteliers Association and the Institute of Hospitality, who were all impressed with the high standard of entries. The panel chose Radisson Blu Edinburgh as overall winner because of the focus the team at the hotel in Edinburgh city centre has placed, on putting sustainability at the top of their agenda for the hotel. The hotel walks away from the competition with a Gram refrigerator from the Energy Technology List.

Lisa Jenkins, products and suppliers editor at Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, commented: "This hotel had an obvious passion for the environment with many systems in place. I particularly liked the fact that they were reducing the use of chemicals. They had also reduced the number of beverage deliveries and I think this will become much more of a key target for many businesses in 2012"

John Firrell, director of the Considerate Hoteliers Association and fellow judge added: "The winners have shown consistency and persistency in their intent, staff colleagues willingly embrace the hotel’s green credentials and despite the economic outlook the hotel is prepared to press home their sustainable initiatives. Well done"

The competition goes hand in hand with the publication of the hotel edition of the Gram Green Paper which takes all of the insight, findings and results from the landmark 2010 issue of Gram’s Green Paper, and draws conclusions and results that are specifically relevant to the hotel sectors.

Steve Valentine, Regional Chief Engineer of Radisson Blu Edinburgh commented on their win: "We are delighted to receive this prize as we have always taken pride in our green programme and which for many in the hotel is second nature. This prize will be welcomed by our kitchen team and will certainly not look out of place in our newly refurbished kitchen in early 2012"
The Radisson Blu Edinburgh offers 238 contemporary rooms of Edinburgh accommodation that reflect the individuality of the hotel and its unique location on the historic Royal Mile.

About Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts:

Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts (formerly Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts), part of The Rezidor Hotel Group, offers first class service, providing guests with a contemporary, upscale hospitality experience. Radisson Blu has received numerous awards for Best Hotel Chain and is renowned for its "Yes I Can" spirit of service and the "100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee". September 2005 saw the roll out of a free broadband service across the portfolio - the first international hotel chain to offer this service. Radisson Blu currently includes almost 250 hotels either in operation or under development and more than 58,000 rooms in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, including hotels in Edinburgh, and offers many special offers including Edinburgh hotel deals.

Emissions Trading: Partial activation of the Union Registry for airlines

Yesterday another step was taken in the implementation of the inclusion of aviation in the EU's emissions trading system (EU ETS): the European Commission has partially activated the new Union registry to enable access for aircraft operators.

The single Union Registry

The Union registry operated by the Commission will ensure the accurate accounting of all emission allowances issued under the EU ETS and keep track of the ownership. Currently, allowances are held in accounts in electronic registries administered by Member States. The revised ETS Directive adopted in 20091 provides for the centralisation of operations in a single Union registry. The partial activation of the Union Registry for airlines is a first step towards the full activation of the Union Registry, which will not take place before June 2012. Until then, existing national registries remain operational, in particular for allocation and for the completion of compliance activities for stationary installations.

What does it mean for aircraft operators?

From today onwards, aircraft operators can open accounts in the Union registry. Account requests and all required supporting documentation2 shall be verified by the relevant national administrator. Aircraft operators with an open account will be able to receive free allocation as determined by their administering Member State.

What are the next steps for aircraft operators?
All aircraft operators covered by the EU ETS have to open an account in the Union registry. Based on a benchmark published by the Commission in September 2011 Member States calculate the amount of allowances to be allocated for free to each aircraft operator in accordance with the rules set out in the EU ETS Directive. Aircraft operators will receive the first annual batch of free allowances credited on their registry account by 28 February 2012 or as soon as their account is opened. In total, approximately 181 million aviation allowances will be handed out to airlines for free in 2012.

Aircraft operators covered by the EU ETS will also have to complete a number of steps in the registry to ensure that they comply with the EU ETS. These include a requirement to enter verified emissions in the registry by 31 March of each year after 2012 (e.g. by 31 March 2013 they will have to ensure that verified emissions for 2012 are entered in the Union registry) and a requirement to surrender by 30 April of each year a sufficient number of aviation allowances, general allowances and/or international credits to cover their emissions from the previous year(s) (e.g. by 30 April 2013 they will have to surrender units covering emissions from 2012).

Can aircraft operators trade allowances before the Union registry is fully operational?
Aircraft operators will neither be able to transfer their aviation allowances, received on their accounts in the Union Registry, nor to receive general allowances or international credits in the Union Registry before full activation. In the meantime, aircraft operators who wish to trade general allowances and international credits can open an account in a national registry. Furthermore aircraft operators can enter into futures contracts for the delivery of allowances and units at a future date. After the full activation of the Union registry, aircraft operators will be able to transfer allowances and international credits with other participants in the EU ETS

source: http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/47517-Emissions-Trading:-Partial-activation-of-the-Union-Registry-for-airlines

Hotels can drive growth through sustainability but consumer benefits are critical

MindClick SGM and Expedia.com announced the results of a study of 5,000 consumers conducted in early January 2012 that measures awareness, expectations and the impact of hotel sustainability efforts. The study revealed that consumers applaud such efforts, but need to better understand the tangible impact to their travel lives.

Over the past decade, hotels have implemented and promoted sustainability programs including greener operations-energy efficiency, water conservation and recycling, and green building through the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification program. With operational sustainability awareness levels at 80% among consumers surveyed, the industry has succeeded in telling at least part of the story.

This means that the concept of hotel sustainability is being factored into hotel purchase consideration. Hotel air quality is a prevailing consumer concern: four in ten consumers list indoor air quality as a highly important in their selection criteria. Hotels that promote higher indoor air quality earn higher favorability ratings among almost two-thirds of consumers surveyed.

At the same time, the study showed that there is a gap between how the industry communicates its sustainability efforts and the areas of sustainability that consumers see as important. On the one hand, emphasis on promoting the operational aspects of sustainability has resulted in high consumer awareness of energy efficiency, water conservation and recycling. At the same time, in spite of the fact that consumers see air quality as important, only one-third of those surveyed recalled promotion of indoor air quality as part of a hotel’s offering.

75% of the Expedia consumers surveyed completely agree that sustainability for hospitality should be defined as: building, furnishing and operating hotels in ways that are better for the guest, better for the community and better for the planet.

According to MindClick SGM CEO JoAnna Abrams, “By emphasizing the direct consumer benefits associated with sustainability, especially related to guest health and well-being, hotels have the opportunity to drive growth.”

She concluded, “Sustainability can be integrated into the design, construction, furnishing, and operations in ways that provide guests a better hotel experience while taking care of the community and our planet. Hotels and brands who figure this out first will have a significant competitive advantage in the marketplace.”

“As more and more people start to think about their impact on the environment when they travel, Expedia is here to help them find the right trips with sustainable hotels that share their values," says Joe Megibow, Vice President and General Manager, Expedia.

SOURCE: http://www.traveldailynews.com/pages/show_page/47474-Hotels-can-drive-growth-through-sustainability-but-consumer-benefits-are-critical

Social media 'a revolution' for the hotel business

The benefits offered by social media — from short lead times to total transparency, and two-way to communication to powerful guest engagement — mean hotel bosses are expected to place increased emphasis on the medium in 2012.
According to Sofitel VP Middle East, Africa and Indian Ocean Sami Nasser, social media “is a revolution for the hotel industry”.
“Social media creates opportunities never envisioned before,” said Nasser. “It influences how you are positioned on Google, your reputation can be damaged or enhanced within a blink of an eye, social commerce is coming, and all this is going mobile. It is a revolution for the hotel industry, and it is just the beginning”.
Fairmont regional vice president and general manager at Fairmont Hotels and Resorts UAE Henning Fries said social media offered a range of benefits hotels could capitalise on.
“Social media affords the opportunity to instantaneously reach to guests with a very short lead time that does rival traditional communication vehicles such as advertising and public relations. It also lends itself very well with guest recovery on sites such as TripAdvisor, where we have the opportunity to directly address issues and concerns on a public platform,” said Fries.
He continued: “And the numbers definitely point to the prevalence of social media today. One report stated that approximately seven billion mobile apps were downloaded in 2009, with forecasts that this will increase to almost 50 billion by 2012”.
Hospitality Management Holdings president and CEO Michel Noblet agreed that social media provided a powerful way to interact with customers.
He asserted that it has “the potential to significantly change the way we do business”.
However, all three hoteliers were keen to qualify that great care must be taken to use social media properly.
Fries said social media must be “couched within the communications role” and combined with marketing and PR.
Noblet said the challenge was ensuring hoteliers understood that using social media effectively comes down the engaging more with customers.
“It can be used as an effective and strategic marketing tool provided hotels understand that it only enables mass collaboration and is not just another channel of communication which most people have mistaken it to be. The frustration today is that companies do not know how to engage with customers,” said Noblet.
He advised recruiting younger staff that use social technology and understand these platforms to “help leverage the power of social technology and expand its impact.”
Deciding how much to invest in social media was also a concern.
“As a company you have to wonder how to invest and how much,” said Nasser. “The ROI is still not clear, and there is a risk on spending too much.”
Rotana president and CEO Selim El Zyr added: “A recent Travel Industry Question Time run by TravelMole in London looked at the issue of social media and its use to the travel and tourism industry.
“There was some feeling that the industry is still doubtful about return on investment (ROI) but, in fact, there is more confusion about the best way to use the ever-developing technology.
“The question here is how far can brands push the social media interaction without losing the personal connection with customers? Or maybe social media can become another way of enhancing the personal experience,” suggested El Zyr.
“It could be argued that technology is in danger of isolating us from our customers, but, at the end of the day, people are our business and we must translate the online presence into the guest experience when they actually arrive at the hotel. There is so much that we can know about our customers through social media, which consequently should give us more tools and information to tailor make services for them,” he said.
El Zyr acknowledged that it was difficult to gauge the effectiveness of these platforms , however.
He recommended that the focal point for hoteliers should be determining “just how many of our customers are actually using social media, how much interaction they want from us at this level and how we can best encourage it to serve both our guests and our own brand values”.

source:  http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/13347-social-media-a-revolution-for-the-hotel-business/

An end to fast fashion? Consumer-focused, sustainable alternatives

Rapidly changing fashions increase the production and consumption of textiles and clothing. According to Finnish researchers, more sustainable production and consumption of clothing could be achieved if consumer values are used to rethink design and business strategies. For example, increased personalisation of clothing could increase consumer attachment to products.
Despite improvements in the environmental impacts in the manufacture of textile and clothing over the last 25 years, the overall volume of production and consumption of these products has increased. The relocation of manufacturing from Western countries to Asian nations and more efficient production has reduced the cost of clothing and textiles, but this has had the unintended consequence of increasing consumption and counteracting some of the environmental benefits of new manufacturing technologies.
In addition, the fast cycles of fashion and deliberately planning products to have a limited lifespan have shortened the life cycle of textiles and clothing. Garments have become cheaper, the quality reduced and clothes are typically worn for only a short time before disposal. Although reuse and recycling of clothing has also increased, this only partly offsets the increased levels of textile consumption, the proliferation of textile waste, and the environmental and social impacts, (such as where and how fibres are cultivated) associated with higher volumes of textiles and clothing production. However, the EU Ecolabel¹ for textiles is another way for consumers to select products with better environmental performance.
To help address the problems in the fashion industry, this study explored different design strategies that increase the lifespan of textiles and clothing by making the consumer the centre of the innovation processes. It argues that innovative thinking about how consumers experience and value textiles and clothes is needed for more sustainable production and consumption.
For example, the use of a product could be extended if it is designed to be personalised. This would allow consumers to develop an emotional attachment with the garment or textile and can be achieved by mass customisation of products using fast digital manufacturing technologies that enable consumers to select from a variety of styles and colours to design their own look. Digital textile printers, embroidery and laser cutting machines can design products tailored to an individual’s specifications.
The manufacture of ‘halfway products’, for example, kits that offer consumers the opportunity to creatively assemble (and repair) the product could also increase attachment and usage, as could clothing designed with detachable parts that can be customised by the consumer. In addition, designers can co-create products with consumers to increase attachment to the product, for example, through the internet, with consumers making the final design decisions. Services that focus on consumer needs can also be used to extend the lifetime use of textiles and clothing and postpone product replacement. For example, high-quality garments that can be used in renting, leasing, lending or sharing schemes; and services that modify the garments can all be offered. New business opportunities could be found in this switch to a services-orientated economy; manufacturers can offer higher quality garments, increase customer satisfaction and extend the use of the product.
Online questionnaires were used to assess consumer opinions about reducing consumption and the environmental impact of the fashion and textiles industry in Finland, and were completed by 341 respondents. The respondents indicated that they are concerned about ethical consumption and the environmental impact of textiles and clothing across their lifecycle and were interested in new approaches to design textiles and garments.

1.     http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/ecolabelled_products/categories/textiles_en.htm

Source: Niinimäki, K., Hassi, L. (2011) Emerging design strategies in sustainable production and consumption of textiles and clothing. Journal of Cleaner Production 19: 1876-1883.

School of Hotel Administration Offering New Certification in Hotel Properties Management and Sustainability

The hospitality industry has become increasingly aware that environmentally responsible management and sustainable operating practices have a direct and positive impact on a property's bottom line. With energy representing the single fastest-growing operating cost in the hospitality industry – some 3-6% of total facility costs – hotel operators can no longer ignore the need to implement strategic energy-efficient management systems. Guests, corporate clients, employees, and investors have demonstrated increasing interest in understanding a business's approach to key environmental, social, and governance topics that widen the scope of performance. The Cornell School of Hotel Administration is addressing these needs with a new Certification in Hotel Properties Management and Sustainability. This certification focuses on sustainability in hospitality management by interweaving the key topics such as financial management and facilities operations to create a comprehensive knowledge base for the hotel manager.

"Upon completion of this certification available through our Professional Development Program (PDP) participants will have a deeper understanding of the issues regarding sustainability and will be able to generate solutions leading to sustainable hotel management," said Office of Executive Education Executive Director Tom Kline. PDP 2012 will be held June 25-July 7 on Cornell University's Ithaca, New York, campus.

The four-course certification will focus on creating economic value and success in a way that also creates value for society by addressing its needs and challenges. The four courses in the certification are: Hospitality Facilities and Sustainable Hotel Management; Creating Shared Value in Hotels: Beyond Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility; Project Management for the Hospitality Industry and the participant's choice of either Operations Analysis for the Hospitality Industry or Thinking Like a Financial Manager. Classes are taught by the world's leading instructors in hospitality management and strategic thinking.


Registration for PDP 2012 is now available. For more information visit our website at www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/pdp.






source: http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000320/4054505.html

Sustainable tourism development: the glorious reality no 2

Bulletin number 2: Jo Baddeley of Thomas Cook reports from the Gambia with the highs and the lows in a series of weekly reports.


Jo Baddeley, Thomas Cook’s Sustainable Destination Manager, gives a candid view… of how it works in a destination - tourists and all!



Notes from the field no 2
It is still Friday 25th as I'm typing this, the diesel generator is not just generating electricity but lots of smoke as well so we've switched everything off - the life of the laptop battery once again is our only way getting work done. It's a bank holiday, the electrician couldn't come so his brother is here instead as clearly, being a blood relative qualifies him as an electrician. We're very confident that we'll be back up and running safely very soon...... not!


Bryan, our manager, forgot that no electricity meant he couldn't print, having the computer still working makes you feel like the electricity is on. It's liquidation day, there are six reps in the office trying to pay their money in, everything is being done by hand and it's getting very hot ...who needs computers anyway!


I now have a new desk in Bryan's office, I'm going to put a green noticeboard up so that all the staff know what I'm doing in The Gambia and they can support it , they're going to be green in the middle by the time I leave. I'm hoping we can donate our paper and aluminium can waste to the recycled art projects - we shall see.


Well, here we are on Monday morning now, I left the office to go and meet Marc from the Kombo Beach Hotel to get some things organised for the TV crew, no point staying in the office with nothing working... but we're all back on track for a new week now.


I've had a fab little weekend, I went out to get all my shopping in for my little studio, went to see a new bar that's opened up that we want to use on bar crawl, it's right on the beach and is really lovely. They had a bit of an open night on Saturday with free drinks between 7-9pm, we arrived at 8pm so as to not look greedy but we didn't leave til midnight, it was a really good atmosphere and there was a good band on.


The other British man in the complex gets married today, despite being witness to the fact that his friend's marital bliss seems to have been short-lived! Heaven knows if they'll ever get back to the UK, I have no idea what the girls would do over there to be honest. It seems that they're going to stay put for a while longer though, I don't know if I'll even be around for the outcome at the end! It's very surreal but it takes all sorts to make a world and it would be very boring if we were all the same.


The other 2 people in the complex at the moment are brilliant, they've been coming to Gambia for 20 years and have got some fantastic stories to tell, we had a right laugh round the pool yesterday. It's a lovely little community in there and feels very like home.


Off to go and pick up the visa for Gill from greentravelguides.tv, the GTB have it organised it ... hopefully it will all be OK when I get to the airport to get them through. I'm really looking forward to spending a week with the film crew, I think I'll learn a lot but I also want them to really experience and enjoy The Gambia.....to be honest I have no doubt that they will!


Next bulletin next week...


Says Jo:
As part of my six week stint in the Gambia this winter I've been working together with The Travel Foundation, Sandele Eco-Lodge and Rupert & Lynne (our craft experts) to promote a brand of jewellery, crafts and textiles that will be recognised by customers for its committment to natural products and to a fair working ethic for the producers involved.


During the last 12 months everyone has been working very hard here in the destination to develop new innovative designs and products that will meet all customer's needs and pockets. The 8th December was agreed as the launch date of the 'Guaranteed Gambian' products and we were generously offered promotional space at the beautiful Gaya Art Cafe. A range of buyers and other interested parties were invited to the event, resulting in some fabulous feedback and interest for orders. Following the launch, myself and Rupert met with Anna from Top Shop who has shops at three popular hotels, she has become our first Guaranteed Gambian customer and is placing orders for all of our items within the catalogue.


For many of the producers of our crafts, this is going to be the first time that they've ever had any kind of real employment and opportunity to make a decent living from tourism.
The respect that will come from having this opportunity is something that I can't even put a value on for them...instead of bumstering their wares on the streets they now have 3 confirmed outlets for their work. With next year's work focussing on marketing and building brand awareness of Guaranteed Gambian I know that the producers will really feel very proud to be part of it and to say that their work is sold under this label.


It guarantees a fair wage for their products and the time that they have put into making them. The story boards of the producers will help to tell the story to the customer and bring life to the brand as well as awareness raising of sustainability as a whole. We'll be able to fully report on stats this time next year to demonstrate the difference this has made to the income of the producers.


I remember when I met a marabou (fortune teller) here the first time I came to do H&S 5 years ago, he told me that I would always come back to the Gambia and that I would bring wealth to people of the destination, I never believed a word of it, as far as I was concerned I was doing a one off trip there and never knew that I'd even come back. As soon as we got the Top Shop agreement it struck me that this could be exactly what he was referring to all that time ago! Scary that someone can know these things so far ahead of time


Of everything that I've done so far in this job, this is probably the highlight and the most amazing achievement yet. There's a lot of special people working on this project here and it's such priviledge to be part of it. I just wanted to share the good news!


Jo Baddeley is the Sustainable Destinations Manager at Thomas Cook UK and Ireland and has been in the role for almost four years. She recently graduated from Leeds University with a Masters Degree in Responsible Tourism and was highly commended for her personal contribution to sustainability at World Travel Market in 2010.


Jo is passionate about bringing sustainability to life in destinations for customers, suppliers, local people and Thomas Cook's own employees. Making it part of an improved customer experience is the best way to get people involved. Some of Jo's favourite overseas initiatives have come about as a response to the Travel Foundation's 'Make Holidays Greener' week and include ongoing children's activities and promotion of new local products and events.


The opportunity to travel, to spend time with people and to develop an understanding of the flavour of different destinations are the highlights of the job. Jo hopes to continue to encourage more and more people to become involved with sustainability and to enjoy the many benefits it brings.


source: http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=1151079&c=setreg&region=2

Hotels that fail to offer free wi-fi 'lose out'

HOTELS.COM recently conducted a hotel amenities survey, asking travelers to dish on their favorite in-room and hotel perks. Question after question, guests reported that free Wi-Fi is a must when choosing a hotel room and that this amenity overwhelmingly factored into the decision on which hotel to book. Thirty-eight percent of travelers reported that free Wi-Fi played a part in their decision as a "must" to stay at a specific hotel, 35 percent reported it is the simple amenity they want to see more in hotels, with 31 percent wishing it would become a standard in all hotels in 2012.

"Given the explosion of mobile use in the past few years, it is no surprise that travelers are requiring free and fast Wi-Fi," said Taylor L. Cole, APR, director of public relations and social media for hotels.com. "Many guests never travel without their tablets, smartphones and laptops. It's as intuitive as packing a toothbrush. Guests use these items in their rooms to plan activities for the next day. We are also seeing an uptick in mobile booking the day of a stay. Guests are creating their trips while on-the-go with Tonight's Local Deals on our site and the hotels.com mobile apps, which feature exclusive mobile deals – it is only natural that they'd want to stay connected while in their hotel rooms."

To round out the tech responses, 23 percent of guests stated their favorite modern in-room amenity was the use of iPads for guest services, local information and personal use. This ranked above air purifiers/humidifiers, high-end coffee makers, iPod dock, massage chairs, video game systems, universal remote rooms and workout equipment/DVDs.

Food and Beverage

Second to technology, guests are most pleased when their favorite food and beverages are provided during their hotel stay.

· 45 percent reported that their favorite new amenities are: happy hours, wine tastings or any other time with free food and drinks

· 31 percent of travelers expressed their wish to see more complimentary bottled water in their hotel rooms (34 percent of female travelers; 24 percent of male travelers.)

On Stealing While Traveling…

Despite some guests stealing linens/towels (14 percent) or magazine/books (12 percent) from hotel rooms, over 66 percent of hotel guests have never stolen an item from their hotel room.

Other amenities

· Travelers felt like extra luxuries like turndown service and bath menus were "not worth the hype," according to 44% of female respondents and 30% of male respondents.

· The bathroom phone gets no love. It is the least used hotel amenity, with 37 percent of total respondents saying they never touch it.

· When asked about amenities at luxury hotels, women prefer designer toiletries (23 percent) and men prefer the fitness center and spa (27 percent.)

· When asked if they could stay celebrity-style, the top option for both men (35 percent) and women (38 percent) was to have their kitchen pre-stocked with their favorite food and beverages. However, a close second was the ability to have a private pool and hot tub in the room (37 percent of women; 34 percent of men.) These options beat out such fun or diva-esque in-room demands like: an arcade, favorite fresh flowers everywhere, private staff or a movie screening room.

Two million customers to book holidays this week

Today is the most depressing day of the year, according to ABTA, which estimates that two million people will book their next holiday this week to try to lift their spirits. 

The travel association said the third week of January is typically the busiest of the month as Britons take advantage of the holiday discounts available to shed the January blues. 

Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy are the destinations most likely to be in demand this week, it said, as the pound has rallied in recent weeks to almost €1.2 to make them more affordable. 

Spain came second in a recent Post Office report on destinations offering the lowest prices for day to day expenses. For those seeking winter sun, Sri Lanka, one of ABTA’s 2012 Travel Trends "Hot" destinations, was the cheapest. 

ABTA head of communications Victoria Bacon said: "With two four-day weekends in the first half of 2012 (Easter and the Diamond Jubilee) many people are expected to take advantage of the time off work and go abroad.

"The amazing deals and wide availability on offer at this time of year are also guaranteed to help put a smile on peoples’ faces."

By Linsey McNeill

source: http://www.travelmole.com/news_feature.php?news_id=1151025&c=setreg&region=2

Existing buildings to be made more sustainable in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: For more than a year, energy and water consumption efficiency have been brought to the fore in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, with new projects awarded building permits only if they prove efficient use of resources, said a senior official.

Urban planning authorities are now drawing up guidelines that will also make existing structures sustainable.

These guidelines will call for more efficient water, lighting, cooling and insulation fixtures, among various other elements, so that older buildings and villas also make the best use of the emirate's scarce water resources and adapt better to the intense summer heat, said Humaid Al Hammadi, associate planner for Estidama at the Urban Planning Council (UPC).

He added that producing desalinated water is extremely cost-and energy-intensive, and we need to make better use of the emirate's limited water resources. "We can also save a lot of energy by simply insulating structures better from the heat and making use of available wind. These are the kinds of measures we want to encourage in order to make community life sustainable in the emirate," he said.


Requirements
The measures will be part of the UPC's Estidama (sustainability) Pearl Rating System for existing buildings, which are expected to be introduced by the end of the year. The system will mirror the framework used to rate the sustainability of new projects in the emirate.

"It is clearly more difficult to change a building's sustainability rating after it has already been built, but we hope to tackle this by pushing owners to adopt small but effective measures like water-efficient taps and energy-saving lights," he added. Details on how landlords and property management companies would be urged to implement these standards are, however, not yet available.

"We are still discussing the exact requirements for existing buildings and villas. What we do know is that despite the initial investment that will be required, these standards will lead to long-term savings in operation and maintenance costs, and allow the emirate to make better use of its resources," Al Hammadi told Gulf News.

He added that even in new projects rated at one Pearl, water consumption in the long run is reduced by 21 per cent when compared to buildings that are not designed under these standards, and consumption of energy is also 41 per cent lower.

Granted permits
Since September 2010, new construction project designs in the emirate have been required to obtain a minimum rating of one Estidama Pearl before being granted building permits. Government building designs have had to be even more sustainable and acquire at least a two-Pearl rating before getting the go-ahead.

Since then, 64 project designs have been awarded ratings by the UPC. These projects are then audited and rated during their construction as well.


"The rating system for new projects will also be expanded this year. When an Estidama-rated building is completed, we will review how efficiently it is being run for two years," Al Hammadi added.


Pearl Rating System

Abu Dhabi: The Estidama Pearl Rating System measures how sustainable a building is culturally, environmentally, economically and socially, and is tailored to the climatic and cultural needs of Abu Dhabi.


Based on this system, buildings are rated at one-Pearl if they achieve the minimum level of sustainability by using efficient water and lighting systems, minimising waste production and being made of durable, environmentally friendly and locally available materials, among other elements. A building that is more sustainable than the minimum requirements set by the Urban Planning Council (one-Pearl) is given a higher Pearl rating, the highest rating being five Pearls.

In a bid to encourage developers to build more sustainable projects, the Urban Planning Council will soon open up three show villa projects that are rated at 3 Pearls each.

These show projects, which display the benefits of constructing beyond the mandatory one-pearl Estidama rating for villas, will be located in Abu Dhabi's Khalifa City A, as well as in Al Ain and Al Gharbia


http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/housing-property/existing-buildings-to-be-made-more-sustainable-in-abu-dhabi-1.965778

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Qatar eyes progress on $3.3bn Space City projec

Qatar will move forward with plans to establish a $3.3bn Space City once the project has won approval from authorities, a senior official has said.

Abdul Aziz Mohamed Al Noaimi, chairman of Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA), said the space city would be built in the Al-Khor area of the Gulf state.

In comments published by state news agency QNA, Al Noaimi said: "There is a plan for space city in Al-Khor area the details of which will be revealed after it gets formal approval from the top authorities in the state."

He added that an official body would be appointed to be responsible for the development of the project, with the General Authority of Civil Aviation is part of it. The project will be implemented in several phases and will include establishment of a university in cooperation with US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), it was reported last year.

The project will also include a science museum and other tourism attractions

 
The new city will be established near Al Khor airstrip, a part of which will be used for the project.

 http://www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/13341-qatar-eyes-progress-on-33bn-space-city-project/

TUI: «Σταδιακή εξασθένιση» της Ελλάδας ως τουριστικού προορισμού για τους Γερμανούς

Τη σταδιακή εξασθένιση της Ελλάδας ως τουριστικού προορισμού για τους Γερμανούς διαπιστώνει ο επικεφαλής του μεγαλύτερου τουριστικού της Γερμανίας «TUI», Φόλκερ Μπέτχερ, σε συνέντευξή του στο Γερμανικό Πρακτορείο Ειδήσεων.

Ο κ. Μπέτχερ σημειώνει ότι το 2011 η Ελλάδα, παρά τις διαδηλώσεις και τις απεργίες, κρατήθηκε καλά, αλλά τώρα «διαπιστώνεται αισθητή επιφυλακτικότητα στις κρατήσεις» και προσθέτει ότι η Αίγυπτος και η Τυνησία δεν έχουν ακόμη ανακάμψει από τις συνέπειες της πολιτικής αναταραχής.

Αναφερόμενος στην γερμανική τουριστική αγορά για το 2012, ο επικεφαλής της «TUI» προβλέπει αύξηση του αριθμού των πελατών, την οποία αποδίδει στο καλό κλίμα που επικρατεί στην αγορά εργασίας και στον τομέα της κατανάλωσης, διευκρινίζει ωστόσο ότι θα πρόκειται για μονοψήφιο ποσοστό αύξησης. Σε ό,τι αφορά τους προορισμούς, ο κ. Μπέτχερ εξηγεί ότι οι Γερμανοί προτιμούν, όπως πάντα, την Ισπανία και την ίδια τους τη χώρα, η Τουρκία διατηρείται σε υψηλό επίπεδο, ενώ τη μεγαλύτερη άνοδο, σημειώνουν η Κροατία, με 57% και η Βουλγαρία.



www.kathimerini.gr με πληροφορίες από ΑΠΕ – ΜΠΕ

Rebuilding the green concept

GTOWER Hotel takes its commitment to being green seriously. Being housed within Malaysia’s first green and smart building helps in upholding the four tenets of environmental sustainability - Rethink, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.


Rethink


By rethinking key elements from site orientation to harnessing the latest sustainable green building technologies and systems, GTower Hotel (see cover pix) is more energy- efficient than a building of similar size.


Reduce


Double-glazed low e-glass allows for maximum entry of natural light while minimising heat transmission.


The Shangri-La Rasa Sayang in Penang was bestowed the Asean Green Hotel Award 2010 for the second consecutive year.


State-of-the-art chilled water centralised air-con chillers circulate cool air through the rooms at lower energy consumption. Light fixtures utilise low energy LED lighting, while energy-saving lighting minimises energy consumption.


The hotel has also sourced for eco-friendly cleaning agents. The infinity pool is a showcase ecofriendly pool.


To reduce the use of chemicals, salt is used to condition the water, which is heated from waste energy from the air-conditioning units.


All sanitary and tap fittings are “green-rated” for water efficiency.


Reuse


Key water catchment areas harvest rainwater which irrigates the green roofs and green walls throughout the building. These in-built green walls act as natural air purifiers.


GTower Hotel is more energy efficientl than a building of similar size.


Waste heat from its air-conditioning units are recovered and reused to generate hot water for bathrooms.


Recycle


Apart from an active recycling policy, the rooms feature furnishings made of recyclable materials or are recycled.


Even its paint features a low volatile organic compound, reducing toxicity and improving on indoor environmental quality.


Hotel amenities and paper used are made from green or recycled materials. All guests are encouraged to turn off the lights and reuse towels to reduce the need for washing and wastage of natural resources.


The Singaporean Building and Construction Authorities (BCA) awarded GTower Hotel the Gold Greenmark for sustainable technologies incorporated into the building’s design.


This makes GTower Hotel Malaysia’s first fully-certified Green Building. Golden Palm Tree Resort and Spa Golden Palm Tree Resort stretches out from the Sepang coastline, almost a kilometre into the sheltered waters of the Straits of Malacca.


With minimum impact to the environment and touted on be the first eco-friendly sea-hotel in the world, it is within easy proximity of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Golden Palm Tree Resort is a green company that tries to use all resources responsibly.


Awards


Touted to be the first eco-friendly seahotel in the world, Golden Palm Tree is the recipient of two CNBC Asia-Pacific Property Awards 2008. Entries were judged by a panel of professionals whose collective knowledge of the property industry is second to none and unsurpassed by other property awards.


The television channel’s annual award was presided over by a panel of leading experts in the real property industry.


Golden Sands Resort, Penang


In 2009, Golden Sands Resort in Penang set up a research unit called Effective Microorganism Mud Balls Research and Development Centre to create special mud balls consisting of organic matter, which are effective in breaking down harmful bacteria in waters.


These balls are thrown into the nearby Sungai Emas, which has been adopted by the resort to help in its rehabilitation.


Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts


The Shangri-La Rasa Sayang in Penang was bestowed the Asean Green Hotel Award 2010 for the second consecutive year at the Asean Tourism Forum held in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, recently.


The Asean Green Hotel Award is one of six Asean Tourism Standards considered essential for helping Asean to be a world-class, quality destination.


This coveted honour is given to a hotel, which is environmentally-friendly and adopts energy conservation measures based on the Asean Green Hotel Standard.


Up until now, only 10 hotels in Malaysia including Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa have successfully met these standards.


Additionally, other green measures are being practised in the resort’s daily operations to minimise impact on the environment.


The switch from dieselburning boilers to heat pumps completely eliminates the need to use diesel fuel and this has brought certification from Sirim (an independent quality certification body in Malaysia) which acknowledges Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa as a role model among other hotel operators for energy conservation and energy efficiency practices.


Similarly, the resort seeks cooperation from guests in reducing wastage of water, detergent and energy used during their stay.


There are over 100 best practices for management and employees, and the resort’s management and staff continuously evaluate and explore techniques that can be followed on the path of ecological preservation.


Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia-Pacific’s leading luxury hotel group, signed a corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy into effect in 2007 and launched a twoyear development strategy to enhance its existing CSR activities.


http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2012/1/13/lifeliving/20120113102515&sec=lifeliving

Safe food from the farm with ISO/TS 22002-3

Safer food farming is the principal benefit targeted by a new ISO technical specification, latest in the ISO 22000 series of standards for food safety management systems.

Farms are the first link in many supply chains that bring food to the kitchen table and the new ISO technical specification, ISO/TS 22002-3:2011, has been developed to ensure that farmers implement best practice in maintaining a hygienic environment and play their part in controlling food safety hazards in food chains.

ISO/TS 22002-3 is one of a series of support documents in the ISO 22000 series providing requirements for food safety prerequisite programmes (PRPs). PRPs address the basic conditions and activities that are necessary for ensuring hygiene throughout the food chain during production, handling and provision of food safe for human consumption. ISO/TS 22002-3 specifies the requirements and guidelines for design, implementation and documentation of PRPs for farming.

"The chain from farm to fork may be a long one, even global in scale, involving many different participants," comments Dominique Berget, leader of the ISO team that developed the new document. "Therefore, it's important to ensure food safety right from the very first link, which is often the farm. ISO/TS 22002-3 provides state-of-art requirements and guidance for getting this right."

It will be useful for all organizations, including individual farms or groups of farms, regardless of size or complexity, which are involved in the farming step of the food chain and wish to implement PRPs in accordance with ISO 22000:2005, the standard that gives the basic requirements for food safety management.

It is applicable to the farming of crops (e.g. cereals, fruits, vegetables), living farm animals (e.g. cattle, poultry, pigs, fish) and the handling of their products (e.g milk, eggs).

All operations related to farming are included in the scope (e.g. sorting, cleaning, packing of unprocessed products, on-farm feed manufacturing, transport within the farm).

The document includes specific examples of PRPs, although these are for guidance only since farming operations are diverse in nature according to size, type of products, production methods, geographical and biological environment, related statutory and regulatory requirements etc. Therefore, the need, intensity and nature of PRPs will differ between organizations.

ISO/TS 22002-3:2011, Prerequisite programmes on food safety – Part 3: Farming, was developed by ISO technical committee ISO/TC 34, Food products, subcommittee SC 17, Management systems for food safety, working group WG 2, Farming. It is available from ISO national member institutes (see the complete list with contact details). It may also be obtained directly from the ISO Central Secretariat, price 108 Swiss francs, through the ISO Store or by contacting the Marketing, Communication & Information department.

http://www.iso.org/iso/pressrelease.htm?refid=Ref1497

The Rise of The Designer Bakery (source http://www.thecoolhunter.net/article/detail/2047/the-rise-of-the-designer-bakery)

Is there anything more basic, homey and familiar than a loaf of great bread? Yet it has become a luxury. More and more of us are sick of (literally and figuratively) the white, never-to-stale sliced bread in its never-to-biodegrade plastic bag.




We crave for fresh artisanal breads, natural ingredients, heritage grains, organic everything. Those who value great-tasting, healthy bread will pay for quality.





And with that quality and premium price comes the notion of design. Why should we buy that wonderful, healthy loaf at a horrible-looking bakery?




Hominess and hearty fare are great, but does the environment have to look so “homey,” too? Not any more. We are seeing more and more cool bakeries around the world.




Our fans and followers helped us track down a few examples that meet the requirements at least visually. If the loaves and other baked goods created at these establishments remain consistently as great as their environments, you can count us in as fans.





Blé, Thessaloniki, Greece



Blé Bakery on Agias Sofias in Thessaloniki, Greece, most certainly fits the bill. It was designed by the minimalist architects atClaudio Silvestrin Giuliana Salmaso (London & Milan). It has the world’s largest wood oven – gigantic, at 12 meters (almost 40 feet) tall!







And the bakery is built from cob made of white clay from Crete and Milos, plus sand and straw. Blé’s four floors house a patisserie, bakery, delicatessen and a wine and mozzarella bar.








Electra, Edessa, Greece






Another cool bakery in northern Greece is located about two hours’ drive form Thessaloniki in a town called Edessa. This central Elektra Bakery location is a prototype redesign of the family-run bakery chain’s stores.




The open, minimalist design by Edessa-based Studioprototype Architects helps to disguise the tiny space of 35 square meters (376 square feet) at a busy intersection.







The large outdoor seating area adds to the appeal, and glass walls link the indoors and outdoors to each other. Furniture by Xavier Pauchard and lighting by Tom Dixon.





VyTA Boulangerie Italiana, Turin, Italy



In Italy, the drama never ends. Not even in a bakery. VyTA Boulangerie, designed by Rome-based architect Daniela Colli, is located at the epicentre of busy urban life, the Porta Nuova train station in Turin.




With its contrasting light oak and black polymer surfaces the shop resembles a high-end fashion boutique or bar much more than it does a bakery steeped in tradition or natural ingredients.







Yet, it is an engaging environment with its large L-shaped counter, the stylized natural-oak “hood” over the pastry displays, and the hexagonal beehive detailing. VyTA Boulangerie has stores in Rome, Milan, Turin and Naples.





Princi, Milan, Italy



Of course, the dramatic dawn of the designer bakery took place in Milan. Princi, also designed by Claudio Silvestrin, offers organic breads and other goodies made according to traditional recipes. And it is open 24 hours a day and even on Sundays.




Owner Rocco Princi opened his first bakery in 1986. He now has four stores in Milan and one in Soho, in London.





Joseph – Brot vom Pheinsten, Vienna, Austria



In Vienna, Austria, the latest cool destination for lovers of organic bread is Joseph - Brot vom Pheinsten (Translation: Joseph – Finest Bread), located in the 1st district at Nagelgrasse 9.







This is the first retail store for owner Josef Weghaupt and master baker Friedrich “Fritz” Potocnik whose Joseph delicacies are also available at the city’s finest cafés restaurants, delis and shops. Corporate and graphic design by Martin Dvorak.





Baker D. Chirico, Melbourne, Australia






In Melbourne, Australia, cravings for chic design and amazing bread will be satisfied at two shops owned by Daniel Chirico. In celebration of the artisan baker, his second Baker D. Chirico store in Carlton, unlike the first one in St Kilda neighbourhood, has no coffee machine, deli or other distractions.







It is all about bread. And of course, about design, wonderful curving wood slats infusing light and warmth into the tiny space. Created by March Studio, also responsible for a number of Aesop store interiors.





Bécasse Bakery, Sydney, Australia



The chic, French-inspired Bécasse Bakery is located in the new Westfield Shopping Centre in Sydney, Australia.





It is part of a group of establishments, all located on the fifth floor of the centre and all owned by Justin and Georgia North: Quarter Twenty One restaurant, store and cooking school, plus Bécasse Restaurant and Bécasse Bakery.




The bakery was designed by Sydney-based Mima Design with principals Mark McConnell and Micheline Li Yoo Foo.





Panscape Bakery, Kyoto, Japan



In Kyoto, Japan, Panscape bakery represents the new look of bakeries. The tiny space, just over 26 square metres (280 square feet), looks sleek and clean in the understated, minimalist way the Japanese master so well.







Yet, with its select, massive components of cement and aluminum plus a half-tonne log, the space also exudes solidity and strength.




The concept, architecture and interior are by Osaka-based Hiroki Kawata Architects: ninkipen!





Komsufirin, Istanbul, Turkey



In its fewer than five years of existence, Komsufirin has grown to some 60 stores in Turkey and it sells predominantly pre-baked products, so it is by no means an artisan boutique enterprise, but we like the clear, minimalist interior, redesigned by Istanbul-based Autobahn.







The store name translates as “the oven in the neighborhood” and Autobahn principals Seyhan Özdemir and Sefer Cağlar used natural oak and white tiles to create a modern and visually spacey environment as a backdrop for the ancient process of baking.





Komsufirin is operated by the Doruk group and it is growing at a breathtaking pace, aiming for 350 stores by 2013 and 1,000 stores by 2020.





Helsinki Bakery, Osaka, Japan



One would expect to find Helsinki Bakery in Finland, but no, this one is located in Osaka, in the three-year-old Hankyu Nishinomiya Gardens shopping mall.




And not just the name, but also the white and natural-wood design have direct connections to Finland.




The store’s Japan-born designer Arihiro Miyake is based in Helsinki-Finland, and has studied in both Japan and Finland.




Simple, healthy and natural are the key words of the bakery and the Scandinavian design supports those notions perfectly.





Lagkagehuset Bakery, Copenhagen, Denmark



Lagkagehuset Bakery’s name translates as “pie house” but there is definitely no homey pie atmosphere in this location, designed by SPACE Copenhagen.




Lagkagehuset’s principals, Steen Skallebæk and Ole Kristoffersen, have been baking independently of each other since the early 1990s. But in 2008, they combined their successes in and started Lagkagehuset that now has 18 locations in Denmark. - Tuija

Franca Sozzani: Sustainable fashion is a must

Franca Sozzani is on a mission to turn the red carpet "green" this year.


The editor-in-chief of Italian Vogue thinks it's time celebrities and fashion industry professionals become more tuned in to environmental issues.


She is calling on people who attend awards ceremonies and premieres to wear sustainable fashion to the events - just as Colin Firth's wife Livia did during awards season last year.


"There's something new for 2012. The Red Carpet will turn into a Green Carpet. The colour of the runway will remain the same, of course, but the clothes will have to submit to new standards: eco-friendliness, sustainability and fair trade. An initiative fostered by Livia Firth, the wife of actor Colin Firth, winner of an Academy Award for The King's Speech," Franca wrote on her blog.


Franca is in awe of the way Livia has promoted the issue. She claims it has done so well among the A-List elite many female celebrities are planning to wear 'green' items to the Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday.


"This is a 'concrete' commitment, and not just another excuse to talk about fashion and movie stars. A good example, we all know, is set from above and surely, if celebrities and actresses chose to endorse this attitude and approach towards fashion to convey such a significant message, everything would be much easier," she wrote.


The fashion editor added many big names in fashion agree with her, among them Alberta Ferretti, Frida Giannini and Tom Ford. She explained many of them are already working to make their pieces as ethical as possible, and expects this to be a real turning point for fashion.


"When actresses and actors nominated for the most-coveted awards in Hollywood, and not only, will walk on runways donning clothes designed following such criteria, we will be able to speak of the start of a new era. Nothing will change from an aesthetic point of view, yet the different approach used will be definitely radical," she wrote.


http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/woman/fashion-beauty/franca-sozzani-sustainable-fashion-is-a-must-16102518.html

Hoteliers see green in 'green' tuxedos, tablecloths

As more U.S. hotels get out of recession-era cost cutting mode and into update mode, they appear to be more interested in "green" products - at least in one particular category.

Textile makers tell American Laundry News that as hotels get ready to buy new table linens and uniforms, they're seeking out green products that in some cases can trim their laundering bills.

"We believe there's a great deal of pent-up demand in the hotel industry," vendor W.H. Rogers, of hospitality textile maker Riegel, told the paper. "We're hoping that will be reflected in the new budgets for hotels in 2012.

Tuxedos: The hotel industry's first machine-washable tuxedo, presumably for banquet waiters, caught hoteliers' interest because it can save hotels dry cleaning costs. The tux - an innovation from Cintas with partner Boardroom Eco Apparel - is made off recycled polyester. Mills take discarded plastic bottles and transform them into recycled fibers. Cintas estimates that the machine-washable tuxedos can save hotels up to $1,000 per employee annually.

Bellman jackets: Cintas also found interest in its Eco Cobra Jacket, a green garment option for bellmen, doormen and other front-door staffers.

Tablecloths: Riegel drew interest from hoteliers with its RieNu line of recycled polyester tablecloths, which are made from recycled plastic bottles. The use of one RieNu table napkin is said to eliminate three plastic bottles from landfills. The story didn't say whether hotels would buy these because they're cheaper, because they'd save hotels money somehow in the long run or because they're pitching themselves as a "green" hotel.

American Laundry News based its story on interviews with vendors who in November exhibited their products at the 96th annual International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Show in New York City.

Stay tuned for my own reports from the IHMRS as well as the adjoining hip-hotel-oriented Boutique Design New York in coming weeks.

In terms of hotels going for "green" products, well, it's a trend that's long been in the making. Over the years, hotels have gradually been moving towards "green" products throughout their buildings, from energy efficient light bulbs, to sustainable, organic ingredients in restaurant kitchens to recycled plastic water bottles such as the ones adopted by the Ritz-Carlton chain in 2010.

http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2012/01/hotels-table-linens-made-from-recycled-plastic-bottles-/596674/1

Scandic opens yet another hotel in Norway

Scandic and the Øgreid Eiendom have signed a contract to build a new hotel in the centre of Stavanger. The hotel will open in 2013.
The architectural unique hotel will get a prime location, close to the heart of Stavanger. The hotel will have 210 rooms, including rooms for disabled guests. At street level there will be a restaurant, lobby bar and meeting rooms. There will be meeting facilities for the total of 300 persons, where the largest meeting space can cater up to a group of 100 persons. The building will also have a underground garage, and of course everything you can expect from a Scandic hotel such as a lobby shop, a gym and a leading sustainability program.
“Scandic is growing rapidly in Norway – we have been adding a total of 7 new hotels since 2010. It’s an important market, making this an exciting development for Scandic in Norway,” says Scandic’s Country Vice President in Norway, Svein Arild Steen-Mevold.
“Stavanger is one of Norway’s most important cities, with a growing hotel market. Our second hotel here will have a very central location and expand our room capacity in Stavanger to 450 rooms. The new Scandic in Stavanger will be a modern and inspiring addition to our chain” explains Steen-Mevold.

http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/scandic-opens-yet-another-hotel-in-norway/
          

Hotel Rafayel, London - London’s greenest hotel

London’s greenest hotel has fabulous river views and cutting-edge energy-saving features.

In 2012, much international attention will be focused on London with the Olympic Games and all its attendant activities and events, including the cultural programme. If you want an eco-bed to lay your head on, the Rafayel may not be not central, but it won’t dent your wallet as dramatically as the hottest tickets to the athletics finals will.
 http://ecosalon.com/

25 Photos of Islands Threatened By Climate Change

by Jessica Marati on January 6, 2012 in News & Culture

25 breathtaking places threatened by us.

Some may try to deny it, but by now there’s next to no doubt that global warming is having real, profound effects on the world we live in. Perhaps one of the most alarming changes is occurring in the world’s oceans and endangering islands with diverse ecosystems, rich cultures, and breathtaking, beautiful landscapes. Pacific island nations like Kiribati and the Marshall Islands have already come to terms with the irreversible nature of the crisis and are formulating long-term relocation strategies for their residents.
The islands pictured below have been identified as being highly at risk for the devastating consequences of climate change. Their beauty is a reminder that global action is needed now.
(above) Palau

Tuvalu

Antigua

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Kiribati

Fernandina Island, Galapagos

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Nevis

Bartholomew Island, Galapagos

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Solomon Islands

Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia

Papua New Guinea

Maldives

Guam

Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia

Fiji

Nauru

Majuro, Marshall Islands

Tonga

Rabaul, Papua New Guinea

Lord Howe Island, Australia

Kauai, Hawaii

Norman Island, British Virgin Islands

Aitutaki, Cook Islands

 http://ecosalon.com/25-photos-of-islands-threatened-by-climate-change/