Media reaction to the World Savers Congress held on Oct. 10, 2007 in New York City

"It sounds like an award you'd give to Mother Teresa. What's left?," joshed Mr. Marriott, the chairman of Marriott International, last week as he accepted the magazine's travel industry award for social responsibility.

CNN
October 11, 2007
And while the "eco-travel" category is growing fast, no one can tell you with any certainty just what that means.

What's more, while the industry creates jobs and helps alleviate poverty, critics say that industry workers in the developing world are underpaid, and that most of the tourism dollars generated in poor countries leave anyway. That's because visitors tend to favor western-run hotels, western-owned rental car agencies, and western-made products like Coca-Cola over local businesses. "The tourism industry lags way, way behind other industries when it comes to corporate social responsibility," said Patricia Barnett, director of Tourism Concern, a British advocacy group.

Those are some of my impressions after attending Condé Nast Traveler's "World Savers Congress," the magazine's first conference on social and environmental issues.

On Philanthropy
November 1, 2007
The business of travel is booming. With a collective revenue thats likely to reach the $7 trillion mark this year, the industry certainly has the means to effect real change. The Congress, one component of a three-part World Savers Partnership, is emblematic of an attempt to build structure around industry players socially-minded activities.

Fortune
October 11, 2007
"Journeys, especially to developing countries, create global citizens, for whom there is no 'us' and 'them," said Klara Glowczewska, the editor-in-chief of Condé Nast Traveler.

Certainly, there are solid business reasons for the industry to get serious about issues of global warming, biodiversity, poverty and AIDS.

"People don't want to spend big bucks to travel to degraded places," said Sven Lindblad, president of Lindblad Expeditions, a small adventure travel company with a longstanding commitment to conservation.

Jaunted.com
October 12, 2007
Yesterday we woke up early to check out Conde Nast Traveler's World Savers Congress 2007 in New York. The confab gave the travel trade the chance to talk about environmental and corporate responsibility issues. It gave us the chance to enjoy a swanky breakfast at Gotham Hall.

CN Traveler's editor in chief, Klara Glowczewska, kicked things off, talking about green travel and social responsibility. (The pre-taped message from Bill Clinton was a nice touch.)