The Greenville-Pitt County Convention Visitors Bureau recently received recognition in the N.C. Department of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service’s NC GreenTravel program.
The Greenville-Pitt County CVB earned two Dogwood Blossoms out of a possible three, for a combination of both its environmentally friendly office practices and building specifications of its new office location in the SuperBlock Historic Redevelopment area in downtown Greenville.
“We are excited to be the first Convention Visitors Bureau in the state of North Carolina to be recognized by NC GreenTravel,” Andrew Schmidt, executive director for the Greenville-Pitt County CVB, said. “Environmentally friendly practices have become an important consideration for both leisure travelers and meeting planners when selecting places to visit or hold an event, and we look forward to working with our hospitality partners in Pitt County to create a greener destination.”
Julia McNeill, a graduate assistant with the Center for Sustainability at East Carolina University, began working with the Greenville-Pitt County CVB earlier this year on sustainable tourism initiatives, implementing a recycling program and training session for staff, an initial environmental assessment of the CVB office, and presentations to staff and other members of the Greenville-Pitt hospitality industry about the NC GreenTravel program and the benefits of green tourism business practices.
The Greenville-Pitt County CVB received points for its adoption of an environmental policy, office recycling and waste measurement program, and environmentally preferable purchasing efforts. Points also came from the installation of LED lighting and motion sensors; high-efficiency toilets; Energy Star-labeled HVAC, windows and doors; the reuse of building materials, and other construction details.
“The work the Greenville-Pitt County Convention and Visitors Bureau has put into becoming recognized for their sustainable initiatives has been truly outstanding,” McNeill said. “Now that Greenville is home to two NC GreenTravel Certified attractions, I hope more businesses in the community will begin to embrace the triple bottom line of environmental, economic and social sustainability.”
The North Carolina GreenTravel Initiative is a free recognition program created through a partnership between the Center for Sustainability: Tourism, Natural Resources, and the Built Environment at East Carolina University, the N.C. Department of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service, VisitNC, and Waste Reduction Partners.
NC GreenTravel promotes positive economic growth, good health, and environmental stewardship in the travel and hospitality industry. The program is the most extensive in the nation, with 123 lodging, food service, attractions, museums, parks, vacation rentals, convention centers, festivals, wineries, breweries and other travel-oriented businesses being recognized.
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