The 2010 Zagat Airline Survey results have arrived, and PDX was named the country’s best airport. From a massage parlor to local food fare, free wi-fi, live music, and independent bookstores, PDX keeps its travelers connected, relaxed, and entertained while flying to their next destination. Read the full article here.

What is your favorite part of flying through PDX?

Photo courtesy of Port of Portland

1. Environmentally-friendly skies

Delta Air Lines is committed to lowering the effects of carbon emissions and was the first airline to create a carbon offset program. In partnering with The Conservation Fund, Delta is helping its customers to reduce the carbon footprint and contribute to support renewable energy, reforestation and energy efficiency.

2. Use a mobile boarding pass

Reduce your paper use by using Delta’s mobile boarding pass.

3. Choose a green hotel

Hotels across the world are increasingly their environmentally-friendly practices, but some are more active than others. When you are making your travel plans, consult a hotel rating site, like Eco Hotels of the World, and choose an eco-conscious establishment to rest your head. You may also want to ask other sustainably-minded travelers for their recommendations.

4. Change those sheets… just not as often

Do you change your bed sheets every day at home? Then chances are you won’t mind keeping the same hotel sheets during your stay. You’ll save water and energy.

5. Reuse your towels

6. Unplug your devices

Even when electronics are switched to “off”, they are still consuming energy. If you’re out of the room, you are probably not needing to use the lights, TV, or computer charger, so give the outlets a break and unplug your electronics.

7. Take public transportation

Not only will relying on public transportation lower your emissions, it will also save you (and your company) money. Amsterdam and Tokyo have advanced subway and bus systems to get you to your destinations quickly and easily. If using public transit isn’t conducive to your schedule, consider taking MAX to PDX or carpool with your co-workers.

8. Leave the unused shampoo/conditioner/lotion bottles behind

9. Eat locally

Local vendors are more likely to receive their produce from farms close by, reducing the amount of energy used to bring you your delicious meal. So sit, relax and enjoy your dinner knowing you’re supporting local economy and being more energy efficient.

10. Recycle

If recycling bins are not available in your hotel room, bring your newspaper or plastic bottles to the front desk and ask where you can recycle them. Being proactive will help you save a few trees and will make you feel pretty good too.

Photo credits: Oregon Forest, SMCDevitt; Delta Boarding Pass, courtesy of Allison Park, Amsterdam Tram, Vitaly Volkov;

We visited the Chinese car maker BYD. They are rapidly becoming a leader in electric vehicle technology and production. They are also the fastest growing auto brand in China. BYD began as a maker of cell phone batteries and has expanded into cars (including electric vehicles), solar panels and related technology, smart energy, net energy homes and most recently, electric buses. The Port first visited BYD about 3 years ago and was visited by BYD at about that same time.

They contemplate their electric vehicles into the US in 2012 and have asked that we be prepared to compete for their auto import business which, of course, we will happily do.

This definitely is a company to watch.

Photo credits: Courtesy of the Port of Portland

I could spend this whole post sharing impressive statistics with you — for example, the tourism industry provides more than 28,000 jobs in the Portland metro area, and overnight visitors contribute approximately $265 million annually to the Portland economy — but I think I’ll leave it up to our local business owners to share their perspectives on how international tourism impacts them.

Charles Froelick, owner of Froelick Gallery and president of the Portland Art Dealers Association, talks about how his business is directly supported by international tourism.

When you visit Portland, the food cart experience must be on your “to-eat” list. These local foodie icons have been featured in national and international culinary publications, drawing in business for cart owners such as Nong Poonsukwattana.

The hotel industry provides a great service not only to leisure and business travelers, but also to the local job market. Pedro Melendez is the Director of Engineering at the Doubletree Hotel Portland and came to Portland to build the American dream for his family.

Jeff Miller
President and CEO
Travel Portland

Photo credits: Courtesy of Travel Portland

What to See and Do?

Amsterdam’s reputation as a cultural and artistic center precedes itself, but there’s more to this city’s artistic expression than traditional art housed at the Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum. Fashion-focused visitors can appreciate wearable art from some of Amsterdam’s most eco-conscious designers’, including Studio Jux, Van Markoviec, and Brennels. Each of these designers sets the latest fashion trends using sustainable products such as organic cotton, linen, bamboo and even stinging nettles. In recognition of their green fashion efforts, Studio Jux, Van Markoviec, Brennels and six other Dutch designers were recently celebrated during Dutch National Sustainability Day.

Where to eat?

“You reap what you sow” claims new meaning at Amsterdam’s De Kas Restaurant. Each day executive chef Ronald Kunis and head chef Meindert Heijer carefully select the menu from the restaurant’s local garden and greenhouse. If they require ingredients outside of what their nursery provides, Kunis and Heijer select only the finest produce from other local, environmentally conscious farmers. Choosing to farm and shop locally keeps de Kas’s transportation and emissions rates down, while helping their fellow business partners to thrive. The restaurant’s unique dining experience promises to keep its customers on their toes with fresh, local ingredients, a constantly changing menu, and a mission of sustainability.

Where to play?

We know you can dance (or at least try to) and after spending a day grazing off of Amsterdam’s sustainable restaurants, it might be time to consider burning off a few of those vacation calories. Dancing can burn up to 350 calories per hour, but did you know that it can also produce 50 watts of electricity per hour? Named in honor of the energy it produces, Watts Dance Club in Rotterdam uses sensors in the dance floor to collect dancers’ vibrations and produce electricity, which is then used to power the club’s lighting schemes. Rotterdam-based innovator Enviu created the Sustainable Dance Club concept in 2006, and has shared its dance-inspired technology with clubs like Watts across the globe.

Where to Stay?

Some might say luxury must be sacrificed for the environment’s sake, but in Amsterdam you can have the best of both worlds. Whether you’re interested in budget-friendly or high-end luxury, Amsterdam has a hotel that will both fit your interests and provide green service with a smile.

For a low-budget, high quality hotel experience, consider a stay at the Bicycle Hotel. This hotel is a “green” model citizen with its bicycle rentals, recycling and solar powered electricity. Known for its friendly staff, accessibility to the city’s historical sites and recommendations for great biking routes, the Bicycle Hotel is a perfectly affordable solution for your hotel needs.

Kicking your luxury experience up a notch doesn’t have to come at Mother Nature’s expense.  At the Hotel de l’Europe, you can have a world class lodging experience with eco-friendly frills. The hotel’s chain, Leading Hotels of the World, was the first hospitality entity to offer patrons a completely carbon-neutral experience through their environmentally responsible practices as well as an additional financial carbon offset program.

Now that you’re geared up with a few green Amsterdam itinerary tips, we want to hear from you! What recommendations do you have for a more environmentally-friendly travel experience?

Photo/video credit: Bikes in Amsterdam, liber; Studio Jux, Teska Overbeeke; De Kas Restaurant, Magnusdigity; Sustainable Dance Club, panxut; Hotel de L’Europe, Mark & Danielle Parris