Marriott International, Inc. has been named by Business Ethics magazine as the only hotel company on its 100 Best Corporate Citizens list, according to the Spring 2005 issue. All companies on the Russell 1000 index are considered, and rankings are based on eight different categories: total return to stockholders, the community, governance, diversity, employees, the environment, human rights and product.

Aruba´s official website for tourism promotion, www.aruba.com, is showing off a brand-new and luring design since April 18. The redesign is aimed at clinching a closer interaction with netizens and streamlining its online integration. News, event calendars, weather reports, offers for honeymooners and an ad section for the promotion of local products and services. Surfers can click on all these sections right from the site´s homepage. Once inside the website, you can make your own travel plan around Aruba and even jot down your own memoirs on the trip.

A research study conducted for the first time in Costa Rica showed that back in 2002, nature parks and national reserves chipped in $815 million to the Central American nation´s economy. That figure also accounts for 5.5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. The yearlong assessment pieced together by the Center for Economic Policy and Sustainable Development at the National University in collaboration with the Institute of Bio-diversity.

Environmental and emergency response professionals from throughout the region gathered in Kingston, Jamaica, at a two-day meeting to examine how to better prepare and respond to natural hazards and disasters in the Caribbean. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Caribbean Disaster Response Agency (CDERA) jointly organized the conference that was held under the theme Beyond 2004 Events - Lessons for the Caribbean Region.

The Meridien Hotel chain, whose 233-room Le Meridien St. Martin — formerly Le Meridien L´Habitacion — is the second largest property on St. Martin, has withdrawn its management contract, effective May 1, according to hotel sources. General manager Jacques Guillamot is reportedly leaving the island as well. The property is expected to remain open under the name L´Habitacion. No new management company has yet been named. Last year Meridien severed its ties with the 144-room Le Meridien le Domaine. That hotel, which closed for reconstruction following the announcement, is expected to reopen in December.

Recognizing the role of small locally owned hotels in the accommodation sector, the Antigua and Barbuda Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Organization of American States (OAS) is providing a special training opportunity for small hotel owner/ managers. Focusing on the need for small hotel owners and managers to be proficient in all aspects of hotel operations, this comprehensive four-day workshop scheduled for Tuesday May 3 through May 6 at the Antigua and Barbuda Hospitality Training Institute will cover Hotel Management and Operations, and Food and Beverage Management with a view to providing existing and new owners with the necessary skills to assist in the smooth functioning of their properties.