Plus, test your tourism IQ and you could win one of nearly two dozen signature Scottsdale prizes - from restaurant gift cards and a round of golf for four to museum passes and outdoor adventure experiences in Scottsdale.

Find these chances to win and more at www.ScottsdaleTravelMatters.com. Don’t miss your chance to win – enter by June 11.

Visit www.ScottsdaleTravelMatters.com for your chance to win as we celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week.

More to come Monday, May 11 for your chance to win a Scottsdale staycation, one of nearly two dozen signature Scottsdale prizes, and explore all the ways that tourism works for you. Stay tuned!

The Scottsdale bureau acknowledged participants in three categories: Green, Greener and Greenest. The Green category recognizes businesses that created green projects, programs or campaigns, while the Greener designation is awarded for improvements on pre-existing efforts. The Greenest category is designated to companies that have both green practices and offer green products or services.

GREEN AWARD

Hotel Valley Ho won in the Green category for its creation of a recycling program, and other environmentally friendly and energy efficient practices. The hotel started its recycling program in 2006, and is now the largest recycler in downtown Scottsdale, recycling approximately 4,500 pounds of material per week. The Hotel Valley Ho also uses green-certified cleaning products, non-toxic cleaning fluid for dry-cleaning services and dual pane glass windows. The Orange Tree Golf Resort was recognized as a finalist in this category for its green committee that worked on three main goals: to reduce non-recyclable waste, reduce water usage and implement a recycling program on property.

GREENER AWARD

The Greener award was given to the Fairmont Scottsdale for its ongoing improvement of green practices. The hotel has been committed to improving its impact on the environment for more than 25 years and continues to develop sustainability programs such as its green partnership with AZ BioDiesel. This collaboration allows the Fairmont to save 100,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere by converting its kitchen grease to biodiesel. The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa was named the Greener finalist for its organic foods, spa treatments and retail offerings, as well as its water conservation efforts.

GREENEST AWARD

The highest award was given to Edwards Design Group, an Arizona-based custom home design firm, for its dedication to providing quality, sustainable homes. For the past 30 years, the builders have specialized in building energy efficient homes made with non-toxic, recycled and locally produced materials. Dedicated to increasing awareness about the importance of sustainability, co-owner Kevin Edwards serves on the City of Scottsdale Green Building Advisory Committee and co-chairs the city’s Green Building Lecture series. Bio Green Planet was recognized as the finalist in this category for its specially formulated solution that helps restaurants safely clean grease traps instead of sending grease to landfills.

More than 15 companies submitted for the Green by Design Awards, including: CityCenter of CityNorth, Electric Bike Company, The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Bio-Green Planet, EcoCab, EcoFresh, FireSky Resort & Spa, Organic Dry Cleaners, Rave FabriCARE Master Cleaners, Take A Hike Arizona, and the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch.

Related posts:

1. Experience Scottsdale Like a Pro

• The tourism industry in Scottsdale remains strong and continues to be one of the largest industries in Scottsdale generating more than $38 million in additional tax revenue for the city.
• Scottsdale has a strong brand known throughout the world and is considered a world-class vacation and meetings destination.
• The Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau has been working on a new brand campaign for more than a year. These ads are based upon extensive research – research on our visitors and what they are looking for in a travel destination. Our research showed us it was time to adjust our brand campaign to better attract the high-end traveler who typically chooses Scottsdale.
• As residents, we often focus our attention on different aspects of our city than what visitors see. Our visitors continue to come for our world-class resorts, luxury spas, championship golf courses, abundance of arts and cultural attractions, myriad dining and nightlife options, and outdoor recreation in the Sonoran Desert.
• Scottsdale is not on sale and this has never been an option for us. The reason: if you discount your destination, you change your brand by saying that you are no longer a luxury destination, which we are. With this luxury cachet in place, Scottsdale is able to maintain a higher rate than other destinations, which brings in more revenue to our city.
• Yes, the economy is down. Which is exactly why we have to continue promoting Scottsdale and bringing in millions of people to our community who support local businesses – from our resorts and golf courses to hundreds of small, independent restaurants, galleries, retail shops, adventure and attraction companies and more that rely on our visitor industry. Now is not the time to stop marketing who we are. Scottsdale will be well positioned to recover more quickly when the economy turns around.
• The “Capture It” cowgirl ad is only one of five new ads from the CVB. In addition to showcasing our Western roots, it also focuses on the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert, as well as on our nightlife and our shopping/fashion industry – all attributes that attract visitors to Scottsdale.

The five ads will begin appearing in 2009 issues of top travel and lifestyle magazines, including The New Yorker, Golf Digest, Food & Wine, Departures, and Travel + Leisure. The creative also will be incorporated into the CVB’s new Web site and collateral materials in early 2009. The CVB has posted three of the five ads online; the other two – golf and resort rejuvenation – will be unveiled in January. In addition, a mood video was created to help set the tone for the new campaign. The mood video will be modified once the golf and resort rejuvenation ad are unveiled.

To view the first three ads, the mood video and see photos from the making of the ads, visit www.scottsdalecvb.com/ads.html.

The City of Scottsdale Downtown Group has placed recycle cans through out downtown Scottsdale.

The Scottsdale Downtown Group has installed 10 recycle containers in downtown Scottsdale. These containers are located at key activity areas, including Stetson Plaza at SouthBridge, the Canal Bank, all public parking facilities and public restrooms, and the heavily used trolley stops – 5th Street and Craftsman Court, 5th Street and Stetson, and 3rd Street and Craftsman Court. Residents and visitors to downtown can recycle cans and plastic bottles. Additional recyclables will be considered in the future as this effort grows. This effort was initiated by the Downtown Group in support of the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau’s green initiatives, as well as in response to input from downtown visitors who frequently asked where they could recycle cans and plastic bottles.