Santa Monica Offers Seaside Escape for Green Travelers
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (April 23, 2019) – With bold new initiatives and long-standing programs, Santa Monica’s focus on sustainability makes it an ideal destination for eco-conscious travelers to Los Angeles.
From clean energy and micro-mobility to organic food and a plastic ban, Santa Monica’s leading-edge programs continue to make Los Angeles’ premier beachside city a socially responsible place to live, work and play. The city’s recent achievements in sustainability include switching to 100 percent renewable energy for the electrical grid. By sourcing renewable energy, Santa Monica can reduce the city’s emissions by as much as 20 percent and moves one step closer to achieving carbon neutrality. Additionally, Santa Monica passed a ban on single-use plastics for prepared food including straws, aiming to preserve and protect the Santa Monica Bay from plastic pollution while reducing landfill waste.
Better yet, in the beachside city, travelers don’t have to sacrifice the indulgences of luxury travel in order to “go green.” Santa Monica provides many eco-friendly restaurants, hotels, attractions and transportation alternatives so you can travel guilt-free and protect the destination you love to visit. Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) worked with the City of Santa Monica’s Sustainable Works team to create the Santa Monica Green Business Certification Program, an official certification program to grow a vibrant and healthy green economy. To date, nearly 60 local businesses have become Green Business Certified including hotels, restaurants and attractions. The program encourages responsible tourism and gives travelers the opportunity to leave the destination better than they found it.
The ability to go car-free also remains a huge draw for travelers. At just 8.3-square-miles the city is easily accessible on foot. Additionally, Santa Monica boasts numerous green transportation options including a bike-share program, scooter-share apps, an electric and open-air free ride shuttle, and the Metro E Line that connects to Downtown Los Angeles as well as neighboring cities.
Following Earth Day, Santa Monica will honor sustainable businesses in the community at the annual Sustainable Quality Awards (SQA), the oldest and most rigorous green business award in Southern California. The SQA’s will be held at Le Méridien Delfina Santa Monica on April 30, 2019, recognizing businesses that are successfully putting sustainable practices into action.
For more information on how to “go green” in Santa Monica visit: santamonica.com/go-green-santa-monica.
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT) is a non-profit organization designed to increase visitor expenditures, tourism revenues and local employment opportunities through the promotion of Santa Monica as a travel destination. For travel and accommodation information or a free copy of the official Visitors Guide, the public can write to the Santa Monica Visitor Center, 2427 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405; call (800) 544-5319 or (310) 393-7593; visit santamonica.com; or email info@santamonica.com. Follow SMTT on Twitter @GoSantaMonica or become a Facebook fan at facebook.com/visitsantamonica.
Contact: Lauren Salisbury
Santa Monica Travel & Tourism
310-319-6263
lsalisbury@santamonica.com
