Gardens Earns Sustainable Tourism Award
 |
Oct 26, 2009 |
For more information contact:
Jessica O’Riley – Iowa Tourism Office, Iowa Department of Economic Development
515-725-3085 or Jessica.oriley@iowalifechanging.com Reiman Gardens Earns Green/Sustainable Tourism Award October 22, 2009 (Tama, Iowa) – Reiman Gardens in Ames received the Green/Sustainable award today during the 2009 Iowa Tourism Conference in Tama. “At Reiman Gardens, it’s not just the plants that are green,” said Iowa Tourism Office Manager Nancy Landess. “They have done an amazing job in incorporating energy efficiency into the gardens by compositing, using automatic environmental controls and reducing the amount of water used, among other measures.” Judging was based on several criteria including energy efficiency, waste/water minimization, environmental purchasing, air quality and economic impact and/or cost savings associated with “green” practices. A total of 19 awards were presented at the conference. Professionals representing several facets of the Iowa tourism industry judged the nominations. The annual three-day conference, sponsored by the Iowa Tourism Office and Travel Federation of Iowa, brings together nearly 300 industry representatives from across the state to network, attend educational sessions and discuss emerging industry trends. Tourism is a $6.4 billion industry in Iowa, employing nearly 65,000 people statewide and generating more than $303 million in state taxes. The Iowa Tourism Office is part of the Iowa Department of Economic Development. For more information about Iowa tourism, visit www.traveliowa.com, call 800-345-IOWA or stop by any Iowa Welcome Center.
|
