RCI Celebrates Earth Month by Naming Winners of the Tenth Annual RCI Green Awards Program

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In honor of Earth Month, RCI^®, the world’s premier vacation exchange company, announced today the winners of the tenth annual RCI^® Green Awards program.

The RCI Green Awards celebrate three RCI affiliated vacation resorts that actively engage in environmentally sustainable practices across their resort operations. Third-party eco-certification expert GreenCircle Certified, LLC selects each year’s winners based on advances in energy and water conservation, waste management, community outreach and environmental management.

"We’re thrilled to celebrate the ten-year milestone of the RCI Green Awards, a program that highlights our commitment to protecting the environment and challenges our affiliates to do the same,” said Richard Ruff, senior vice president and managing director of RCI North America. “By committing to responsible operation, our affiliates are caring for the planet and the communities in which they operate. Further, investing in sustainable best practices, like those exemplified by our award winners, sets affiliates up for potential opportunities to reduce energy consumption and increase savings for years to come.”

The highest honor in the RCI Green Awards program, the Platinum Award, was awarded to Laurel Crest™, a Bluegreen Vacations Club Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The resort demonstrates ingenuity and best practices in environmental responsibility, including using a rain-catching device to prevent stormwater runoff and assist with outdoor irrigation, solar powered lights to illuminate sidewalks, electric vehicle charging, and reserved parking spots for green vehicles.

The Gold RCI Green Award went to Club Wyndham Resort at Fairfield Glade in Crossville, Tenn., which creates extensive energy savings through the use of motion sensors, as well as water savings by not relying on any irrigation system. Additionally, the resort conducted a voluntary, extensive third-party audit of energy and water use, and plans to use the resulting recommendations for future conservation enhancements.

Lastly, the Silver RCI Green Award was bestowed to Worldmark Rancho Vistoso in Oro Valley, Ariz. With solar panels installed on roofs, along with solar carports to provide the site with renewable energy, the resort relies on the area’s native landscape, which does not require extra irrigation systems. Resort staff also maintain a butterfly garden, an herb garden, and a bird habitat on site, helping promote the local ecosystem.

The RCI Green Award program is free and open to all RCI affiliates in North America. RCI also offers a Green Resource Center on its affiliate website for developers looking to expand their sustainability efforts. The application process for next year's RCI Green Awards program will begin in October.

About RCI

RCI^® is the new shape of travel™. As the worldwide leader in membership travel services to the vacation ownership industry, the company offers the industry’s leading vacation exchange platform to its 3.7 million members around the world, providing access to 4,200 affiliated resorts in approximately 110 countries. RCI Travel offers enhanced travel services allowing its members to flexibly travel year-round. RCI is a part of the Panorama family of travel brands at Travel + Leisure Co. (NYSE:TNL). For additional information visit rci.com. RCI also can be found on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

About Panorama Co.

Panorama is the world’s foremost membership travel business that includes the largest vacation exchange company and membership travel brands. The Panorama portfolio includes timeshare exchange companies RCI^® - the world’s largest vacation exchange network, 7Across, and The Registry Collection; consumer travel businesses Love Home Swap, and Extra Holidays; and leading travel technology platforms @Work International and Alliance Reservations Network (ARN). Panorama delivers a broader perspective to the world of travel as part of Travel + Leisure Co. (NYSE:TNL). Visit PanoramaCo.com for more information.