Ithaca, N.Y. - The eye-catching gorge on the cover of the

Ithaca/Tompkins County Travel Guide isn't the only

thing “green” in the 2008 publication.


The annual tourism directory, created by the

Ithaca/Tompkins Convention and Visitors Bureau, underwent

an earth-friendly makeover this year to minimize resource

consumption and reduce its environmental footprint. The

changes could make it the first “green” travel guide in

New York State.


“We’ve looked, and we think we’re the first county in the

state to make the environment a priority in producing our

travel guide, “ said Suzi Munoz, the visitors bureau’s Web

and publications manager. “We worked hard to create a

guide that promotes the county without compromising our

ecological future. We’re proud of what we’ve created and

we think the community will be proud too.”


For the 2008 edition, the visitors bureau redesigned the

publication to minimize paper use, eliminating more than 3

million pages from the print run. By consuming almost 40

percent less paper than 2007, the move preserves forests

while keeping 9.6 tons of printed material from entering

the waste stream.


In addition, this year’s publication is printed entirely

on recycled paper. The cover is “FSC Certified” 50 percent

post-consumer-recycled paper, meeting the Forest

Stewardship Council’s highest standards of sustainable

forestry and manufacturing. The text stock is 100 percent

post-consumer-recycled paper. The switch from standard

paper saves 238 trees and eliminates an additional 7.5

tons of trash.


The entire project was printed locally by Cayuga Press

using soy-based inks in an eco-friendly process that

recycles virtually all chemical, paper and metal waste.

Local printing and production further benefits the

environment by reducing unnecessary transportation,

limiting CO2 emissions from long-haul trucking.


To help defray expenses associated with the project, the

visitors bureau enlisted the support of the tourism

community which helped underwrite the project through paid

advertising. This is the first time advertising has

appeared in the annual travel guide.


“We couldn’t have made this move without the support of

our tourism partners,” said Fred Bonn, director of the

visitors bureau. “We’re thrilled so many businesses

stepped forward to back this initiative. It’s truly a

reflection of what this community values. I think we’re

sending a real message here, that as a community we’re

united in doing our part for a sustainable future.”


The Ithaca/Tompkins County Travel Guide is distributed

free of charge to residents and visitors at lodging

properties, attractions and visitor centers throughout the

region. Readers are asked to do their part for the

environment by sharing their copies with others and

properly recycling the publication when out of date. For

more information, contact the Ithaca/Tompkins Visitors

Bureau at (800) 284-8422.


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