BERKELEY, CALIF.—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts of the Greater Bay Area will celebrate Mother Earth, with unique activations and initiatives for both Earth Hour (Saturday, March 25, 8:30 p.m.) and Earth Day, April 22, 2022. One of the greatest threats facing our society today is climate change. This crisis has been ongoing for decades, with every year seemingly worse than the last. However, once a year there are worldwide events that remind us of the importance of climate change and provide an opportunity to make long standing sustainable choices. Fairmont’s parent company, Accor, supports a collaborative approach to sustainable tourism that respects the environment and local communities through...

CHICAGO—Following two years of struggle that changed the way foodservice businesses operate, industry professionals will return to Chicago’s McCormick Place when the National Restaurant Association resumes its annual National Restaurant Association Show, May 21 to 24. This year, the Show, the largest of its kind in North America, will feature expert-led sessions on how to rise from current challenges and navigate the new business landscape, turn disruption into opportunity, and embrace innovation. More than 65,000 attendees are expected over the course of four days, ready to have an in-person look at the latest foodservice products and to hear about solutions that support restaurant growth,...

FELTON, CALIF.—The global ecotourism market size is expected to reach $385.01 billion by 2028, according to a new report by Million Insights. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 10.3 percent from 2021 to 2028. The increase in environmental protection awareness, attractive traveling packages, sustainable development, and affordable prices are the primary factors that propel the growth of the market. Sustainable travel to natural areas conserves the environment. It provides economic benefit to the local host, wherein these factors positively create lucrative opportunities for the travel agents/key tourism operators across the world. Ecotourism Market Report Highlights: Central and South America are expected to register...

SONOMA, CALIF.—Gene Kilgore, widely regarded as the world’s leading authority on ranch vacations, announces the launch of a new website dedicated to spa and wellness ranches: https://wellnessranches.com/. This website celebrates the multi-billion Mind, Body, Spirit phenomenon. “This is the perfect moment to highlight the wellness work that some innovative ranches are focusing on,” said Kilgore. His new website shines the spotlight on 11 such ranches in North America that are breaking new ground in the wellness movement. These properties in Arizona, British Columbia, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, Montana and Wyoming represent the best of the best in both traditional ranch activities...

MIAMI—The nonprofit Global Wellness Institute (GWI) has released “The Global Wellness Economy: Country Rankings,” the first research to measure the wellness economies of 150 nations. It is packed with information on national wellness markets from average wellness spend per capita to the wellness market’s contribution to each nation’s overall economy. The full report is here. The graphs are here. The report is a companion to GWI’s recently released “The Global Wellness Economy: Looking Beyond COVID,” a complete global update on all 11 sectors of the wellness market, finding that the world wellness economy is worth $4.4 trillion and forecast to...

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY—The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, the leading global network in responsible hospitality, has launched Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality for the Planet. The vision of the Pathway is that every hotel around the world can, and must, aim for net positive environmental impacts, whatever their starting point. To achieve this goal, the Pathway provides a practical, four-stage guidance framework as a free resource that supports all parts of the hospitality value chain to progress in a cohesive, strategic manner. It includes detailed action guidance for hotel operators, brands, and asset owners, applicable to both single and multi-unit...

BROOMFIELD, COLO.—Vail Resorts, Inc. recently announced that Executive Chairperson Rob Katz has exercised stock appreciation rights (SARs) and will be making a charitable donation of 100 percent of the net proceeds he received. After withholding shares for payment of the exercise price and taxes, Katz received 98,209 shares of Vail Resorts stock from the SARs exercise. Based on the net proceeds from the sale of that stock, the donation is equal to approximately $32.5 million. Katz and his wife Elana Amsterdam, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Elana’s Pantry, have now donated over $180 million over the past five years to their charitable trust and foundation,...

LONDON—The impacts of plastic waste on the environment and our health are global, drastic and countries around the world are enforcing plastic bans. As the call to end single-use plastics gets louder, the nation of St Kitts and Nevis is moving ahead with its plan to combat plastic pollution and promote a healthy environment. The world now produces more than 380 million tons of plastic every year, which could end up as pollutants entering the natural environment and oceans. According to Statista, plastics accounted for 12 percent of the municipal solid waste generated in the United States in 2018, however just 8.7 percent of the volume of plastic waste was recycled that year. “There...

ATLANTA—Two weeks ago, Russian military forces under the guidance of President Putin began an unprovoked and unjustified attack on the Ukrainian people. Today, more than two million people have fled Ukraine, with as many as five million expected to be displaced as Russian troops continue to advance toward major cities. The thoughts and prayers of AAHOA Members, Americans, and the entire world are with the Ukrainian people as they suffer through this tragic humanitarian crisis. “Seeing the news—images and videos of Ukrainian people in bomb shelters, fleeing their homes, and crowding train stations to get to safety—is incredibly upsetting,” AAHOA Chair...

LAAMU, MALDIVES—The Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI) was recently recognized as a global leader in marine conservation during the 20th Skål International Sustainable Tourism Awards. Shortly after, Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and his administration designated six naturally unique and eco-rich areas in Laamu Atoll as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). This announcement comes just two months after the atoll was declared as a Hope Spot by Mission Blue. Recognition for Conservation Progress MUI, the marine biology team at Six Senses Laamu, consisting of hosts from the resort and its three partner NGOs: The Manta Trust, Blue Marine Foundation and The Olive Ridley Project, has been...