World Water Day is coming up on March 22. According to the Planet Water Foundation, 2.2 billion people on our planet live without access to safe water. How are you helping to make clean water more accessible to those in need?
As reported on Green Lodging News, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions is celebrating World Water Day the entire month of March. Since its partnership with charity: water began in September 2023, Kalahari Resorts and its guests have helped raise $12,289,883 to support sustainable clean water solutions across Africa. As of Q4 2025, those contributions have funded 1,476 water projects including 79 school water projects, three health clinic water projects, and three piped water systems. Together, these efforts have helped bring clean, safe drinking water to an estimated 295,351 people.
“Water should never be a privilege,” said Todd Nelson, CEO and Founder of Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. “But in many communities across Africa, water is still a daily challenge. When we committed to helping one million people gain access to clean water, it wasn’t just a goal; it was a promise rooted in compassion and responsibility. We are deeply grateful to our guests and supporters who continue to make this life-changing work possible.”
In addition to using World Water Day to support efforts like Kalahari’s, use it also as an occasion to celebrate your water conservation efforts. Share your successes with your guests and employees. (See related Green Key Global page.)
Earth Hour on March 28
Earth Hour 2026 is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time. As the 20th anniversary of the global movement, millions of people worldwide will switch off non-essential lights to raise awareness for climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental protection.
Our industry has marked Earth Hour in many ways over the years. Do a search on “Earth Hour” on the Green Lodging News website to find numerous examples. Hotels and resorts worldwide are expected to turn off non-essential exterior/lobby lighting, dim lights, and host candlelit dinners or eco-events to support sustainability. Many properties will use this time to highlight their ESG efforts, such as energy reduction, plastic elimination, and rooftop activities like stargazing or acoustic music.
The Hamilton Princess & Beach Club in Bermuda will be participating in Earth Hour. For one full hour they will be turning off all the outdoor and main lobby lights. Special Earth Hour cocktails will be available—Apple of my Rye & The Rye to my Squeeze.
Earth Hour need not be just an annual occasion. At The Rainforest Lodge at Sleeping Giant in Cayo, Belize, Earth Hour is a monthly event. Each full moon, the lodge invites guests and locals to join in “Lights Out”—a candlelit evening that blends sustainability, community, and Belizean magic. (See article.)
Earth Day on April 22
The global theme for Earth Day 2026 is “Our Power, Our Planet”, emphasizing collective community action, citizen participation, and local solutions for environmental progress. Since the first Earth Day in 1970, our industry has contributed thousands of hours of volunteer time and money to help clean up our planet, educate about climate change, and protect endangered wildlife.
On its “Earth Day is Every Day” page on its website, The Leading Hotels of the World says that in a recent survey, nearly 50 percent of Leading Hotels’ curious travelers said sustainability is an important differentiator to them when researching hotels. In fact, 20 percent stated they had booked a more expensive hotel because it had better sustainability practices.
“At LHW we are currently focused on elevating three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), both as a collection and through member hotels’ individual commitments: #8 Decent Work and Economic Growth, #12 Responsible Consumption and Production and #13 Climate Action. Additional hotel efforts support #14 Life Below Water and #15 Life on Land. Each Leading Hotel’s individual efforts add up to shepherd in a new standard of sustainability in this new age of travel,” the company says.
Last year, Staypineapple, the national boutique hotel brand, used Earth Day to announce its progress in sustainable practices. A major milestone in Staypineapple’s sustainability journey came in 2024 with the complete elimination of single-use plastic water bottles across all properties. This initiative, which continued through 2025, provided guests with complimentary PATH refillable water bottles and access to Quench Water Bar refill stations. In total, this effort has helped divert approximately 600,000 single-use plastic water bottles from landfills in just over a year. With options for still and sparkling water available at these stations, guests have embraced this eco-friendly upgrade, joining Staypineapple in its mission to reduce waste and promote recycling.
Got plans for World Water Day, Earth Hour or Earth Day? I would love to hear from you. I can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
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