Sustainable and responsible travel by any other name: Vail Resorts hears an ‘ECHO’

Colorado-based resort chain Vail Resorts is renaming its environmental and social responsible travel program to “Vail Resorts ECHO” – a grouping of the company’s efforts aimed at eco-conservation and community engagement.

Previously known as “Vail Resorts 360,” ECHO encompasses the company’s long-standing efforts in volunteerism, environmental stewardship and charitable contributions.

“As part of our almost year-long process in putting together our recently announced Hayman Restoration Partnership, we learned more about the goals and ideals of our entire corporate responsibility efforts,” said Rob Katz, chairman and CEO for Vail Resorts. “We realized that these efforts are aimed at mitigating our ‘footprint’ on the environment and on our communities. But even more important, it’s the impact our actions and behavior can have with our guests and our communities as we look to stake out leadership positions on important issues.”

You may recall just a few days ago a post about the Hayman Restoration Partnership – a joint effort in which Vail is partnered with both the U.S. Forest Service and the National Forest Foundation to benefit forest restoration and clean water projects as part of Colorado’s largest reforestation efforts.

The same partnership has also committed to raising up to $500,000 per year for local conservation projects that improve and enhance the forests in and around the resorts – helping to build trails, improve wildlife habitat, mitigate pine beetle effects and improve the overall health of the White River and Lake Tahoe forests.

Vail is also working on its own internal energy conservation initiatives; aiming to reduce energy consumption by 10% by the end of next year.

“It’s how what we do resonates and is amplified with our five stakeholders: our employees, shareholders, guests, communities and the environment,” continued Katz. “We feel the word ‘echo’ is in better keeping with our goals and will offer a better connection with our guests. It is our hope that Vail Resorts ECHO continues to reverberate positively in the places where we live, work and play for generations to come.”

Environmental activism

Vail Resorts boasts the largest “on-mountain” recycling program in the world, recycling over 3 tons of waste per year, while it plans to eliminate ALL internally used paper products by 2011 as well as develop composting programs at select properties.

Architecturally, the company has partnered with the University of Colorado to develop new, green building standards as well as a comprehensive database of green building materials and resources for developers to use on all projects both on and off the mountain.

For guests, Vail has implemented the “Appetite for Life” program, offering high quality, organic and natural food to the company’s on-mountain restaurants and five-star resort dining experiences. The company also offers “Green Guest Rooms,” green weddings, events and meetings to all interested guests.

Giving back

The Vail Resorts ECHO program focuses its charitable contributions on two areas: youth and environment. In 2008, the company donated $5 million in cash and services to more than 100 local nonprofits across the resort communities, including The Vail Valley Foundation, The Summit Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and The Keystone Science School’s innovative Third Grade Local Ecosystems science program.

In 2009, 250 Vail employees donated their own time and skills to seven local community volunteer projects in Summit and Eagle Counties as well as South Lake Tahoe, Calif., planting over 1,000 trees in local forests and assisting in clean up efforts to protect the Eagle and Platte Rivers.

Starting in 2010, Vail Resorts ECHO plans to host a companywide volunteer day, bringing together every division of the company and nonprofits for one day in late spring to work on local community projects.

Through 2011, Vail Resorts will commit 1,500 hours of volunteer time to help with the Hayman Restoration Partnership, allowing employees to take a hands-on approach to one of the most critical forest restoration projects in the state.

For more information on Vail Resorts ECHO, visit www.vailresorts.com.