Going dark for Earth Hour 2010
Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in the Middle East and Africa, in conjunction with Fairmonts brandwide, will participate in Earth Hour, a global event organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to raise awareness about climate change.
On Saturday March 27, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. all MENA resorts will turn off the lights for one hour reinforcing the company’s pioneering commitment to sustainability and environmental issues.
“Fairmont Hotels and Resorts across the MENA region are pleased to join our other properties in participating in the world’s largest global climate change initiative,” said Kent Cooper, Vice President, Regional Hotel Sales MEA. “Fairmont has been dedicated to preserving the places in which we live, work and play through its Green Partnership Program for the last 20 years and this initiative furthers our ongoing support of environmental awareness in the Middle East and beyond.”
All 60 of Fairmont’s landmark hotels and resorts will participate by turning off their lights for one hour. In addition to switching off principal lighting, a number of Fairmont’s properties will also mark this eco-friendly event by involving hotel guests.
At Fairmont Nile City, Cairo two expert speakers will be giving positive tips on how individuals can help the environment and guests can enjoy a candlelight dinner experience at one of the hotel’s superb restaurants.
Guests of Kenya’s Fairmont Mara Safari Club will sit under the African stars in the lantern lit restaurant, Boma and listen to the resident naturalist talk about conservation and Maasai-style environmentalism. After dinner, guests will be entertained by Maasai dancers before retiring to bed in their luxury tents. Fairmont Singapore will celebrate by hosting a green Flea Market to bring the green message to all.
At Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Hamburg, Germany, the hotel’s award-winning restaurants will offer a candlelight dinner experience for diners. In Monaco, Fairmont Monte Carlo will feature special sushi and maki offerings created by Chef Maryan Gandon.
On a corporate level, Fairmont’s offices in Toronto will also be dimming the lights to honor the occasion. The event will be extra special for corporate colleagues, who will have recently completed a move to LEED certified offices downtown, which will further the brand’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions.
Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour to show their support for action on climate change. The event began in Sydney in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights. In 2008, more than 50 million people, including several Fairmont hotels around the globe, participated. In 2009, hundreds of millions of people and over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet.
With a long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and responsible tourism, Fairmont is a strong supporter of WWF, participating in many of their campaigns, as well as being a member of their global Climate Savers program. For the past two decades, Fairmont has been dedicated to preserving the places in which we live, work and play through its Green Partnership Program.
Expanding on this 20-year commitment, Fairmont will continue to actively support a sustainable future and a low carbon economy, understanding that ultimately, we are all in this together.
For more information on Fairmont’s Green Partnership program and the company's industry leading environmental initiatives, visit: fairmont.com/environment
