On April 22, 2025, Earth Day will celebrate its 55th anniversary. Around the world, 192 countries and over one billion people will participate in events to mark the occasion, including these top tourism destinations. Because after all, part of preserving the Earth is so that future generations can continue to travel all over it. As the Earth Day movement remains dedicated to bringing everyone together for the future, find out how these destinations are doing their part to support better, greener, more responsible travel. Getting rid of plastic straws and reusing bathroom towels is a start, but more can be done.
This year’s theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” invites the world to rally behind renewable and clean energy. These destinations are doing their part, incorporating more sustainable practices in their hospitality offers to support Earth Day’s mission all year long.
Ananda in the Himalayas–Garhwal Uttarakhand, INDIA
Courtesy of Ananda in the Himalayas
Ananda in the Himalayas is celebrating its 25th anniversary by reinforcing its commitment to sustainable luxury through initiatives that support both local communities and the surrounding natural ecosystem. The retreat is deepening its focus on community-led sustainability in 2025 by relaunching the Ananda Institute in partnership with Ambuja Foundation. This partnership offers vocational training in hospitality and wellness to local youth, especially women from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. By offering holistic training rooted in Indian traditions and aligned with international standards, the program creates employment opportunities and empowers women to pursue independent, sustainable careers—many of whom go on to work in luxury spas, wellness retreats, and medical wellness centers around the world.
Ananda also supports rural artisans and entrepreneurs, sourcing earthen diyas from the Blind Relief Association in Rishikesh and developing cultural and training partnerships. Ongoing efforts include adopting nearby schools, collaborating with local farmers, and expanding vocational opportunities for women—part of Ananda’s broader commitment to mindful, place-based development.
Ananda has always embraced the philosophy that nature is not just a setting— it is central to the wellness journey. In keeping with this, birdwatching has been introduced as a new guest activity, inviting visitors to slow down and observe the rhythms of life in the Himalayan forest. To support native and migratory species, bamboo feeders and hanging water pots have been installed throughout the estate, enhancing biodiversity while preserving the harmony of the landscape. These efforts are part of a broader commitment to low-impact, nature-aligned living. The retreat’s architecture blends seamlessly into the terrain, crafted with natural materials, open spaces, and views that honor the land. Guests move through yoga pavilions surrounded by water features, dine on locally sourced Ayurvedic cuisine, and explore wellness in ways that feel inherently connected to the ecosystem around them.
Ananda also continues to prioritize local sourcing of fresh produce for its daily menus, supporting nearby farms and indigenous grains. Additionally, Ananda’s honeybee project remains a noteworthy example of how wellness and environmental stewardship intersect. Created in alignment with Ananda’s ethos of coexistence, the initiative highlighted the critical role bees play in global food systems and ecosystem health—pollinating up to 70% of crops and contributing to the vitality of fruit and seed production. The retreat celebrated its first fresh honey harvest as a symbol of both nourishment and ecological balance. In the face of declining bee populations worldwide due to pesticides, urbanization, and climate change, even small-scale projects like this one reflect Ananda’s belief in living harmoniously with the land and giving back to it.
These programs, alongside mindful infrastructure upgrades and nature-integrated guest experiences, reflect a philosophy where sustainability is not a separate initiative—but an essential part of the Ananda experience.
Courtesy of Hotel Belmar
Hotel Belmar–Monteverde, COSTA RICA
Hotel Belmar has received the Carbono Neutro Plus certification, a distinction that reflects a deeper level of environmental commitment and climate leadership. This status signifies that an organization has neutralized its greenhouse gas emissions and reduced its carbon footprint by implementing sustainability initiatives that support a long-term ecological transition. The certification is awarded by Costa Rica’s Ministry of Environment and Energy through the National Carbon Neutrality Program.
As a long-standing advocate for sustainable tourism in Monteverde, Hotel Belmar integrates regenerative farming, renewable energy, zero-waste practices, and mindful sourcing. The family-owned and operated property celebrates nine years without plastic bottled water and the hotel bar is virtually plastic free. An in-house seltzer machine produces plastic-free house made sodas flavored with amaranth and hibiscus. It uses an eco-farming approach called the Biointensive Agriculture Method to maximize crop variety on small-scale plots through water conservation, natural pest controls, and organic soil enrichment.
The hotel’s Finca Madre Tierra is the first agricultural project of its kind in Costa Rica to earn a carbon-neutral farm certification. Onsite vegetable gardens, Restaurante Celajes, the Juice Bar and the Belmar Brewery create the regenerative cycles that distinguish Hotel Belmar’s commitment to long-term sustainability.
Food scraps, coffee grinds, spent grain, and eggshells are returned to the land and livestock, their nutrients ready to launch another virtuous cycle of nourishment and flavor. “Table-to-farm” at its best. Their “garden to glass” mixology menu showcases the garden-fresh herbs, fruit, and grains that can be hand-picked and crafted as freshly squeezed juices, aromatic infusions, bitters, and garnishes for colorful cocktails and drinks.
Courtesy of Bettoja Hotels
Bettoja Hotels–Rome, ITALY
The Bettoja family pays particular attention to the well-being of local communities and ecological sustainability. The group’s three hotels encourage guests with informative material in all the rooms to reuse towels to reduce water, electricity, and labor consumption. But Bettoja Hotels goes much further. To date, it has eliminated all plastic bottles from its restaurant, saving between 40,000 and 60,000 bottles per year.
It recycles all organic kitchen waste but also its furniture, systemically restoring wooden pieces with local artisans. In their properties, the hotels use thermal tests and double glazing to ensure minimal energy waste. They also prioritize 20,000-volt electricity for greater energy efficiency and to reduce consumption
Moving forward, Bettoja Hotels is continuing its plastic reduction, using bamboo straws and eliminating single-portion plastic jam containers. The group also aims to reduce emissions by using local, seasonal, zero-kilometer products in its restaurants, effectively eliminating freight transport emissions. Guests will soon find only natural fibers for carpets and linens to reduce microplastics in the environment.
Courtesy of Naya Traveler
Naya Traveler—PERU, ECUADOR, and NEW ZEALAND
This Earth Day and year-long, Naya Traveler invites travelers on thoughtfully crafted trips that align with the rhythms of the Earth, offering not just travel, but transformation. Naya Traveler creates journeys with sustainability and local communities at the forefront by partnering with eco-conscious accommodations (meeting certifications like Green Key, EarthCheck, and Green Globe). The company supports community-led initiatives and ensures travelers make a positive impact—economically, culturally, and environmentally.
In Peru, Naya takes travelers on ancient paths through the Sacred Valley and across high-altitude lakes, sleeping in the Tinajani Canyon. They’ll drift through the Amazon guided by communities who have long honored the land through reciprocity and ritual. Ecuador is a sanctuary for biodiversity, from the cloud forests and winding Amazonian rivers to the Galápagos Islands. Travelers marvel at century-old tortoises, paddle past jungle canopies, and learn from Indigenous voices that have safeguarded their ecosystems.
New Zealand boasts an unwavering national commitment to sustainability. Journey through Fiordland’s untouched grandeur, kayak across crystal lakes, and stay in off-grid eco-lodges powered by the sun and sustained by the land. Through Māori principles of kaitiakitanga—guardianship of the Earth—travelers discover a deep reverence for the natural world.
