Travelers' Philanthropy Handbook - Center for Responsible Travel

Rock Resorts and Vail ResortsBy Julie KleinDirector of Environmental Affairs, Vail ResortsVail Resorts Management Company(www.vailresorts.com), headquartered in Broomfield,Colorado is the operator of six world class ski resorts:Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone inColorado and Heavenly and Northstar Resorts in LakeTahoe, California/Nevada.. The company owns andoperates a hospitality and lodging division with theflagship luxury brand RockResorts(www.rockresorts.com) with locations throughout theU.S. and in the Caribbean. Vail Resorts also owns andoperates many other hotels and condominiumproperties including, Grand Teton Lodge Company inWyoming, Colorado Mountain Express groundThe Pines Lodge, Colorado. Credit: Vail Resortstransportation, Specialty Sports Ventures-retail, andseven award-winning golf courses. Vail Resortsemploys approximately 3,000 staff year-round and nearly 18,000 during peak winter operations.Resort operations range from budget to luxury operations, all the way to four diamond hotels.• When and Why Did You Begin Your Company’s Travelers’ Philanthropy Program?Corporate stewardship has always been fundamental for both Vail Resorts as the parentcompany for ski resorts, retail operations, and Rock Resorts, which was founded in 1956 bylegendary conservationist, Laurance Rockefeller. In recent years, we have formalized thiscommitment to stewardship through two pivotal programs we created to tie into travelers’philanthropy. These are our voluntary guest-giving program with the National Forest Foundationand a similar program that extends outside of our Colorado and California properties into allRockResorts locations and our guest volunteer vacation program called “Give & Getaway”.• How Do You Select Projects?Our core company operations, ski resorts,operate within U.S. National Forests. Thehealth of these forests, the companionwatersheds, and the surrounding ecosystemsare critically important to the sustainability of ourbusiness as well as the viability and health ofadjacent communities. Accordingly, we work toidentify opportunities to contribute to the longterm health of our National Forests and toHayman restoration project, Colorado.Credit: Vail Resortsengage our guests and employees insupporting this commitment through donations or hands-on volunteer activities. Our donation55