PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Quintana Roo – The two most important tourist destinations in Mexico, Cancun and Riviera Maya, have elected to unite in support of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Earth Hour. With the Earth Hour initiative, destinations and members of the tourism industry are joining more than 125 countries participating in this global movement for the planet against climate change.
This year, besides encouraging governments, companies, associations and citizens around the world to turn off their nonessential lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 pm on Saturday, March 26, WWF calls for going beyond Earth Hour to register a public commitment to sustainable actions in daily life. Through a hosted web platform, http://www.lahoradelplaneta.org.mx , Mexican citizens can register their commitments, and also meet and vote for the others.
Nationally, Earth Hour 2011 is supported by Coca Cola and HSBC while locally it is sponsored by Cancun Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Riviera Maya Destination Marketing Office, the Cancun Hotel Association, Palladium Hotels, Fairmont Mayakoba, Plaza Forum, Earthcheck, Hard Rock, Pixel Press and SIPSE Group.
In Quintana Roo, three public events will be held. The first one in Cancún at Forum by the Sea Shopping Mall, beginning at 5 p.m., with workshops on environmental education and ending in a concert conducted by Metro, in conjunction with Hard Rock Cancun. The second event will be in Playa del Carmen with the support of the Riviera Maya Destination Marketing Office, to be held at the famous Fifth Avenue. The third one, to be held in the state capital, Chetumal, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Flag courtyard, and it has been organized with the support of the Friends of Sian Ka’an.

Tourism businesses have come together for this initiative, as they did last year. To date, over 100 companies are participating, both in Cancun and Riviera Maya and in other tourist destinations of Mexico and Huatulco, Acapulco, Ixtapa, Los Cabos and even in other countries like the Dominican Republic. All these companies have signed a pledge to go beyond Earth Hour, demonstrating the will of the tourism sector to take action to preserve ecosystems.

 

In a recorded message, Omar Vidal, Director General of WWF Mexico, stressed how significant it is that a private initiative, governments and organizations are working together for the preservation of the natural wealth of the Mexican Caribbean, and the welfare of its inhabitants.
Earth Hour, a WWF-led global movement that emerged in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, hopes to surpass the remarkable participation in 2010 when more than 4,600 cities in 128 countries joined this initiative. Worldwide, more than 125 countries have already confirmed their participation this year, and some of the world’s most representative icons such as the Eifel Tower in Paris, the Brandenburg Gate in Germany, the Redeemer Christ in Brazil, the Obelisk in Argentina, Kronborg Castle in Denmark, the Alhambra in Spain, the National Mausoleum of Pakistan, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the UAE, and Ngoc Son Temple in Vietnam, among others, will turn off their lights in a symbolic message.
WWF is calling on companies, individuals and governments to join Earth Hour and extend this beyond the hour, recording their commitments on the site www.lahoradelplaneta.org.mx.