Many travelers today are looking for hotel accommodations at places that have greened their structures making them safer for the environment as well as for their own health. They've incorporated solar heat and air conditioning into the hotel designs and are asking hotel guests to help save water and electricity by turning off appliances and lights as well as agreeing to accept that bed linens don't have to be changed daily. Many green hotels are finding ways to recycle waste water in ways that are both good for the health of their patrons and employees as well as good for the environment by using the water for gardens and other non-invasive spaces. The questions of skiing and the environment is the next area in making resorts healthier for people and the ecosystem that surrounds them.

The question of skiing and the environment starts with what it takes to create a ski resort. First heavily tree filled hills are cleared of healthy trees. All plant live is cleared and the slopes are kept clear all year round waiting for the next ski season. That is changing these days. Just as skiers are more aware of the environment, so are the people who own and run ski resorts. When ski runs are cleared, they are now being done with additional thought to sound practices regarding plants and trees. Rather than bulldozing the entire hill, more thought and planning is given to leaving some of the trees and other vegetation. When the hills are totally cleared, there is less chance for the land to propagate in the warmer months.

The difference of cleared slopes and graded slopes is multifaceted. Researchers have found that when hills are graded, several negative actions take place that are bad for the environment. First of all, good top soil is removed allowing for a limited possibility of regrowth of the destroyed plant life. That also means that the variations in vegetation become less possible. However, with cleared hillsides, the top soil is left behind which allows for plant regrowth and a variety of plant propagation. Seeds are left behind and often the smaller greenery is able to be sustained. It also leaves plants that wildlife can consume. Clearing rather than bulldozing is one way that there can be a positive aspect of skiing and the environment as well as leaving a healthier ecosystem intact.

The majority of skiers are concerned about skiing and the environment. If clearing rather than bulldozing means that they have to wait a couple of weeks for the ski season to start, most are okay with that. Taking better care of the slopes and taking care of the ecosystems that surround them are quite inclusive of each other.