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(CNN) — Whether it’s biometrics to get through security, an airline app that tells you if your flight is delayed or free Wi-Fi and charging areas for all travelers, there’s no doubt technology this past decade has helped enhance the airport experience for fliers around the world. How exactly will it continue to make a difference in the 10 years to come? In fact, the better question may be: how won’t it? The future is nigh”Technology is going to play a much bigger role at airports than it ever has in the past and will be the key driver in creating every facet of a seamless travel journey,” says Sherry Stein, head of technology for SITA, a technology company providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry.At London’s Heathrow, British Airways is using AI in a trial of autonomous robots meant to help with a slew of operational practices.Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesNina Brooks, director of security, facilitation and airport IT for Airports Council International, the trade association for the world’s airports, agrees and adds that technological innovations today are especially critical to how an airport runs because the number of global passengers is expected to more than double by 2040. According to ACI, 2018 saw 8.8 billion fliers; in 2040, that number is expected to jump to 19.7 billion fliers. “Airports are settings that involve so many different parties including airport and airline employees, security personnel, national aviation authorities and outside vendors,” she says. “Adopting new technology helps them operate more efficiently and sustainably.” Below, a sneak peek of what fliers can expect at airports on the technology front between 2020 and 2030.BiometricsTechnology that verifies a passenger’s identy through fingerprints, for example, is being tested at airports all over the world.Courtesy of Delta AirlinesAs of today, according to Brooks, around a few hundred airports all over the world are testing out biometric identification, a technology that verifies a flier’s identity through fingerprints or facial features and speeds them through an aspect of their journey such as security or boarding.Going forward, however, the use of biometrics will grow exponentially, she says. “More and more airports and airlines are collaborating to try out the technology for the first time or are expanding the programs they already have in place.” Singapore’s Changi Airport, for example, recently started a trial in Terminal 4 which allows Singaporeans to walk through arrival immigration without showing their passports or scanning their thumbs. Instead, they can clear immigration by going through an automated lane where they’re identified through an iris scan or face capture.Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoint Authority hopes to implement this clearance for all eligible passengers by 2022, according to a spokesperson from the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority.On the airline side, British Airways has just installed biometric boarding for all domestic flights out of Heathrow Terminal 5. For international flights, Raoul Cooper, British Airways’ Senior Digital Design Manager, says that self-service boarding gates have now been installed at the terminal, allowing customers to scan their own boarding cards to get on their flight. “This is the first step towards biometric boarding on international flights from the UK,” he says.Biometrics is also a big focus for American Airlines this decade, according to spokesman Ross Feinstein. “We are already testing biometric boarding at some airports for international departures,” he says. Feinstein expects that biometrics will continue to be expanded throughout the next decade, to include the check-in process, security checkpoint and domestic boarding. Newark Liberty International Airport is one of the many airports beginning to roll out more biometric features to make passengers’ travel more seamless.Gary Hershorn/Getty ImagesThe Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which includes Newark Liberty International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport, has the same idea. “We are currently building areas in all three airports where we can roll out more biometrics that customers can use in every part of their journey,” says Director of Aviation Huntley Lawrence. “By the end of this decade, it will be the exception for us to not offer the technology everywhere.”As biometrics becomes more prevalent, passengers may be even able to use it to shop duty-free, predicts Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and founder of Atmosphere Research Group. “It’s going to take over the airport,” he says. Artificial intelligenceArtificial intelligence, referred to as AI, is nascent at airports compared with biometrics, but this will soon change.”As airports get busier, airports, airlines and security organizations will collaborate to increasingly rely on AI to stay secure, efficient and proactive,” says Brooks. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, for one, is investing in luggage screening equipment for both check-in and carry-on bags that uses AI technology. Port Authority’s executive director, Rick Cotton, says that this equipment has the capability to identify any concerning bags, quickly deliver them to a TSA agent for additional screening and then back to the aircraft or passengers. “This is top of the line detection technology that’s going to make security screening a more rapid process,” he says. The equipment is expected to debut in LGA by the middle of this year and in other area airports by 2025.British Airways is using AI in a trial of autonomous robots that’s beginning this year at Heathrow Terminal 5. These robots, from technology company BotsAndUs, can interact with passengers in multiple languages and have the ability to answer thousands of questions including those related to real-time flight information. And, thanks to geo-location technology, they can even move around the terminal and walk customers to areas such as the Special Assistance desk. In a press release, Ricardo Vidal, British Airways’ Head of Innovation, says that the robots will free up the airline’s employees to deal with more time-sensitive issues. While passengers are sure to notice robots, AI will also be used at airports this decade in ways that they may not pick up on, says Stein, of SITA. “Airlines and airports will turn to AI to increase their operational excellence,” she says. “Escalators, for example, will be equipped with sensors that sound an alarm if they stop working that’s heard only by the airport’s operations center.” In a real-life case, Delta Air Lines is creating an AI-reliant machine that analyzes millions of operational data points from aircraft positions to airport conditions. The machine, to be introduced this spring, uses these points to create hypothetical outcomes that give employees the information they need to make decisions when flights are disrupted. If there’s a severe snowstorm or power outage, for example, employees will be able to decide, based on data from the machine, how to best rebook passengers and which routes are best for whom. Better appsDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is yet another airport testing out new technology — all in the name of providing a more seamless travel experience.Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty ImagesAirport and airline apps are far from new, but from 2020 to 2030, they’ll become far more sophisticated, according to both Stein and Brooks.”These apps include ones for fliers and ones for all the parties involved in running an airport from security personnel to airline employees,” says Brooks.Passenger airport apps, for example, will increasingly have information on weather, air traffic, gate information, parking and current security wait times. Some will even be equipped with geographical information systems (GIS) that give fliers maps to what they’re looking for including the nearest coffee shop or their departure gate. The New York Port Authority has plans to amp up its passenger app over the next few years. “Fliers will be able to see the security wait times at each check point and taxi wait times,” says Cotton, the executive director. “You’re also going to be able to order food and retail through the app and have it delivered to your gate.”Internationally, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has partnered with the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority to introduce the SG Arrival Card within the Visit Singapore app, (this app helps visitors navigate the destination). AFP Contributor/AFP/AFP/Getty ImagesInternationally, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has partnered with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to introduce the SG Arrival Card within the Visit Singapore app, (this app helps visitors navigate the destination). As of January 17, visitors can submit their disembarkation/embarkation cards electronically through the app up to 14 days in advance of their arrival in Singapore. On the airline front, Delta wants to make its app a digital concierge. “Our goal it to have the app manage all aspects of your journey,” says spokeswoman Kate Modolo. “We want you to be able to use it to order a Lyft (Delta has a partnership with the ride-share service), use miles to pay for your ride, check into your hotel room and have your key waiting for you when you arrive,” she says. American Airlines, too, wants to expand the functionality of its app to make it more self-serving, according to spokesman Feinstein. “At the end of 2019, we started using the AA app to inform customers if their flight is oversold and give them the option to volunteer to change their flight in exchange for a travel voucher,” he says. “We increasingly want them to rely on the app to rebook their flights and handle any of their other needs with us.”Airport and airline operationsFacial recogniion technology is gearing up to be a major force in airport advancement around the world in the coming decade.Courtesy Stuart BaileyFrom an operational point of view, a variety of technological innovations will come to fruition at airports in the following 10 years. Many are happening behind the scenes. At Port Authority airports, for example, Cotton says that the existing security cameras in terminals will be replaced with high-resolution models. All of LGA and Terminal 1 at Newark will have these high-res cameras by 2022, and they’ll be in JFK by 2025. Port Authority is also investing more than $25 million in improving the Ground-Based Augmentation System at LGA and JFK. This system guides an aircraft to the runway during bad weather and has technology that shows planes multiple paths to landing as opposed to a single path. These upgrades may not make a huge impact on fliers, but Delta’s foray into parallel reality is another story.Partly relying on multi-view pixels, this technology personalizes the content fliers see on airport screens to their profile and journey; the airline is testing it on 100 customers later this year at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. “Imagine two fliers looking at the same airport screen at the same time and each seeing different messages in their preferred language,” says Modolo. “That’s what parallel reality is.”Delta Airlines foray into parallel reality will be tested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport later this year.Courtesy of Delta AirlinesThese personalized messages vary but may include updates on flight times and boarding, the location of the nearest Delta Sky Club and even a flier’s upgrade/ standby status. (Fliers opt-in to use the technology when they check-in for their flight.)In other areas, Stein and Brooks say that more and more ground service equipment at airports will be automated including ramps, jet bridges and cargo and baggage loading trucks. Heathrow has already introduced automated ramps, and Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport, in Manitoba, Canada, introduced the first automated snow plow in North America last year.”The more automated equipment there is, the fewer employees you’ll see,” says Brooks. “Some fliers may miss the human aspect, but the overall benefits that technology gives them when they fly is worth it.”Shivani Vora is a New York City-based writer who travels as often as she can, whether that means going on a walking safari in Tanzania, a mother-daughter trip with her 10-year-old in Istanbul or surfing in northern Portugal.

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(CNN) — Streamlined and elegant, with two long wings situated at the rear, this looks like a gas-guzzling super jet built for criss-crossing the planet with scant regard for environmental impact.In fact, it’s the design for electric passenger airplane that strives for efficiency, sustainability and glamor.The concept aircraft is the work of New-York based designer Joe Doucet, who was inspired by his frequent business travel short-haul flights to produce something capable of making the journey without producing typical aviation engine emissions.Doucet’s design, the Her0 Zero Emissions Airplane uses electric-powered propellers located at its rear to provide the thrust, while sweeping wings that end in large, upturned winglets, provide the lift. Her0 is one of several electric jet concepts that have premiered in recent years, as the aviation industry grapples with how to continue to grow while also trying to reduce its environmental impact.New era of flying?The Her0 Zero Emissions Airplane was designed by an aviation newbie, Joe Doucet.Courtesy Joe DoucetThis Her0 blueprint, Doucet tells CNN Travel, has both practical and aesthetic purpose.Propellers, he says, are reliable and efficient. The trade off is a slightly longer flight time — about 20% — but the designer reckons this wouldn’t be an issue on short or medium haul flights.As for the swept-back wing design, this is to ensures the airplane’s well balanced — most of the weight will be in the back of the aircraft, as that’s where the battery will be situated.The airplane is both aesthetic and practical.Courtesy Joe DoucetAesthetically speaking, Doucet says he wanted the plane to look “somewhat futuristic” but also be an attractive travel option for fliers.”If you can make this something that is desirable, something that makes people question why it’s not there, you have a better chance of forcing the hand of industry to respond to consumer demand,” he says.Move towards electricDoucet hopes the design will catch the eye of the aviation industry.Courtesy Joe DoucetAs well as new designs — such as Airbus’ dramatic “bird of prey” concept airplane — some aviation companies are also looking into ways of converting existing aircraft into electric, or hybrid-electric vehicles, to minimize environmental impact of short-haul flights.The aircraft would work well for short and medium-haul flights.Courtesy Joe DoucetDoucet describes himself as a “designer, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director” — but he’s not an aeronautical engineer, and this his first foray into the world of aviation.The designer says he drew upon his years of frequent flying in an attempt to find a solution to an issue that he’d been considering for some time.”I really follow problems where they take me, and try to address the solutions elegantly,” he says.Her0, Doucet acknowledges, may never see the light of day. But the designer’s sole goal is to open up a conversation, if interest around his design encourages progress towards electric planes, he’ll count it as a success. As it is, he’s already been approached from aviation engineers, suggesting improvements and discussing potential collaboration.

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Haida Gwaii (CNN) — Pristine wilderness dotted by ancient village sites so protected that only 12 people at a time are allowed to step ashore — this is Canada’s final frontier, a remote archipelago off British Columbia’s northernmost coast. At once thrilling, serene and mysterious, the mist-shrouded peaks of Haida Gwaii rise from the waves like magical kingdoms, home to a wealth of rare species found nowhere else on earth and a people whose rich culture developed in isolation over more than 12,000 years. The islands’ peaceful coves, silent moss-grown forests, miles-long beaches and cultural riches remain largely undiscovered, yet ready to welcome visitors drawn by the promise of an unforgettable experience. Boundary of the worldThe Haida called this wing-shaped swath of more than 150 islands and islets Xhaaidlagha Gwaayaai, Islands at the Boundary of the World, a name that perfectly conveys their isolation, separated from the mainland of British Columbia by more than 80 nautical miles across the notoriously rough Hecate Strait.Here, in temperate rainforest watered by more than 60 inches of rainfall a year, some of the world’s tallest and oldest red and yellow cedar trees still reach for the sky.And in the shelter of these ancient forests live the Haida, a people who — archeological and geological evidence suggests — have occupied the same land for more than 12,000 years, making them one of the longest traceable populations in the world. Despite more than a century and a half of colonization dating from the establishment of settlements in the early 1800s, the Haida never signed a treaty ceding the territory that until just ten years ago was called the Queen Charlotte Islands.In 2010, after the passage of a landmark reconciliation agreement, Haida leaders ceremonially returned the colonial name to the then-Premier of British Columbia in a traditional handcrafted bentwood box. The islands were renamed Haida Gwaii, Islands of the People, and maps were redrawn to include Haida place names.This transition received even more attention when Prince William and Kate Middleton visited Haida Gwaii during their 2017 tour of British Columbia and the Yukon. Shining a spotlight on Haida culture, they made the last leg of the journey in a ceremonial war canoe. A pledge to respectToday, a third of the islands’ land mass and the labyrinth of inlets, bays and fjords that surround and divide them are protected as Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, accessible only by boat or floatplane.In a unique arrangement, the park is jointly managed between the government of Canada and the Council of the Haida Nation. “We may not agree on who owns the land, but we agree it needs to be protected,” says Hannah Fregin, a cultural interpretation officer for Parks Canada.To receive the permits required to enter the park, visitors must first spend time learning about the principles of Haida culture and sign a pledge to respect the land.In 2017, during a tour of British Columbia, Prince William and Kate Middleton visited Haida Gwaii.Destination BC”You’re agreeing to abide by the Haida principle of yahguudang, taking only what you need,” explains cultural interpreter Natalie Fournier, whose Haida name is Jaadguusandlans.Five heritage sites within the park, accessible only by boat, are supervised by Haida watchmen. Living at each remote location during the visitor season of May to October, the watchmen serve as guides and interpreters for visitors.A journey to the ancient pastThis remote archipelago off the northwestern coast of British Columbia is gorgeous — and ripe for exploration.Kyler Vos for Haida TourismThe most famous site is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of SGang Gwaay, where a row of rare, ancient standing poles — each intricately carved from a single massive cedar trunk — faces the sea in a narrow clearing. Dating from the late 1800s, they are the largest collection of North American monument poles still in their original location. The site, also called Ninstints and formerly known as Anthony Island, limits visitors to no more than 12 at a time. It’s a powerful experience to trace the loamy path through moss-grown stands of spruce, hemlock and cedar to the abandoned village, where a grid of tumbled cedar logs outlines what remains of enormous longhouses, each big enough to house 30 to 40 people. Like the longhouses, the poles, which once held mortuary boxes containing the remains of Haida elders, are slowly returning to the forest from which they came. Some lean so precariously they look as if the next strong wind might topple them.Visitors can stop by the remains of a village deserted in the 1800s.Visit BC”Last year’s storms did so much damage, and we don’t know how long the poles will stand, but we don’t try to save them,” says watchman Kelly Jones. “They were meant to return to the earth, releasing the souls of the dead.”Reviving a legacyCanoe-making is a huge part of the Haida culture.Kyler Vos for Haida TourismThe bold designs and craftsmanship displayed in these historic poles once threatened to disappear, as epidemics of smallpox and other diseases brought by settlers reduced the Haida population from an estimated 20,000 people to fewer than 600 by the end of the 19th century. While Haida carvings, weavings, baskets and jewelry became so prized by collectors that they made their way to museums worldwide, the traditions themselves were all but lost.Now the islands are in the midst of a vibrant renaissance, with a new generation of wood and stone-carvers, weavers, canoe-builders and others reviving ancient artistic traditions and taking them in new and exciting directions.In the workshop of renowned pole carver Garner Moody and his younger colleague Billy Yovanovich, Jr., the two men paint delicate lines of black and red on masks made from smooth yellow cedar.The works are destined for a gallery in Vancouver, whose owner calls frequently saying he can’t keep them on the shelves.Haida canoes, which could be up to 60 feet long and hold as many as 40 people, were the only ones capable of crossing the Hecate Strait to the mainland.Kyler Vos for Haida TourismIn another workshop, Jaalen Edenshaw hollows a 36-foot canoe from one massive cedar trunk, which he widens by steaming it open with hot stones.”To us, canoes are symbols of our culture,” says Edenshaw, who began learning the craft from family members at 15.Haida canoes, which could be up to 60 feet long and hold as many as 40 people, were the only ones capable of crossing the Hecate Strait to the mainland and were prized by First Nations up and down the coast.Heritage of the HaidaHow you get to Haida Gwaii is all part of the adventure, requiring some combination of air, water and land transport.Destination BCThere’s no better place to experience the revitalization of Haida Gwaii than the Haida Heritage Centre at the former village site of Kay LLnagaay. An ocean-facing expanse of weathered wood and glass laid out following the pattern of a traditional village, it’s fronted by six towering poles carved and painted in vivid depictions of bear, raven, orca and other characters from Haida storytelling. Each represents a village and the crests of the clan who lived there.In addition to classrooms, performance spaces and a café, the museum houses a stunning collection of Haida art dating back hundreds of years, one that’s growing quickly thanks to a campaign of repatriation. In an exhibition titled “Yahguudang,” in reference to the Haida principle, one room is lined floor to ceiling with poignant photographs of Haida artifacts currently in the collections of museums in New York, London, Toronto and elsewhere. Also recommended is a visit to Ben Davidson’s gallery, All About U Arts, which showcases Davidson’s own work and that of other contemporary Haida artists.Rare wildlife sightingsHaida Gwaii Black Bear, recognized by its over-developed skull and strong jaws, is the largest of its kind in the world. Destination BCDefined by its perch on the edge of the continental shelf, its western shore dropping steeply to the deep sea below, Haida Gwaii benefits from an ecosystem as rich and distinct as its culture.More than 20 species of whale and dolphin have been catalogued here, including the orcas, for whom the islands’ nutrient-dense fjords and channels are a critical feeding habitat. It’s not uncommon to see playful sea lions sparring on the rocks and otters lolling among the kelp beds or to hear the slap of a gray whale tail and glimpse the arc of a breaching porpoise.Isolation from the mainland resulted in a host of endemic species, among them pine marten, bat, otter and most especially the Haida Gwaii black bear, the largest of its kind in the world and recognized by its over-developed skull and jaws strong enough to crush sea urchin shells and salmon bones. Visitors may encounter soft-eyed Sitka black-tailed deer gazing unafraid from the shadow of the forest while bald eagles, so common they follow fishing boats like seagulls, might be seen nesting in the treetops.In fact, this is a bird-watcher’s paradise — an estimated 1.5 million seabirds breed among the rocks, among them the marbled murrelet, a threatened species known for their dependence on old-growth forests. Rarest of all, however, is the Haida Gwaii northern goshawk, a raptor whose population has fallen to fewer than 50 adult birds.A sense of adventureA must-see geological formation is eerie Balance Rock, a gigantic boulder impossibly poised on a narrow footing left behind by a glacial retreat.Melanie HaikenWhether via a wind-whipped zodiac expedition, an adrenaline-pushing kayak adventure or a meditative fishing trip, it’s essential to experience the islands’ rocky crags and pine-sheltered inlets from the water. One of the best places to experience the rugged splendor of the region’s craggy coastline is at Naikoon Provincial Park at the northeastern end of Graham Island. After following a boardwalk over boggy and luxuriantly green wetlands, the trail climbs a series of steep switchbacks to Tow Hill Lookout, where a deck juts from the hillside over a canopy of pine below. From here, the 1.5-mile hike continues to the Blow Hole, where, when the tide is right, spray foams geyser-like through the rock. Another must-see geological formation is eerie Balance Rock, a gigantic boulder impossibly poised on a narrow footing left behind by a glacial retreat.Standing on the continent’s edgeHaida Gwaii is separated from the mainland of British Columbia by more than 80 nautical miles of rough waters across the Hecate Strait.Destination BCThe Haida have a popular saying: “The world is as sharp as the edge of a knife; as you go along you have to be careful or you will fall off one side or the other.”The phrase conjures an edge-of-the-world feeling, perceptible to anyone who steps foot on the islands.Part of the saying also became the title of the first-ever feature film to be made in Haida Gwaii, “Edge of the Knife,” or Sgaawaay K’uuna, spoken entirely in the endangered Haida language.Living on the knife edge of the world requires nothing if not balance. Or, as the Haida principle of interconnectedness frames it, “Gina ‘waadluxan gud ad kwaagid” — everything depends upon everything else.” That lesson will stay with you long after leaving Haida Gwaii. If you go:Getting to Haida Gwaii requires some combination of air, water and land transport. By air: Air Canada flies regularly between Vancouver and Sandspit on Moresby Island, a route that requires a short car ferry trip to Graham Island. Pacific Coastal Airlines connects Vancouver with Masset. By boat: BC Ferries connects Prince Rupert on the mainland with Haida Gwaii, a trip that under the best weather conditions has a crossing time of eight hours, but can take much longer.Haida House, run by Haida Tourism offers multi-day immersive itineraries led by cultural interpreters that include myriad workshop opportunities. Its home base provides a pleasant backdrop for before and after exploring.

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(CNN) — New York City is no stranger to head turning, over-the-top fashion — but its biannual Fashion Week brings boldness in spades.Each year, design-savvy folk — designers, fashion lovers, the rich and famous — flock to the city to witness firsthand the styles of the future.This year fashion show producer Jessica Minh Anh’s event (though not officially part of New York Fashion Week) at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport is primed to steal the show.Catwalk or runway?Jessica Minh Anh’s fashion show was held at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.Courtesy of John OakleyOn February 6, Minh Anh unveiled the first-of-its-kind fashion show in the name of sustainable fashion. The J Winter Fashion Show 2020 was Jessica Minh Anh’s 25th production since her catwalk on London’s Tower Bridge.Ostensibly centered on sustainable shipping and delivery in the fashion world, the show, a partnership with shipping service DHL, unsurprisingly features a backdrop of DHL’s fleet of aircraft, helicopters, trucks and energy-efficient vans. And forget the usual backstage: Here, models emerged with a Boeing 767-400 to their backs before assuming the usual fashion-walk strut. The show featured the wares of several international designers from the worlds of clothes, jewelry and accessories. The runway in this instance was a 180-foot-long outdoor catwalk near the international airport’s cargo area and away from the arrival and departure terminals.Soho’s Skylight Studios, one of New York Fashion Week’s main event spaces, this was not. Green deliveryFashion producer Minh Anh says she’s impressed with DHL’s energy-efficient facility at JFK.Courtesy of John OakleyGimmicky? Maybe, but Minh Anh says that it’s all in the name of bringing awareness to the often-ignored area of how fashion is delivered, quite literally, to stores and consumers. “Shipping, which is crucial to the fashion industry, can have an eco-friendly footprint,” she says. “My show illustrates that there are green delivery solutions which cut down on damage to the environment and reduce emissions.” Of course, the cool airport setting feels designed to ensure the show gets noticed.The Paris-based producer, who has a global following for her attention-grabbing catwalks in unexpected venues such as atop the Eiffel Tower, Grand Canyon Skywalk and One World Trade Center, says she sought out DHL because of its connection to the fashion industry and commitment to sustainable shipping. “The airport is the heart of DHL’s shipping operations so it was an obvious place to have the show,” she says. JFK’s stageMinh Anh’s role as an innovative fashion producer often has her traveling the world — so the JFK setting is in line with her lifestyle.Whether or not the location adds to the show’s sustainability is not entirely clear.Reiner Wolfs, the vice president and general manager for DHL Express U.S. in the Northeast, says that the company handles transportation globally for many famous fashion houses and points to a global company goal: to be at net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Other solutions include LED lighting, smart meters and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. DHL also relies on electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind, hydropower, solar and biomass.Minh Anh says she’s impressed with DHL’s energy-efficient facility at JFK and says it couldn’t be a more perfect stage for her latest show. Toward sustainabilityLike all of her former productions, the JFK show features the wares of several international designers from the worlds of clothing, jewelry and accessories. Minh Anh is known for her outlandish productions. In 2016, she produced a show on the sun deck of the German cruise ship AIDAluna in New York.Courtesy of John OakleyExamples included French-Lebanese fashion designer Dany Atrache’s collection of elaborate haute couture dresses, Japanese designer Yumi Katsura’s feminine bridal dresses and semi-precious statement jewelry from Blossom Box, which is inspired by India. While the materials these designers use for their creations are not necessarily sustainably produced, Minh Anh points out the many factors contribute to making a show green. Energy-efficient heaters warmed the runway and backstage. Plus, Minh Anh used hangers from hangar company Arch & Hook, which uses sustainably sourced beechwood. “My show is meant to get the message out about sustainability and shipping, but that doesn’t mean everything in it is sustainable,” she acknowledges. Message in a hangarFashion analysts say that Minh Anh’s message, while perhaps promotional, is coming at a time when consumers, especially Gen Z’s and millennials, care deeply about sustainability and are seeking out sustainably-made clothing and accessories.Minh Anh’s show is intended to raise awareness about circular sustainability—how goods reach consumers.Courtesy of John Oakley”Sustainable fashion is a term that gets big buzz right now,” says Kristen Classi-Zummo, the director of market insights for the research firm NPD. “But most consumers think about the end product when how that product was shipped is also a factor.”Anh’s show, she says, will raise awareness about circular sustainability, that is, how goods reach consumers and stores. Hitha Herzog, a retail analyst and chief research officer of H Squared Research, says the interest in sustainable fashion is so heightened that fashion brands could start losing revenue if they don’t pay attention to the topic. For now, what is unarguably getting attention is Minh Anh’s location of choice — and what it signifies. JFK is the symbol of travel in the city, says Nathan Maleh, a travel advisor at Embark Beyond, in New York. “When people think of coming here, they always think about flying into JFK,” he says. “It’s the travel hub of New York.” The JFK show is meant to get the message of sustainability around shipping out. Courtesy of John OakleyThe idea which Minh Anh is attempting to relay is a crucial one, Herzog adds, but the reality is a truly sustainable fashion production would have no overhead. “It would be done virtually and you would watch it online,” says Herzog. “That is what the future of sustainability is.”

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(CNN) — Wander amidst the faded colonial splendor of Sao Tome, the capital of Sao Tome and Principe, and it’s easy to be charmed by the African city’s laid back, tropical simplicity.Traders jostle to sell their wares at the bustling central market while fishermen laugh and joke by the large bay that swoops around the city. Follow the promenade along the coast towards the edge of town, meanwhile, and a rural paradise of palm-lined beaches and stunning biodiversity awaits.Uninhabited until being discovered by the Portuguese in the late 15th century, Sao Tome and Principe is a tiny archipelago situated in the Gulf of Guinea. It became a outpost of the slave trade under Portuguese rule, with sugar cane, cocoa and coffee all prominent exports.Labor practices thankfully improved over the centuries and independence eventually arrived when the Portuguese left in the mid-1970s.Yet Sao Tome and Principe is once again attracting the attention of international explorers, this time in the shape of tourists.Hugo Menezes, director general of tourism for Sao Tome and Principe, tells CNN Travel that just 7,900 people visited in 2010. The country’s aim is to increase visitor numbers by 10% each year, he adds, and ensure tourism becomes a prominent economic pillar.Despite its enviable natural beauty, Sao Tome and Principe remains a developing nation. The World Bank estimates that around a third of its 200,000 citizens survive on less than $1.90 per day.But Menezes believes tourism can help bring investment and a range of benefits that will aid its development, hence the push to attract new visitors.’Heaven on Earth’For those who do come, the allure of Sao Tome and Principe is clear from the moment of arrival.The islands’ remoteness — situated roughly 160 miles (260 kilometers) off the coast of Gabon — has helped maintain a remarkably varied ecosystem. Lush rainforests rich with endemic plants and species cover large swathes of both islands, while white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters are plentiful.Sao Tome tour guide Luis Miguel tells CNN Travel that most tourists feel like they’ve visited “heaven on Earth.” Hiking, diving, snorkeling, trekking, exploring the unique flora and fauna as well as landmarks like the Pico Cao Grande (a stunning 1,213-foot-tall peak that rises sharply above the rainforest) are among the most popular attractions. Yet Miguel also points to the island’s history, culture and unique gastronomy as other key aspects to be explored.At Roca Sao Joao dos Angolares — an old plantation in the southwest of Sao Tome island that has been transformed into a restaurant, hotel, and art space by TV chef Joao Carlos Silva — visitors can experience lavish Sao Tomean cuisine full of extravagant tropical flavors. Towards the mountainous interior of the island, meanwhile, the Casa Museu Almada Negreiros serves up similarly delightful fare with stunning views over a verdant hillside canopy. Other attractions include the sprawling Monte Cafe plantation where visitors can learn about the coffee-making process as well as the brutal history of those who were brought to the island as slaves and bonded laborers.A unique expression of the islands’ culture and history can also be found in its public theater tradition, known as Tchiloli, while the Auto de Floripes festival is held every August and sees much of the island’s population participate in reenactments of historic battles between Christians and Moors. ‘African Galapagos’Significant challenges remain in modernizing the infrastructure of Sao Tome and Principe. There are currently no ATMs on the islands while deep potholes scar many roads in the capital. Dilson Carvalho of the Sao Tome and Principe tourist board told CNN Travel by email that plans were afoot to introduce ATMs by the middle of 2020, while new roads and improvements to existing potholed streets are also in the pipeline.Carvalho adds that by boosting tourism, Sao Tome and Principe also hopes to raise awareness of the need to protect the country’s unique but delicate ecosystem while also providing economic opportunity for its citizens.A focus on sustainability is already something many resorts across the islands have sought to develop on their own accord.On Principe, around 112 miles northeast of Sao Tome, a handful of high-end resorts have made preservation of the island’s distinct ecological makeup central to their operations. Principe is a Unesco Biosphere Reserve due to the diverse range of endemic plants, birds, insects and marine species found there.South African billionaire entrepreneur and one-time space tourist Mark Shuttleworth owns three high-end resorts on Principe, including the five-star Sundy Praia Lodge, that aim to put sustainability at the heart of their offering.A short distance away, the Roca Belo Monte Hotel allows guests to mingle with researchers who have been invited to use the property as a base for their work and studies.Resort owner Rombout Swanborn tells CNN Travel about how the islands are known as the “African Galapagos” because of the sheer number of unique plants and species that have evolved there, cutoff from the outside world, over many millions of years. Some of the profits generated at Roca Belo Monte are reinvested into conservation projects on Principe, Swanborn continues, while he also points out that tourism has become a major employer on the island.”What we are trying to demonstrate is that high-end tourism can conserve nature and create employment and local welfare,” Swanborn says. “Hopefully, people make the link between employment and the attraction of the nature and that creates a productive cycle,” he adds.Those in charge of tourism in Sao Tome and Principe will hope the same.

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(CNN) — Kenley Britton was devastated when her special “Daddy Doll” went missing on a Delta flight from Connecticut to Atlanta last week, her mother Arielle told CNN.The doll has a picture of her father and plays a recording of his voice when the 18-month-old pushes a button. Kenley’s father is deployed in the military and Kenley pushes the button a lot, especially when she is trying to sleep.When Britton realized the doll was missing, she posted a plea for help on social media. Thousands of people shared it and Delta employees set out to find the doll.One day later, the airline announced the search and rescue mission was a success. “We found your doll, Kenley! He’s missed you, but don’t worry. We’re bringing him home,” Delta tweeted Friday. “Last night was the first night since we’ve been home that I didn’t have to go in and put her back to sleep in the middle of the night,” Britton told CNN on Sunday, adding that “Delta went above and beyond what was necessary.”Kenley’s Daddy Doll returned with some Delta swag and a handwritten note about his adventures.Britton told CNN that Delta even had a plan in place to ship a recorder to her husband overseas and remake the doll if it could not be found. One woman actually did replace the doll. Holly Wheelden, who does not know the family, messaged Britton on Facebook asking whether she could mail the family a replacement. It’s expected to arrive at their house in a few days. “This woman didn’t just share, she took action to make sure my daughter was being taken care of,” Britton said.

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