CSR and Sustainability

🏆 On 22 September, the AA Hospitality Awards will occur at JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London. Shortlists for eight categories have been revealed. Key categories include the AA Sustainable Award with nominees like The Gleneagles Hotel and Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. The AA Rising Star Award debuts, recognizing exceptional hospitality talent. Notable shortlisted individuals include Amit Pal (Prestonfield, Edinburgh) and Nataliia Maiseionok (Fischer's Baslow Hall). The awards celebrate excellence and hospitality spirit.

🌳 August 2025, South Africa: City Lodge Hotels celebrated its 40th anniversary during Women's Month with initiatives supporting female leaders and women-owned businesses. A 40% discount on accommodations was offered until 31 August. On 1 August, in Sandton, 20 women planted 40 trees in an urban food garden. Their workforce is 61% female, with strong female representation across management levels. City Lodge Hotels operates 58 hotels with 7,374 rooms across Southern Africa, under four brands: Courtyard Hotel, City Lodge Hotel, Town Lodge, and Road Lodge.

🏨 Horwood House Hotel, a four-star venue near Milton Keynes, is a finalist for the Buckinghamshire Business Awards in the "growth business of the year" category. Judges praised its innovation and sustainable growth following a £6.5m refurbishment. The hotel expanded its senior team, created roles, and launched community initiatives like the Crisis Lounge and Urban Bee-lievers partnership. The winners will be announced on 15 October 2025 at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre.

🏖 Copenhagen, 2025: Wonderful Copenhagen's CopenPay initiative, led by Rikke Holm Petersen, offers tourists rewards for contributing to the community, such as maintaining gardens for lunch or collecting rubbish for kayak rentals. This contribution-based tourism aims to combat overtourism, with the city forecasting a 24% growth in tourism by 2030. This model challenges traditional value extraction, suggesting a shift towards value exchange can rebalance tourist flows and alleviate pressure on crowded destinations.

🌊 Baros Maldives launches the Baros Treasure Hunt, a weekly snorkeling adventure from 6 June 2025 to 26 June 2026. Participants search for hidden green orbs in the house reef for 45 minutes each Friday, vying for weekly prizes and a grand prize of a seven-night stay for two, including flights. The event showcases the resort’s dedication to unforgettable experiences and sustainability. A seven-night stay starts from £2,384 per person. Contact: reservations@baros.com or +960 664 26 72.

🏨 David Tart, Managing Partner at Raines, discusses The Lantern Hotel, transforming an old fire station in Columbia, South Carolina, into a hotel. The project creates inclusive employment opportunities by empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities. Hospitality leaders can learn about the impact of intentional employment practices on communities and the industry.

🟥 Vision Hospitality Group hosted the fourth annual Red Sand Project event on August 1, 2025, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The event aimed to combat human trafficking alongside partners like WillowBend Farms. In 2024, Tennessee reported 213 trafficking cases involving 446 victims. Vision Hospitality donated $100,000 to the AHLA Foundation's Survivor Fund. Efforts include staff training and community partnerships. Mitch Patel, CEO, emphasizes awareness and action for a safer future.

🌴 From 19-22 September 2025 at Fari Islands, the inaugural Fari Islands Festival brings global visionaries and regional changemakers together at two resorts: The Ritz-Carlton Maldives and Patina Maldives. Focused on five pillars including Culinary Artistry and Nature Amplified, it features experts like Gibbs Kuguru and events like Rupi Kaur's performance. Supported by Fari Campus, the festival emphasizes cultural and ecological connections, aiming for transformative guest experiences and community impact.

🚪 Washington D.C., 2025-2026: The AHLA Foundation's No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) Summit coincided with the UN World Day against Trafficking in Persons, emphasizing the hotel industry's anti-trafficking commitment. Since 2023, over $2.35 million has supported 27 organizations through the NRFT Survivor Fund. Key 2025-2026 grantees include 3Strands Global and Empowered Network. The NRFT Advisory Council, with industry leaders, guides these efforts, highlighting lived experience insights to combat trafficking and support survivors.