CSR and Sustainability

🎂 Williams Refrigeration in King’s Lynn, Norfolk, celebrated 210 years of combined service with a lunch and awards on August 22. Ten employees, each with at least 20 years at the company, were honored. Purchasing manager Robert Smith, with 30 years at Williams, attributes staff retention to a supportive and dynamic work environment. Production operative Ian Wiggins notes significant technological advances and environmental improvements in their products. The company, a leading manufacturer in several industries, operates globally with manufacturing sites in China and Australia and sales facilities worldwide.

📖 With an 83% of global travelers deeming sustainable travel essential and 61% wanting to travel more sustainably post-pandemic, hotels are leveraging regenerative tourism to attract these conscious consumers. Regenerative tourism—going beyond sustainability—aims to actively enhance local communities and ecosystems. Hotels market these efforts through storytelling, highlighting projects like coral reef restoration or local artisan collaborations. Digital platforms, authenticity, and educating guests are key strategies. Challenges include costs and quantifying impact, but with effective communication, hotels can tap into a market that prioritizes environmental and ethical considerations.

🏆 The Champions of Sustainability award, part of the Travolution Awards 2024's Special Achievement category, will be announced on November 28 in London. The award recognizes companies making significant strides in environmental impact reduction. This year's shortlist showcases the industry’s efforts in sustainability and technology's role in this progress. Shortlist details are available on Travolution's website.

🏥 Amanda Hite, president of STR, a CoStar Group company, will be honored as the 2025 Shatterproof Hospitality Heroes honoree for her efforts against addiction stigma during the eighth annual Hospitality Heroes Reception at ALIS on January 29, 2025, in Norwalk, Connecticut. The event, raising funds to transform addiction treatment in the U.S., has collected over $5 million with the support of 100+ hotel companies and 500+ employees since its inception. Hite's involvement includes rappelling for the Shatterproof Challenge and serving on various industry boards. The hospitality sector has twice the rate of substance use disorders compared to other industries.

🏠 Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), credits her study abroad experience in Geneva and her tenure at American Express's Travel division as formative to her hospitality career. LHW, with over 400 hotels in 80+ countries, launched the Sustainability Leaders collection in October 2023, recognizing nearly 100 hotels for sustainable practices aligned with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) criteria. The brand has observed a 30% revenue increase for hotels with Spa-Inclusive programs and a 10% extension in guest stays.

📝 Hospitality industry faces 70-80% annual employee turnover, with low wages, long hours, and limited growth opportunities as key reasons. Hospitality America is combating this with mentorship programs led by Justin Deyo, Corporate Director of Operations, who has 20 years of experience. Mentoring includes imparting guest interaction protocols and operation best practices, aiming to foster a sense of value among employees. Notable statistics: 90% of workers with mentors are happy in their jobs, mentored employees are five times more likely to be promoted, 84% of Fortune 500 companies offer mentorship programs, yet only 37% of workers have a mentor. Since the pandemic, mentoring initiatives increased by 30% in organizations. Hospitality America's program emphasizes a culture of PEACH—Passionate, Excellence, Adaptable, Community, Humble—to guide success.

🏨 DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Salt Lake City Downtown, managed by HRI Hospitality and redesigned by Studio 11, completed renovation of its central atrium, lobby, guestrooms, food and beverage concepts, fitness center, and indoor pool. Featuring 241 all-suite rooms, the hotel showcases a new aesthetic inspired by Salt Lake City with geometric carpeting, SLC-inspired artwork, and updated amenities including Crabtree & Evelyn products. Red Beryl Kitchen and Red Beryl Bar offer Southwest cuisine and local beers. Sustainability initiatives include Wi-Suite thermostats and LED lighting.

💪 Mandela Day on 18 July saw City Lodge Hotels' 59 hotels engaging in charity, including cleaning, painting, and donating food to Johannesburg Children’s Home, maintenance for Ikholwa Hope Children Home, soup for Rose Happy Times Elderly Home, cupcakes and juice for Aruka Foundation, an Amazing Race with Reach for a Dream Foundation, and contributing to Chefs With Compassion’s #67000L Soup Drive. George team packed 30,888 meals, while Cape Town hotels provided lunch, activities, and essential items to farm workers’ children. Used hotel linen and soap are recycled into school shirts and new soap bars, with plans to expand these initiatives. COO Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo emphasises the hotel group's year-round commitment to charity, especially on Mandela Day.

💰 Nashville-based Twice Daily, a Tri Star Energy brand, saw a 225% sales increase from January 23 to December 22, 2023, after integrating Paytronix Order and Delivery with its loyalty program. The integration also led to a 55% monthly increase in online orders and a 95% rise in unique customers. Tri Star Energy, established in 2000, operates over 200 convenience stores and supplies fuel across 17 states. The company also owns 20 White Bison Coffee shops in Tennessee and Alabama.

📈 Noida, India-based RateGain Travel Technologies announced Q1 FY2025 financial results on August 12, 2024. Revenue surged by 21.2% YoY to INR 2,600.1 Mn, with operating margins growing to 19.1%. Profit After Tax (PAT) skyrocketed by 82.2% to INR 453.8 Mn. The company boasts a robust pipeline of INR 5,553.1 Mn and an all-time high Annual Recurring Revenue of INR 10,400.4 Mn. RateGain continues to outperform with a 15.7x LTV to CAC ratio and INR 13.0 Mn Revenue per Employee. The global team of 801 maintains a low attrition rate of 10.9%.