The Rezidor Hotel Group – one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide – has celebrated its 7th annual Responsible Business Action Month. Throughout the month of September, all 25 hotels in operation in the Middle East actively participated by organizing social and environmental activities, supported by employees, partners and the local community; to raise awareness of Responsible Business.
For the first time this year, hotels across the region worked together to raise over $10,000 for Rezidor's corporate charity organisation, the World Childhood Foundation. The money was raised through internal raffles, collections, gala dinners and other fundraising initiatives that took place throughout September.
In addition, hotels across the region organised a range of activities for social and environmental causes including: Tree planting, community and beach clean-ups, clothes collections and special events for children with disabilities. Once again, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Media City held its shoebox appeal to provide essential items for those in need. The Radisson Blu Resort, El Quseir supported its local hospital repair project by sending its Engineering team to the hospital with maintenance supplies and a number of essential items to repair and improve conditions in the Intensive Care Unit at El Quseir hospital. Blood donation programmes were held in all six Rezidor hotels in Saudi Arabia, Iftar dinners for the less privileged were hosted at hotels in Dubai, Jeddah, Madinah and Muscat, and a special garden party for orphaned children was hosted by The Radisson Blu Hotel, Alexandria.
"I am extremely proud of the many activities undertaken in the Middle East this Responsible Business Action Month; our hotel teams have contributed time, money, resources and special efforts to a number of fantastic causes – showing the true spirit of Yes I Can!" says Marko Hytonen, Area Vice President.
Responsible Business Action Month is part of Rezidor's company-wide Responsible Business programme which was launched in 2001 and comprises responsibility for guest and employee health & safety, respect for social & ethical issues within the company and reduced environmental impact. Rezidor was also the first hotel group to offer guests carbon offset possibilities. For its engagement the group has received several awards including the Worldwide Hospitality Award in 2004.
In 2010, two Rezidor hotels in the Middle East – the Park Inn Muscat and the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek – received Green Globe certification. Green Globe is one of the premier worldwide stamps for the tourism industry and in receiving the certification, Park Inn Muscat became the first and only hotel in Oman to do so to date and the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek became only the second hotel in the UAE.
Since June 2007, the World Childhood Foundation has been Rezidor's corporate charity organisation. This not for profit organisation, founded in 1999 by H.M Queen Silvia of Sweden, is dedicated to serving the most vulnerable children in the world – those living on the street, who are sexually abused, exploited or trafficked for sexual purposes.
