A BIGGER PURPOSE
CSR is another vital component of Hilton’s work across Africa.
“We also have an incredibly strong commitment to the environment and sustainability issues through our Travel with Purpose programme,” explains van der Putten. “Last year we announced our commitment to cutting our environmental footprint in half and doubling our social impact investment. “Across Africa that has seen us launch a programme that we call Hilton’s Big Five with an initial investment of $1 million to drive sustainable travel and tourism in Africa.”
To achieve this the company will focus on five key areas:
Investing in training and apprenticeship programmes to build a strong talent pipeline and tackle identified challenges for youth, including underemployment.
Youth opportunity:
Water stewardship:
The expansion of existing partnerships and the creation of new alliances to help Hilton achieve its goal to reduce its water consumption by 50 percent and activate 20 context-based water projects in at-risk communities by 2030.
Anti-human trafficking:
The provision of training and auditing to mitigate against human trafficking, alongside engagement with local NGOs to address the social challenges in local communities.
Local sourcing:
The creation of partnerships to build local entrepreneurs’ capacity to deliver high quality and authentic goods and services and integrate them into Hilton’s supply chain.
Protecting wildlife:
The promotion of responsible wildlife-based tourism, in line with the WTTC Buenos Aires Declaration on Travel & Tourism and Illegal Wildlife Trade.