- New report highlights the breadth and impact of partnerships forged by IHG Hotel & Resorts’ colleagues across the region in 2023
- Across Vietnam, hotel colleagues dedicated 8,226 hours to community partnerships, improving 5,616 lives in 2023
- As part of its Journey to Tomorrow responsible business plan, IHG has committed to improve the lives of 30 million people in its communities around the world
After decades of supporting communities across South East Asia, IHG Hotels & Resorts has published its inaugural South East Asia Communities Report, to celebrate the partnerships it has forged to help improve thousands of lives across the region.
It’s not just about the numbers. The report shines a light on some of the transformational activities delivered in local communities, and the inspiring stories of the partners involved. By sharing those stories, IHG hopes to affect even greater change this year and beyond.
A key community partner for IHG in Vietnam is VietHarvest – a social enterprise established in 2022 in Hanoi, dedicated to reducing food waste and hunger. IHG was the organisation’s first food donor and sponsor in Vietnam, and the partnership has gone from strength to strength.
IHG has supported VietHarvest in expanding its logistics and operational support in Hanoi, and scaling up food rescue into Ho Chi Minh City as well. The partnership enabled the delivery of 28,100 meals delivered to under-served communities in 2023.
Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation is another key community partner. As part of their mission to eradicate human trafficking and exploitation in Vietnam, Blue Dragon offers children and families in crisis the chance to turn their lives around, a powerful force for change on the streets of Vietnam. IHG has supported the Foundation since 2020, through volunteering, internships and skill training, scholarships, and funding. IHG has recently ramped up its support, pledging to support 10,000 disadvantaged youths with skills training and education across Vietnam.
Paul Cunningham, Senior Director, Operations, South East Asia and Korea, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “At IHG, we champion community initiatives and prioritise the well-being of our people, so its fantastic that we have impacted more than 5,600 lives last year. Our partnership with Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation supports disadvantaged youths with skills training while VietHarvest rescues surplus food for communities that need it most, causes we feel so passionate about. We want to be part of the solution and are proud that our teams across the country have invested their time and energy into these causes.
“The inaugural South East Asia Communities Report serves is a celebration of our commitment across the region to responsible business, ensuring that we contribute meaningfully to the communities we live and work in.”
Jimmy Pham, Co-Founder, VietHarvest said: “Around the world and here in our country, people are suffering from hunger and with the amount of food that is wasted, that’s hard to justify. There are 570,000 people in Vietnam experiencing food shortages, while at the same time, about 8.8 million tonnes of food is going to waste. IHG helps further our mission to rescue surplus food and nourish Vietnam, so that we can help more disadvantaged and underserved people in our community.”
Vi Do, Co-CEO, Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation said: “IHG has been a wonderful partner, providing disadvantaged children and youths with skills training, education and internships. With their support, we’ve been able to work with thousands of families from all around Vietnam – and continue on our journey to help children in crisis.”
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*IHG data from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023
Assets
Link to South East Asia Communities Report here
Link to photos here
About IHG Hotels & Resorts
IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.
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About VietHarvest – https://www.vietharvest.com/en/
VietHarvest is an innovative new social enterprise that launched in June 2022 that collects quality surplus food and redistributes it to underserved communities in Vietnam.
We are constantly looking for new ways to inspire and educate people about food waste, food security and sustainability. Through our education programs and our advocacy work, we hope to inspire others to change behaviour and help reach the target of food waste in Vietnam.
About Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation – https://www.bluedragon.org/
Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation aims to end the trafficking and exploitation of Vietnamese people. We rescue children from homelessness and the dangers of the streets, and young adults who have been trafficked for sexual or labour exploitation. Once we have ensured their safety, we provide children and young adults with everything they need to heal, rebuild their lives, and thrive. Blue Dragon uses lessons from the front line to inform sustainable interventions for communities and advocate for improvements in policy and law to guarantee the safety of all children and youth in Vietnam.
