The inventiveness and commitment of the hospitality sector, which continues to innovate despite the steamrollering of the Covid 19 pandemic crisis, is striking. All over the world, professionals in the sector have joined in the effort to deal with the pandemic and have made their contribution.

Thank from ISO carried by the Accor managed establishments in New Zealand who actively participated in containing the epidemic in the country during the containment periods. Thanks From Iso  was an exhibition of artistic creations and letters of gratitude from guests in Accor isolation hotels, along works by artist Ruby Jones. It was a way of sending positive messages during a time when everyone was experiencing new and sometimes difficult times.

The All Heartist Fund was launched by the Accor group in 2020, allocating 25% of the dividends generated by the group to a support fund for employees of Accor establishments. More than 95,000 supports have been granted among the group's 300,000 employees around the world. Created in April 2020, the Accor All Heartist Fund aims to support people who are in distress due to the multiple impacts of Covid-19, both personal and professional.

The Father Pedro Hostel Programme allows the development of a hotel school in Madagascar from scratch, with the aim of providing employment and qualifications to the local population, most of whom live below the poverty line. Fair trade refers to fair tourism, which is a type of tourism in line with the culture of the country, its inhabitants and their environment. Fair tourism is intended to promote the growth of the local economy by transferring tourists' money directly to the local population.

The Marriott Brussels Grand Place offered its deserted seminar spaces during periods of confinement to students who needed a place to work. With the hotel open but with limited occupancy at the time, the hotel entered into a collaboration with BRIK, making available all meeting spaces, the restaurant and the executive lounge for a total of 80-100 students per day.

NH Response, the Spanish hotel group's initiative around the world to offer a relay to the local authorities and thus participate in confronting the pandemic. Donations of food and equipment, medical accommodation for the sick and the reception of medical staff. NH hotels were part of the chain that faced Covid 19, including for the employees of the group's establishments.

Odalys has offered the Fédération Nationale Solidarité Femmes to provide 100 studios and flats to protect women victims of domestic violence. Adapted accommodation with secure access, each with a kitchenette, sleeping/living area, private toilets and a bathroom, meeting the needs expressed by the associations for the reception of women victims of violence. Since the partnership was signed at the beginning of March 2021, 83 people (40 women and 43 children) have been accommodated in our 250 Odalys Vacances and Odalys City establishments throughout France, the equivalent of 7,600 overnight stays.

Room Mate Hotels offered antigen tests to enable its employees and guests to be screened for Covid 19. Guests were offered the opportunity to access the test free of charge in their home town before starting their trip. For customers who stayed longer, the test was repeated every 3-5 days. 

Meals to Smiles by The Indian Hotels Company Limited provided 4.5 million meals in 38 hospitals in India as part of the fight against the Covid 19 pandemic. The outreach and networking of the employees helped attract funds for TPSWT (Taj Public Service Welfare Trust), which gave new life to the programme.

Taj for Family an initiative of the Indian Hotels Company Limited to support their employees and their families who were left destitute overnight. The initiative started by identifying workers who had lost their livelihoods or were unable to collect their salaries, either fully or partially. It was important to address only the most affected section of workers in order to have maximum impact. A task force of 20 IHCL staff was set up, which not only compiled a list of such workers, but managed to reach them even in the most remote villages where there is little or no connectivity.

Giving Back Project by the Westin Excelsior Rome, Marriott Int. A bag of donations was made available to everyone who passed through the hotel to encourage them to donate clothes and shoes to people in need.

Bath Amenities Donation by the Alfonson XIII Hotel is a project developed in 2018 and launched the following year which involves giving a second life to the hotel's bath amenities and hygiene products. The aim is to collect soap bars, disinfect them and transform them into simpler soap bars. These are then offered to people in need who see these soaps as luxury products. The target group for this project included women in Seville prison, and having access to such products has greatly improved their daily lives. 

The Hidden Lost Heritage is an initiative of the Radisson Hotel Izmir Aliaga to bring to light a long-forgotten local and ancestral skill, the craft of Helvaci Rug. The hotel has given unemployed women the opportunity to revive this typical local craft by having them make welcome gifts for guests. These items are also available for sale on the hotel's website to bring even more economic benefit to these communities. 

The Heart Campaign, developed by Marriott's Sheraton Kampala Hotel, was the hotel's way of showing its support during the health crisis by illuminating its building facade with a giant heart. To achieve this month-long operation, the hotel's engineering team lit up a number of rooms each day to create a heart of light, with the ambition of bringing hope and light to this relatively dark time for humanity.

Helping Our Community, supported by the London Heathrow Marriott Hotel, aims to give young people with learning difficulties the opportunity to experience the world of work and to train in the hospitality industry for a year. The hotel has joined forces with Meadow High School, Hillingdon Council and the Centre for British Teachers Education to carry out this programme. Around ten students are supported each year and some end up being employed by the hotel. 

Sun Children Cancer Fund by Sun Resorts is a philanthropic programme focused on children with cancer. The money raised by the company's activities, such as the SUNCARE Charity Golf Competition, is donated to the Victoria Hospital to maintain the buildings and wards, which are unique in the Indian Ocean region, but also to provide psychological support to the children and parents who need it. 

SPART, a true human project with in the Centaurus Group has enabled the brand's employees to stay physically fit but above all to keep their spirits up during a complicated and mentally exhausting period for everyone. After months of online sports training, 50 associates got together to cycle from Paris to Belle-Ile-en-Mer. A sporting challenge that allowed the teams to be more united than ever and above all demonstrated the solidarity within the hotel sector. 

 Community Footprints Programme by The Ritz-Carlton is a socially and environmentally responsible initiative that aims to help local communities address the issues they face. The programme is run by hotel volunteers who want to work for the well-being and health of children and fight poverty and hunger by partnering with local organisations who also want to help.

 

Nota Bene : The HON editorial team highlights and values the entries submitted for the Hospitality Awards 2021 in complete independence from the competition itself, which is governed by precise rules. This in no way prejudges the outcome of the specific process of nominating finalists or winners, which follows the rules of the competition through the examination of the entries by a jury followed by a sworn bailiff and live voting on the day of the ceremony. The abundance of initiatives submitted during this 21st edition is a fine illustration of the efforts made by the profession in the face of the crisis and it was important for us to share them with you.