Hilton $1m to promote Africa travel, tourism

Hilton (NYSE:HLT) (newsroom.Hilton.com) has announced an initial investment of $1m to drive sustainable travel and tourism in Africa.

To do so, the company will focus on five key areas tagged Big Five which are youth opportunity, water stewardship, anti-human trafficking, local sourcing, and protecting wildlife.

Youth Opportunity: investing in training and apprenticeship programs to build a strong talent pipeline and tackle identified challenges for youth, including underemployment

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% 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

The announcement follows the recent launch of Hilton’s Travel with Purpose 2030 goals to double its investment in social impact and cut its environmental footprint in half across the globe.

Speaking at the Africa Hotel Investment Forum in Nairobi, Chris Nassetta, Hilton’s President/CEO said, “Hilton is committed to creating a positive social and environmental impact in every community where we operate. Africa is an incredibly diverse continent, with equally diverse challenges and opportunities, and as we continue to grow in the region, we are focused on doing so in a way that promotes sustainable travel and tourism. So we are pleased to take our efforts to the next level with an initial commitment of $1 million which will allow us to invest in and scale up initiatives that build skills among young people, mitigate risks in human trafficking, engage local entrepreneurs across our supply chain, improve water efficiencies and promote responsible wildlife-based tourism.”

“Hilton’s President and CEO’s visit to Africa is timely and sends a strong signal to environmentally conscious investors across the continent. It will set higher standards for future projects in the hospitality industry throughout Africa. Hilton’s growing interest in Africa’s promising and emerging market is a windfall for job creation among youths and will significantly contribute to sustainable economic growth and shared prosperity,” reacted Leila Ndiaye, President/CEO, Initiative for Global Development.

Hilton has been operating continuously in Africa since 1959 and is committed to long-term sustainable growth across the continent.

With 53 properties in its development pipeline, it expects to double its portfolio of hotels on the continent during the next five years and enter new markets such as Botswana, Ghana, Swaziland, Uganda, Malawi and Rwanda.

Its existing 41 operating hotels in Africa have carried out 460 volunteering projects since 2012 to support their communities and manage their environmental impact, and its Big Five will build upon an existing foundation of partnerships and initiatives to deepen the company’s impact and to inspire positive social and environmental change across its value chain.