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Hilton Worldwide adds new beneficiaries and hotels to Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia
Three new sustainability projects in the region to benefit; four additional hotels join the program
The Mungcharoen Biomass Project
in Thailand is a biomass project that uses a rice husk fuelled combustion
technique to generate electricity. The electricity generated powers two
local rice mills and is also fed into the local power grid. The project
converts rice husks, previously considered waste, into a valued commodity
while at the same time reducing reliance on the combustion of carbon
intensive fossil fuels.
Hilton Worldwide recently announced the expansion of
their Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia with three new renewable
energy projects receiving support for 2014. The Mungcharoen Biomass Project
in Thailand, the Musi Hydro Project in Indonesia, and the Song Ong Small
Hydro Project in Vietnam will join the Borneo Rainforest Rehabilitation
Project in Malaysia as beneficiaries of the program.
Initiated in October 2012, Hilton Worldwide’s Carbon Offset Program in
Southeast Asia measures carbon generated by meetings and events held at
Hilton Worldwide properties in the region, and, at no cost to customers,
offsets this through the purchase of carbon credits. Hotels use the
company’s proprietary LightStay™ Meeting Impact Calculator to calculate
carbon emissions, and the program supports the ‘Living Sustainably’ pillar
of Hilton Worldwide’s global corporate responsibility strategy, Travel with
Purpose™.
As of January 1, 2014, four new hotels joined the
existing 13 already taking part in the program since its launch. The new
hotels are DoubleTree by Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok
in Thailand, and two hotels in Vietnam - Hilton Hanoi Opera and Hilton
Garden Inn Hanoi.
Hilton Pattaya is already participating in the Hilton Worldwide Carbon
Offset Program in Southeast Asia.
“In the first 12 months of the Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia we
offset 7,200 tons of carbon emitted from events held in our properties,”
said William Costley, vice-president, Operations - Southeast Asia, Hilton
Worldwide. “This well exceeds our initial carbon offset target of 6,000
tons, and is a credit to our hotels, team members and customers.”
The 7,200 tons of carbon offset in the first 12 months of Hilton Worldwide’s
Carbon Offset Program is equivalent to 758 economy class flights around the
world.
“As we expand this program to include new sustainability projects and more
hotels in Southeast Asia, we stay committed to creating shared value both
for our business and society,” said Costley.
Hilton Worldwide is one of the first major multi-brand hospitality companies
to make sustainability measurement a brand standard and require performance
against sustainability goals. In 2012, the company registered US$253 million
in utility cost savings through a 12.8% reduction of carbon output, a 12.2%
reduction in energy use, a 24.9% reduction of waste input and a 10.2%
reduction in water use.
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A-One The Royal Cruise Hotel Pattaya announces appointment of executive chef
Pheera Rarongkam.
Somchai Ratanaopath, president of the A-One The Royal Cruise Hotel
Pattaya, recently announced the appointment of Pheera Rarongkam as the
executive chef of the hotel.
Pheera graduated with a diploma from Dusit College and earned an I.C.S.
Culinary (Gourmet / Catering) from Pennsylvania, U.S.A. He is
responsible for creating menus, overseeing day-to-day food preparation
and managing the culinary staff to make sure the hotel’s cuisine meets
guests’ satisfaction.
Pheera has experience working in many well-known hotels, such as the
Sheraton Nation Hotel and Sheraton Premiere Hotel in the U.S.A. Before
joining the A-ONE hotel management team, his former job was as an
executive chef at the Asia Hotel, Bangkok.
Doi Inthanon sees biggest
occurrence of frost in years
The intense high pressure cell covering upper Thailand has caused frost
to return in many areas of the North and Northeast, where temperatures
have dropped to near zero.
The mercury hit 0 degrees Celsius on Doi Inthanon peak in Chiang Mai on
Wednesday morning, Jan. 22. The temperature right above the ground
reached an annual low of minus 4 degrees Celsius, triggering widespread
frost that fascinated the tourists who visited the peak on Wednesday.
Wednesday’s frost on Doi Inthanon was reportedly the most intense in
years.
Frost also occurred for a third straight day in Dan Sai, Na Haow and Phu
Rua districts in Loei, where the low temperature was determined to be 3
degrees Celsius.
At Khao Yai National Park, the temperature dropped to between 5-6
degrees Celsius early on Wednesday morning. The daytime temperature
averaged around 18 degrees Celsius. The cold weather has brought on more
tourists to the national park, with ticket sales over the past weekend
increasing two-fold from the normal average of 15,000 per day. (NNT)
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Etihad Airways to double
daily frequency to New York
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United
Arab Emirates, will double its flights between Abu Dhabi and New York
City, introducing a second daily service from March 1, 2014.
Flight EY103 will depart Abu Dhabi International Airport at 1.45am,
arriving at New York’s John F Kennedy Airport (JFK) at 7.45am the same
day, while the return flight, EY102, will leave JFK at 11.35am, arriving
in Abu Dhabi at 9.20am the next day.
The new flights will complement the airline’s current daily 10.30am
departure to New York, providing a choice of flights for Abu Dhabi’s
business, government, expatriate and leisure travelers, while passengers
travelling from New York to Abu Dhabi and beyond will have the option of
a late morning flight as well as the current 9.40pm departure.
Initially, the new flights will be operated by Etihad Airways using two
three-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft leased from its strategic partner,
India’s Jet Airways. From May 1, 2014, Jet Airways will operate these
flights.
The second New York service will increase substantially the connections
available via the Abu Dhabi Airport hub, with the schedule designed to
link in both directions with Etihad Airways and partner airline flights
between Abu Dhabi and more than 30 destinations in India, the Middle
East, Central and South East Asia, Africa and island nations in the
Indian Ocean region.
Beyond New York, guests also will be able to connect in both directions
with destinations throughout the US, and in Canada and Mexico.
“New York City is one of the most popular destinations in our network -
not only for guests flying from Abu Dhabi but also for business, leisure
and family travelers from a wide range of connecting destinations,” said
James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways.
“These services will provide greater access to New York City for
travelers from Abu Dhabi and further evidence of the importance of Abu
Dhabi as a global air transport hub,” Hogan said.
“The flights also will open fresh opportunities for tourism to the UAE,
and beyond to destinations throughout the Middle East, the Indian
sub-continent, Asia, Africa, and the island nations of the Indian
Ocean.”
In addition to the increased frequency to New York, Etihad Airways has
announced plans to commence services to two new US destinations - Los
Angeles daily from June 2014 and Dallas-Fort Worth three times a week
from December 2014.
The airline also flies daily between Abu Dhabi and both Washington D.C.
and Chicago.
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2014 tourist arrivals likely to drop 5%: Tourism Minister
Caretaker Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak
Pureesrisak said Thursday, Jan. 23, that the number of tourist arrivals
this year is likely to decrease to 26 million from the previous
projection of 28 million, or a drop of 5 percent year-on-year following
months of anti-government protest.
Hotel occupancy was only 30 percent despite the high season, he said,
adding that the political unrest caused an estimated loss in tourism
business at around Bt20 billion, he said.
More countries and territories have prepared to upgrade travel
advisories to their citizens after the 60-day Emergency Decree was
imposed to handle the anti-government protesters in Bangkok and parts of
surrounding provinces last week.
The minister said the caretaker government has prepared measures to help
protest-hit hotel businesses, including training courses for hotel staff
to get better skills and could eventually increase their income.
The political unrest, however, has no significant impact on the arrival
of tourists from North America as more travelers from the United States
and Canada are expected later this year, according to the Tourism
Authority of Thailand.
Chureerat Kongtrakul, regional director of the TAT Americas Division,
said the number of tourists from the United States this year would be
the same as last year as the US economy gradually regains its health.
Last year, some 820,000 American tourists visited Thailand.
She conceded if there is bloodshed, it would definitely adversely affect
visitors, particularly first-timers, because this group of tourists are
relatively sensitive. But those who travelled to Thailand more than once
would understand the situation and would likely be unaffected, she said.
Ms Chureerat said some 230,000 Canadian visitors travelled to Thailand
last year. This market was more sensitive than that of the United States
but the number could rise this year although the Canadian government has
issued travel advisories to its citizens on the political situation in
Thailand.
She said TAT intends to penetrate new markets in the Americas, in
particular the Latin American countries such as Brazil, Argentina,
Columbia and Mexico.
One problem foreseen was the lack of Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking
guides, she said, adding that the government would urgently increase the
number of tour guides to respond to the market demand. (MCOT)
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