(Entertainment-NewsWire.com, June 07, 2013 ) PHUKET, Thailand – Sustainability as a concept was popularised at the 'Earth Summit' in Rio in 1992 and has since been used and abused, becoming a buzz word often backed with little substance. It is this that Absolute World Group – the multi award winning real estate and mixed-use resort developer, and shared ownership vacation experience pioneer – when consolidating its past and present CSR activities, wanted to avoid.
The past 15 years of Absolute World Group's CSR activities have provided a foundation on which to build, and moving into this 15th anniversary year and beyond the Group has developed three core values: Holiday Smarter, Holiday Fitter, which groups programmes assisting in the development of a healthier attitude to holidays for the benefits of members and guests; CommUNITY, which groups those for the benefit of the local Community; and Absolute Eco-Friendlier, which groups initiatives with a more environmentally conscious approach.
“CSR is something that has been a part of Absolute World Group since our beginning. We are aware of our social responsibility as a business and over the last 15 years have developed and implemented a number of CSR programmes within the local and wider community. Developing on our past initiatives, we felt it important to create a more strategic approach to our CSR programmes and new initiatives, and have created three core values under which all our CSR activities are grouped, implemented and evaluated,” said Bryan Lunt, CEO of the Absolute World Group.
“To take things to the next level, we have brought in a dedicated CSR Co-ordinator, who will help us manage our ongoing CSR programmes, develop and implement new initiatives, and continue to work with our team to assist with our CSR strategy for the next 15 years and beyond,” added Lunt.
In the 24/7 connected world in which we live, health is often sacrificed for convenience and perceived 'needs'. Holiday Smarter, Holiday Fitter groups health-related activities and builds on past success by Absolute World Group such as Staff Boot Camps, which are being expanded in size and frequency, and more recently the launch of a series of exercise videos available on the in-room entertainment system for guests and members. This, together with the impending launch of a dedicated Holiday Smarter, Holiday Fitter blog site, nutrition classes for resort guests and donating sports equipment to local schools this year make for a targeted CSR programme under the Holiday Smarter, Holiday Fitter banner.
With its strategic center in Phuket, Thailand, Absolute World Group is aware of its home, its local responsibilities and the positive impact it can have on people's lives locally through its operations, and internationally through delivering memorable vacation club experiences for members and guests. To this end, activities with the core value of CommUNITY have in the past included supporting a number of local charities including the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation, as well as raising money for local charities through the Group's own business initiatives, such as the Alternative Ownership Conference on Hotels Asia Pacific.
The Group have also established an in-house 'CommUNITY Committee' to develop a staff volunteer service for local community and charity events, as well as developing a structured work experience programme throughout the Group's business sectors to provide invaluable on-the-job training.
Absolute World Group continues to expand and integrate environmentally-friendly operational strategies at its luxury resorts in Thailand, both existing and new, reducing energy consumption and waste. In the Group's newest resort, the award-winning The Beach Samui which is set to open Autumn 2013, environmentally-friendly technologies have been incorporated from the concept and design phase and throughout the build. With Absolute Eco-Friendlier as the core value, Absolute World Group are to launch and take part in a number of initiatives this year which has already seen participation in the regeneration of the Mangrove’s in honor of Her Majesty the Queen of Thailand's 80th birthday, and an invitation by the local Patong Municipality to join the “Patong - Stop Global Warming Project” as part of the World Environment Day.
Other initiatives for 2013 under the Absolute Eco-Friendlier banner include introducing a series of in-room organic products using refillable receptacles, developing the 'Patong Green Club' – a collection of like-minded hotels and resorts in Patong with a local action plan – ongoing redevelopment of the Group's resorts (re-designs to help reduce energy and water consumption and their operational carbon footprint), and developing initiatives together with SEEK Phuket.
For more information on Absolute World Group's past CSR activities and 15th Anniversary initiatives, follow the Group’s Facebook channel @absoluteworldgroup and Google + page.
About the Absolute World Group
Founded in 1998, the Absolute World Group of companies has grown strategically to become one of Asia’s leading and multi award winning lifestyle property development, resorts & hotels, and destination club brands.
With a global presence in over 27 countries including Australia, Bali, China, England, Hong Kong, Russia and Thailand, the Absolute World Group offers a seamless range of services within the world lifestyle vacation industry, inclusive of a highly successful Destination Club, award-winning self and partner developed resorts in Thailand, Resort Real Estate, a pioneering Fractional Ownership division, now offering fractional motoryacht ownership and a successful lifestyle magazine series. 2013 marks the Group's 15th Anniversary year.
