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Travel with a cause
To make hotel-stays memorable and meaningful across Asia Pacific, the Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy programme has been launched by the hotel
On the morning of India’s 75th Republic Day Marriott International announced the launch of it’s Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy, an initiative that offers meaningful travel all over Asia Pacific.
The very sprightly Bart Buiring, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Marriott International Asia Pacific, welcomed the press at the digital conference sharp at 10.30 am. “Our ambition is to expand the programme to most of our Asia Pacific leisure destinations over time, and be ready to welcome guests with meaningful travel experiences once travel returns,” he says.
What’s the deal?
So, the aim of this programme is to offer hotel guests with experiences that allow them to connect with the environment as well as local communities of their travel destinations during the course of their stay at the hotel. This in turn, helps to further their understanding about the various cultures and environments and also brings about a positive change in the guests as well as the environment, where the hotel property is located.
The Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy can now be availed in 15 Marriott International properties across Asia Pacific.
The digital press conference also had George Varughese, General Manager, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Soa, Sachin Mylavarapu, General Manager, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Soa, Amélie Carraut, Marine Biologist, Reefscrapers and Charlie Zha, General Manager, The Ritz-Carlton Nanjing joining from different parts of Asia Pacific. All of them shared about each of the experiences their hotels are curating.
India story
So, the Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy experiences for those who want to travel within India include something called Implant Nature at the JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa. Here guests can join in the hotel’s afforestation initiative and help in conserving the topsoil erosion from the Garhwal Range at the Himalayan foothills by planting a sapling.
The hotel organises a walk with an in-house horticulture expert followed by sapling planting. To personalise it further the guest can also name the sapling and are then given a yearly update on the progress of the area.
Apart from this environment conservation initiative, for those who enjoy engaging with the communities of the destinations they travel to could check out the Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel at Brigade Gateway. Located in the remote Chanapura village, that’s been adopted by the hotel in collaboration with a trust, this hotel supports the village community with healthcare, water, sanitation, education and nutrition.
To bond with the village community, the hotel organises for the guests to visit the village with instructors. There they can interact with the locals of Chanapura and help in English lessons, sit and draw with the kids etc.
In progress
Marriott has a sustainability and social impact platform called Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction, to help create a positive as well as sustainable impact wherever it does business and uphold the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
So, from conserving mangrove in Fiji to transplanting and restoring of coral in Okinawa and Maldives, cleaning up beaches in Sanya and Busan, to redistributing food in Bali, Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy gives it’s guests a chance to be a part of a cause within the local communities back home and when they are able to travel internationally once things are better.
“One of the growing trends we’re observing is how conscious guests are of their personal impact on the destinations they visit. The launch of GoodTravel with Marriott Bonvoy aspires to shift the way vacations are perceived – from pure leisure to value-adding opportunities to learn more about the natural environment and forge new connections with the local community,” says Buiring.
From HT Brunch, February 3, 2021
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