Cathay has reached a milestone in its 1 Ticket, 1 Tree journey, with the planting of 30,000 mangrove trees in South-east Asia since the initiative was launched in 2021.
This includes 7,500 mangrove trees that Cathay and its partners have committed to plant in 2024, from tickets sold in South-east Asia from a five-day campaign period in July 2023.
Now in its fourth year, 1 Ticket, 1 Tree is a South-east Asia initiative by Cathay that underscores its commitment to support local communities, restore local habitats and drive climate resilience.
Cathay plants a tree in the region for every ticket purchased from Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia during a specified campaign period. To kickstart 1 Ticket, 1 Tree this year, 4,000 trees were planted in Thailand’s Bangpu Nature Education Centre in Samut Prakan on March 23. The remaining trees will be progressively planted in mangrove forests across South-east Asia in the coming months.
Cathay continues to work with local environment and community partners to restore mangrove forests in the region. In Thailand for instance, half of the 4,000 trees were contributed by KTC (Krungthai Card), who joined Cathay’s efforts in Thailand for the first time this year. Since 2021, Cathay has worked with 13 local partners across the region to plant trees and ensure they grow and thrive.
Dominic Perret, regional general manager for South-east Asia, Cathay, said: “Giving back to the communities we serve is an important part of this endeavour, as we collaborate with our customers and business partners to protect the coastal ecosystems that many local communities in the region depend on for food, protection and income.
“We are extremely encouraged by the positive response we’ve received from other like-minded partners who have since joined us in this effort, or simply helped spread the word.”
In hospitality, inclusive leadership and gender balance are becoming important business imperatives, as gender-diverse teams reportedly see up to 19 per cent higher profits. However, gender parity in leadership remains a challenge in this industry, owing to factors such as demanding expectations, work-life balance struggles, and the scarcity of female leaders as role models. A 2022 WTO report noted the insufficient data on women in leadership across Asia-Pacific, and underscored the urgency for action.
Kempinski Hotels has revealed plans to open a duo of dual-branded Kempinski and Bristoria hotels in Yangzhou Economic Development Zone in China.
Both hotels are scheduled to complete in 2025.
The hotel management agreement was signed by Kempinski Hotel Group with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yangzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone Culture and Tourism Group Co.
When complete, the lakeside Kempinski Hotel Yangzhou Nuoyuan will offer 93 rooms and suites, and facilities like a swimming pool, spa, gym, fitness centre, and a ballroom.
Next door, Bristoria Hotel Yangzhou will have 312 guestrooms and a wide selection of meeting rooms and function spaces.
Easily accessible from Yangzhou Taizhou International Airport in less than an hour and linked directly to Nanjing and Shanghai via high-speed train, the hotels located are also close to some of Yangzhou’s cultural highlights, with activities including Guqin art, engraving printing technique, paper-cutting technique, Fuchun tea making, and more.