NEWLY LAUNCHED HG FOUNDATION TO CHAMPION SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN ASIA

Mr. Nam, founder of HG Holdings, has always been a strong believer in his company as the cause of positive change throughout the communities in which it operates, and has instilled a company-wide dedication to giving back and championing environmental causes. When considering HG Holdings' upcoming expansion and rapid projected growth, it was deemed necessary to form a CSR Foundation which is to become an integral part of HG Holdings and its subsidiaries' DNA and company culture.

The HG Foundation launches with a clear vision of what needs to be done. In the first year of operations, the Foundation will focus upon 3 objectives. Integrating their methodology into every aspect of business, centralize and expand upon pre-existing socially responsible initiatives and expand their network of institutional and NGO partners who share the Foundation's vision.

Darius Postma has taken leadership of the programme as Foundation Director. Having been brought up around conservation initiatives in South Africa his passion for sustainable and responsible tourism was instilled at a young age. After joining Bhaya cruises and being appointed the project leader for their CSR programme, he was instrumental in the banning the use of polystyrene from Ha Long Bay, which served to inflame his love for the field. Darius now intends to use the knowledge gained from his success in Vietnam and implement it throughout all of HG Holdings' subsidiaries and their respective regions.

"Unlike some other CSR programmes, the HG Foundation isn't an add-on or secondary project, we plan to implement our vision into every aspect of business," Said Darius Postma, Foundation Director. "The foundation will be a success because we truly care about our cause, and will persevere to ensure we achieve it"

Prior to its official launch, the HG Foundation has been working closely with HG Holdings' subsidiaries to implement CSR initiatives around South East Asia. The Foundation saw considerable success with the Halong Bay Clean-up event this past January, even representing Bhaya Cruises in the prestigious Cat Ba Alliance Leadership committee. The Foundation has also established tree planting projects in Preah Dak Village, Cambodia, with the aim to offset carbon emissions from their operations and tourism. On the 21st of February 2017 the Foundation, in collaboration with the Bhaya Cruises, launched a campaign to raise awareness and funds for the critically endangered Cat Ba Langur monkey. They designed and developed a soft toy and fridge magnets, depicting this iconic animal, that are sold on their fleet of boats with 50% of the profits going to the Cat Ba Langur Conservation project.

Now that the HG Foundation has officially launched, they plan to initiate a series of planned operations across South East Asia. Beginning with an extended tree planting operation, Roots & Fruits, focusing on the nine current areas of operation for HG Holdings, they plan to plant hundreds of fruit trees in impoverished neighbourhoods to support local communities. This is to be followed by further campaigns to raise awareness and funds for some of Asia's most critically endangered species, and a 'Travel for People' activity wherein children from a local orphanage are given a day tour around Hanoi to inspire them to reach for their dreams.

"We have been looking forward to officially launching the Foundation for months, having already completed a significant body of work behind the scenes. Now that we have done so, we can continue working towards achieving our vision," Said Darius Postma. "We see a bright future for tourism in Asia, but everyone needs to do their part to secure that future as it will not be achieved by lone corporate efforts"

The HG Foundation acts as a guardian of the sustainability and responsible tourism approach for all subsidiaries of HG Holdings. They will be operational across all countries the group currently has a presence in and will be maintaining the company's vision to be a sustainable and responsible business as the group expands across Asia.

HG Holdings is the parent company for four core fields of business within Asia. Travel with the newly rebranded ASIA DMC and SENS ASIA which launched last year, cruise operation with Bhaya cruises, Au Co cruise, and Legend Halong. As well as a hospitality arm managing Lang Co Beach Resort and a new five-star luxury river resort in H?i An and finally as general sales agent for American Airlines, Jeju, air and Turkish Airlines.

• ข่าว The Hg Foundation