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Accor recently received two awards – the PATA Grand Award 2011 and the AustCham Thailand Business Award 2010 – recognising its dedication and efforts in improving the lives of underprivileged children in Thailand and its initiatives in building awareness against HIV/Aids.
Accor’s Yim Kids Foundation and Accor’s ACT-HIV programme in Thailand won the PATA Grand Award 2011 under the ‘Education and Training’ category from the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) for their commitment towards improving the accessibility of education and livelihoods of underprivileged children in Thailand and for the success achieved in HIV/Aids awareness and prevention for employees and guests. The Yim Kids Foundation also won the AustCham Thailand Business Award 2010 in the category of ‘Environmental and Corporate Social Responsibility’ from the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce.
“Apart from achieving excellence in operating hotels, Accor and all of our employees believe that it is important to improve and support the communities in need around our hotels,” said Oswald Pichler, Vice President of Operations for Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. “The endorsements from two respectable organisations are recognitions of our employees’ efforts and have motivated those involved in these programmes to work harder to enhance these communities. We are encouraged that we are on the right track of becoming an example of a good corporate citizen.”
Accor’s Yim Kids Foundation (Yim means ‘smile’ in Thai) is our community fundraising initiative in Thailand, aimed at improving the lives and futures of poor children – to keep them in school and to make sure they are nourished, healthy, happy and hopeful for a brighter future.
The first major fundraising activity of Yim Kids was ‘Accor Race to Survive Phuket’ which almost 100 employees from around the region came to compete in a four-day swimming, running, biking, and kayaking to raise funds for the foundation. Through such fundraising activities and donations from employees, guests, business partners, sponsors and friends, Yim Kids raised more than USD $206,000, to support the following programs:
1. Raising of funds for Bangkok’s Mercy School
2. Providing financial support for the HIV-impacted children at Mercy Centre, a non-profit organization and orphanage shelter in Bangkok
3. Providing education funds to help the children of sea gypsies and rubber tree tappers
4. Assist Koh Lon’s fishermen who had suffered from the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami so that their children will have a chance to go to school.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
