THE LUXE REPORT - Report - Page 13
4. Community Engagement
With philanthropy an ever-more prominent passion among
wealthy individuals, and the hospitality sector rising to new
standards in social impact, Community Engagement is another
important trend. According to a report by Altrata, Ultra High
Net Worth (UHNW) individuals gave US$190 billion to
philanthropic causes in 2022, which was an increase of almost
25% from the last set of data recorded in 2018.
When these people travel, they want to make a positive social
impact, whether that’s through genuine interactions with
people from the local community they’re visiting or supporting
local artisans and producers.
“Hotels are in the perfect position to not only give jobs to
people but also provide support to local communities and
businesses, creating a positive ripple effect in the world,”
says Southan.
“A great example of Community Engagement is Bill Bensley’s
Shinta Mani Wild’s luxury eco-camp in the Cambodian jungle.
Bill has set up a foundation to direct spending from tourists in
his hotel directly to local communities, giving them hospitality
training, building schools, giving children bikes so they can get
to school, digging wells and giving micro loans to help people
start their own businesses.”
Key takeaway for
eventprofs
With the events sector lagging on the
social element of ESG, according to a
recent quarterly impact report by
event:decision, it’s clear that event
planners have a huge opportunity to
improve their social impact by
incorporating community engagement
into the programmes they design.
This can be by opting for hotels and
suppliers that support local communities,
engaging local people as speakers or
guides, buying gis from local artisans, or
including a bigger CSR project as part of
their agenda.
“Community engagement also offers a
useful justification for travel and events
when evaluating the negative impacts of
carbon footprint alongside the economic
benefits for local people,” says Southan.
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