If you're an avid reader of the
bible you ought to be familiar with the story of the good Samaritan. How he
left the armed robbery victim at the inn, now hotel is not our focus; renew
your mind. This piece is about corporate social responsibility. Each time I had
the opportunity of raising this issue with owners that I have worked with it
had always been a tug of war. Owners do not always see need for investing their
money into a thankless venture that will not yield any economic return. You may
not blame them when you consider the overheads they grapple with. Still, there
are things that are more important than money.
Nevertheless, in between
advertising and branding there is an abstract concept called goodwill. It is a
social value of a business that cannot be directly attributed to tangible assets
or liabilities. Most people obsession with Microsoft is more out of the good
works of Bill Gates than any conscious advertisement. Bill Gates may not be
able to identify mosquito if he sees one but I doubt if there is any individual
dead or alive who has contributed more to the battle against malaria or polio
eradication. In this part of the globe, this bug has not quite caught on. While
this can be justified using the extreme level of poverty as a façade, the truth
of the matter is that the gesture is far more vital than the cost.
According to the World travel and
Tourism council, the hospitality industry employs more than 260 million people
worldwide and generates more than 9% of global GDP. This is massive and
it is indeed high time the industry stood up to her role and makes a difference
in the society. The staggering statistics should count for something. Giving part
of this back to the society is not too much of an obligation to ask from the
industry. After all, the society is the source of the resources in the first
place.
In the last few years the country
has witnessed devastating nature visits in terms of flood that has left many displaced
and man made disasters of unimaginable proportion. The industry has refused
shelter to homeless, food to the hungry and succor to the needy. For what the
society has put in by way of patronage, this is sadly not mutual. The society
has not placed any demand on the industry that is beyond her traditional roles.
Joining other philanthropists in helping the needy by sending bagged food and
relief materials to camps and destitute is a way of thanking the society for
their loyalty.
Look around your hotel and within
your heart and you will always find how to make your property relevant in your
immediate environment. The money expended on social responsibilities is never
wasted even if it does not translate into verifiable economic indices. The big
names in the industry today have a fair blend of planned good works, consistent
advertisements and touch of branding working for them.
In conclusion, performing any
form of social responsibility must be a policy matter and should not be
left at the whim and caprices of either the owner of the hotel or the
consultant. Whether you are helping a local school in your community roof a
classroom or sending raw food to displaced people; the motive must be right and
a decent publicity will help your cause and ginger others into helping the
society. After all, it’s good to be good.
Patrick Adegbamigbe
Hospitality Consultant
080 57736980
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