Certificate of Excellence for Radisson Blu Hotel Cairo Heliopolis On World Tourism Day

Online, October 23, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Radisson Blu Cairo, Heliopolis celebrated being named 'Egypt Best Hotel for Supporting the Environment' when it recently hosted the Minister for Tourism, Mr. Hisham Zaazou, on the occasion of World Tourism Day.

The coveted Certificate of Excellence was awarded to the hotel not only for the superb hospitality it offers and role it plays in supporting Egyptian tourism, but also for displaying total commitment to protecting the environment and utilizing sustainable resources in its activities.

In addition to receiving the award, and in honor of staging the event for media and travel professionals, the hotel highlighted current activities aimed at protecting the environment, including the 'Think Planet' initiative where in all Rezidor hotels across Europe, the Middle East and Africa hopes to lead the way in reducing power consumption by 25 per cent by the year 2016. The group is currently present in 70 countries where 330+ hotels of the brands Radisson Blu, Park Inn by Radisson and Hotel Missoni are operated, and 100 further properties are under development. Radisson Blu Cairo, Heliopolis General Manager Mr. Ashraf Naguib was delighted to receive the award from The Minister for Tourism,

Mr. Zaazou. Mr. Naguib said: "This is a great honor for us and it is wonderful for the hotel and its staff to be recognized for our commitment to protecting the planet and in encouraging thinking about the environment in all our activities. We must always be aware of reducing our impact on the environment. "I want to thank our staff who show great devotion to our goals of developing tourism and ensuring we are always conscious of reducing any impact on our surroundings. At Radisson Blu Heliopolis supporting the tourism industry and protecting the environment are two goals that go hand-in-hand." In Egypt, the Ministry of Tourism promoted the event on the theme of 'Tourism and sustainable energy: strengthening sustainable development' by highlighting the tourism industry's role in creating a more sustainable, energy-efficient global economy. Throughout the world, tourism organizations celebrated the day by staging seminars and cultural events to promote the vital role tourism plays and its key role in protecting the environment and developing sustainable energy systems.

Think Planet is the newest part of Rezidor's Responsible Business Programme that dates back to the year 1989. In 2001, Rezidor was one of the first international hotel companies to introduce a group-wide programme consisting of three main pillars: health and safety of guests and employees, respect for social and ethical issues within the company, and a reduced environmental footprint. Rezidor actively partners with third-party eco labels such as Green Key, supports the charity organization World Childhood Foundation, and has signed the United Nations Global Compact. In 2010, 2011 and 2012, Rezidor was awarded as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by the US-think tank Ethisphere.