Carmen Riu: “We work with passion, taking steps towards sensible sustainability”

 

RIU Hotels & Resorts held an informative meeting today at the Riu Palace Meloneras hotel, in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria, to present its sustainability results and new social investment projects in the Canary archipelago. The event, attended by local authorities, the media and third sector collaborators, included interventions by Carmen Riu, CEO of RIU, Lola Trian, Director of Sustainability, Catalina Alemany, director of CSR, and Saray González, responsible for CSR in the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Morocco and Senegal. 

 

 

The Canary Islands are one of RIU's main destinations in the world and the first in Europe both in terms of number of rooms and collaborators. This is why, after increasing RIU's social investment by almost an additional million euros in 2023, the chain has made the decision to allocate nearly 700.000 euros to new projects on the islands. This represents almost a quarter of the social investment planned for this year in the world. Following its three lines of action focused on children, biodiversity and the local community, RIU reinforces existing alliances, as well as betting on new projects on the four islands in which it is present. 

 

 

During the meeting, Carmen Riu spoke about the new cultural direction in sustainability that RIU's CSR has experienced and that has brought with it a new concept: sustainability with sensibility. All of this is the result of the process of dialogue and internal reflection that has laid the foundations for developing the new sustainability strategy on which RIU is working. In addition, she highlighted that, since 2019, the CSR department has experienced great professionalization and expansion as a result of the strategic process in which the areas of sustainability and social investment are immersed. 

 

 

Lola Trian presented the positive sustainability results of RIU globally and in the islands, which, among others, have managed to position RIU as the hotel chain with the largest number of certified hotels in Spain. Another objective successfully achieved is the significant reduction of CO emissions₂ through the contracting of 100% certified green energy in Spain or the installation of photovoltaic panels in various hotels, also in the Canary Islands.

 

 

Catalina Alemany and Saray González have announced the powerful social investment projects in the Canary Islands that add three new allies and seven new actions to support the local community. 

 

 

Pequeno Valiente is RIU's strategic and historical ally on the islands. This year, in addition to maintaining the projects in Gran Canaria and Tenerife, the chain expands its collaboration with the financing of the creation of the care office for families affected by childhood cancer on the island of Fuerteventura, with psychosocial, psychological and of physiotherapy, to which RIU is going to allocate 220.858 thousand euros. In addition, it begins two new collaborations in Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, also with Pequeno Valiente, a psychology service and sociocultural programs. 

 

 

RIU has established new alliances, on the one hand, in Tenerife with the Red Cross, to finance the Hospitalized Children program at the Canary Islands University Hospital, and with SOS Children's Villages, to help finance the Day Care Centers for children and family members at social risk. And on the other hand, on the Island of Gran Canaria the chain has forged alliances with Ayuda en Acción, to support the “In-Pulsa Canarias” program, which aims to reinforce Vocational Training in the public system and support the transition of the new education towards work for the socio-educational disadvantaged youth population, and with Children's Villages, to finance the two Day Care Centers in Telde, where comprehensive care is provided to children and families at risk. 

 

 

Carmen Riu was in charge of closing the event, focusing once again on the new sustainability strategy. In a very emotional speech, the CEO has reaffirmed her deep commitment to childhood due to the full conviction of both her brother Luis and herself, and in continuing to take steps towards sensible sustainability, being aware of the complexity of the objectives since they involve to different suppliers, employees, sensitivities and cultures. This sustainability has to fit into a very strong and consolidated corporate culture on which RIU's business success is based. For this reason, they speak of a new concept: that of working with prudence, moderation and serenity, but also with passion, without losing sight of the need to achieve commitments within the established deadline. The company continues with its objective and commitment to look forward, in an effort to continue advancing towards the CSR it has designed.   

 

 

For more information or reservations: www.riu.com

 

About RIU Hotels & Resorts: The international chain RIU was founded in Mallorca, Spain, in 1953 as a small vacation business owned by the Riu family, founder and current third-generation owner. The company focuses on vacation hospitality and more than 75% of its establishments offer the renowned All inclusive by RIU service. With the inauguration of its first city hotel in 2010, RIU expands its range of products with its own line of urban hotels called Riu Plaza. RIU Hotels & Resorts has 96 hotels in 20 countries that in 2022 received 6 million clients and a total of 34,215 employees worked. RIU is currently the 32nd largest chain in the world, the 2nd in Spain by revenue and the fourth by number of rooms.