Lemon Tree Hotels bags the Overall Winner Trophy at World Responsible Tourism Awards 2016 at WTM®, London

New Delhi, November 17, 2016: Lemon Tree Hotels was declared the joint-overall winners of the 2016 World Responsible Tourism Awards at WTM® London sponsored by Belize in a special ceremony held during World Responsible Tourism Day, last week. Lemon Tree Hotels was chosen from 13 worldwide finalists in five categories.

The 3rd largest hotel chain in India also won ‘Gold’ in the ‘Best Accommodation for Responsible Employment’ category with its core programme designed to provide opportunity-deprived Indians (those with either a physical or intellectual disability, and those from socially-excluded groups) a route to employment.

Speaking on the occasion, Rattan Keswani, Deputy Managing Director, The Lemon Tree Hotel Company said “It is indeed gratifying to be recognized for our responsible tourism practices and equal opportunity initiatives on the world stage. Hiring Employees with Disability is central to our ethos. This award motivates us to continue with our endeavors. We thank the jury and congratulate all winners in other categories for inspiring change.”

Lemon Tree Hotels is an equal opportunity employer and hires differently abled staff across its 39 hotels in 23 cities of India. It currently has strength of 4000 employees of which ~13% are Employees with Disabilities (EWDs) and an additional ~15% are from socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds (EcoSoc).

The awards committee appreciated Lemon Tree for building effective strategies to mainstream Persons with Disability.
Speaking on behalf of the judging panel, an eminent collection of responsible tourism leaders from across the industry, NGOs and public organisations, Professor Harold Goodwin, Chair of Judges said:
“Lemon Tree Hotels are recognised for tackling effectively, a major social problem in so many societies. A large corporate business backed by international investors successfully getting disabled and other opportunity-deprived people into the workforce in tourism and making this a core part of their operations is a powerful statement.”
Lemon Tree Hotels jointly won this award with Tren Ecuador, the commercial Brand of Ecuadorian Railway Company, as the judges found it difficult to split the two overall-winners, commending both on the extent of the impacts they have had and their powerful potential to inspire real change within the tourism industry.

In recognition to joint overall winners’ impactful practices, Justin Francis, founder of the Awards and CEO of organisers Responsible Travel.

“When I founded these awards in 2004 it was the aim to highlight what is possible to achieve through responsible tourism and hold the winners up as examples to be replicated by the wider tourism industry. Lemon Tree Hotels & Tren Ecuador show clearly how big corporations can adopt responsible tourism as a core part of their business, be commercially successful and deliver significant benefits for local communities. These businesses move a more responsible style of tourism into the mainstream. They are the future of tourism”

Lemon Tree Hotels, the fastest growing hotel chain in India, has won manly laurels for its people practices in India as well as internationally. This award is only next to the National Award bestowed upon the Group in 2010 and 2011 by the President of India.

For full details of the 2016 Gold & Silver Winners: http://www.responsibletravel.com/awards.
The full judges’ reasons can be found at: http://www.responsibletravel.com/awards/winners/2016.htm

About Lemon Tree Hotels:

Fresh, fun & spirited Lemon Tree Hotels are India’s fastest growing chain of upscale business and leisure hotels – the perfect choice for today’s discerning traveler looking for high quality accommodation.

Founded in September 2002 by Patu Keswani, the New Delhi based company currently operates 3 brands Lemon Tree Premier (upscale), Lemon Tree Hotels (midscale) & Red Fox Hotels (economy). The chain currently owns and operates 40 hotels in 23 cities over 4000 rooms with 4000 employees. This speedy growth has made the group the 3rd largest hotel chain in India by owned rooms with venture capital participation from global private equity firm Warburg Pincus, diversified Japanese financial institution Shinsei Bank and Dutch pension fund asset manager APG.

By 2019, Lemon Tree will own and operate over 8000 rooms in 60 hotels across 30 major cities of India including Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bandhavgarh, Bengaluru, Bhiwadi, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Dahej, Gangtok, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Jammu, Katra, Lucknow, Kolkata, Manesar, Muhamma (Kerala), Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Shimla, Siliguri, Srinagar, Trichy, Udaipur and Vadodara to name a few. To know more, visit lemontreehotels.com

Name of Company: Lemon Tree Hotels (The Lemon Tree Hotel Company)

Full Postal Address: Asset No. 6, Aerocity Hospitality District, New Delhi 110037

This release was published on openPR.