BANGKOK, Thailand – Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading operator of hotels, has joined the Fin Free Thailand campaign to stop the serving of shark fin dishes.
Centara hotels in Pattaya have been the first to end the serving of shark fin, with others in the group following later this year.
There are currently 47 hotels in Centara’s Thailand portfolio, with another 21 either open or under construction in other destinations in Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East and Africa.
Rattanachai Suttidechanai, vice chairman of Pattaya City Council presided over the opening of the Fin Free Thailand campaign in top hotels in Pattaya and the nearby provinces’ marking the inauguration in Thailand of the Fin Free campaign
Centara was amongst the first businesses to participate in the campaign.
Fin Free Thailand is intended to protect endangered sharks and consumers’ health, with celebrities, activists, divers, hotel and restaurant owners, chefs and students working together to encourage more businesses in Thailand to go “Fin Free”.
Fin Free is a global campaign that supports individuals to organize on a local basis and lobby against the sale and possession of shark fin in cities, provinces, states and countries worldwide.
The Fin Free Thailand campaign in backed by prominent local and international conservation groups, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Embassy to Thailand.
According to Fin Free, up 73 million sharks are killed each year to meet the demand for shark fin soup. Some species of shark, notably Bull, Dusky and Smooth Hammerheads have experienced a 99 percent population decline since the 1950s.
Fins are sliced off while the sharks are still alive, with the shark then being discarded back into the sea to die.
Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading operator of hotels, with 47 deluxe and first-class properties covering all the major tourist destinations in the Kingdom. A further 21 resorts in Maldives, Vietnam, Bali, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Ethiopia, Qatar, Laos and Oman brings the present total to 68 properties. Brands and properties within Centara ensure that specific categories such as couples, families, individuals, and meetings and incentives groups will all find a hotel or resort that is appropriate to their needs. Centara operates 30 branches of Spa Cenvaree, one of Thailand’s most luxurious and innovative spa brands, together with 7 branches of the value brand Cense by Spa Cenvaree, which provides core spa services for busy travelers. The company’s Kids’ Club is available at all the family-friendly resorts to ensure that the youngsters and teens have their own leisure zone. Centara also operates three state-of-the-art convention centers in Bangkok, and two in northeastern Thailand, one being located in Udon Thani and the other in Khon Kaen. The latest Centara brand is named COSI Hotels, an affordable lifestyle brand designed for travelers who predominantly make their bookings via the Internet and who want comfort and convenience at affordable prices; the brand is under development with the first property due to open in 2016.
The event was organized by Centara Hotels & Resorts with Fin Free Thailand. Also seen in the photo are David Good (back row 6th right), vice president of operations, Kanokros Sakdanares (back row 5th right), corporate director of marketing communications, Kiraya Panitchayakankul (back row 2nd right), operations manager for environment and sustainability of Centara Hotels & Resorts, Sirinya Bishop (back row 5th left), ambassador of Fin Free Thailand. The ceremony was held at Ballroom C, Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya.
Centara Hotels & Resorts will launch this campaign with Fin Free for its hotels and resorts in Phuket at the end of this year.
For more information and reservations, please contact tel. +662 101 1234 ext. 1 or e-mail to [email protected] or website www.centarahotelsresorts.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/centarahotelsresorts
Twitter: www.twitter.com/MyCentara
PHOTO: Rattanachai Suttidechanai (back row 6th left), vice chairman of Pattaya City Council presided over the opening of the Fin Free Thailand campaign in top hotels in Pattaya and the nearby provinces. Properties participating are stopping the serving of shark fin menus, and raising awareness for the conservation of sharks and the marine environment amongst individuals and businesses in the area.
Centara is a member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .
