BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand’s Centara Hotels & Resorts won an award during the PATA Grand Awards 2013 in the category of Education and Training for its training program, 4Cs: Centara Career Creation for Children, which provides training and career opportunities for underprivileged and disabled young people.
Centara was selected out of 165 entries from 60 organizations globally, with the award presentation being held in Chengdu, China on 15 September 2013.
“Our 4Cs program is all about giving underprivileged children the opportunity to train for careers in the tourism and hospitality industry, which is full of exciting opportunities for youngsters,” says Thirayuth Chirathivat, chief executive officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts.
“We are very honored to receive this award, and I’m sure that all the young people who have undergone or who are undergoing this program will also be thrilled by the recognition.”
The 4Cs program is designed to give learning and full-time job opportunities at Centara to economically deprived students, especially those from welfare schools throughout the regions under the Royal Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, and also those from the schools for students with visual impairment and hearing impairment.
This training program is supported by the Office of the Basic Education Committee at the Ministry of Education, and the Department of Skill Development at the Ministry of Labor.
Since its foundation in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), a not-for profit membership association, has achieved international acclaim by acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region.
The Association provides aligned advocacy, leadership and events to its members, comprising 90 government, state and city tourism bodies, nearly 30 international airlines, airports and cruise lines, 57 educational institutions, and hundreds of travel industry companies in Asia Pacific and beyond.
Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading operator of hotels, with 42 deluxe and first-class properties covering all the major tourist destinations in the Kingdom. A further 18 resorts in the Maldives, Vietnam, Shanghai, Bali Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Mauritius Indian Ocean, Ethiopia brings the present total to 60 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 27 branches of Spa Cenvaree, one of Thailand’s most luxurious and innovative spa brands, together with its newly-launched 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 are taken care of. Centara Hotels & Resorts 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 economy brand designed for travelers who predominantly make their bookings via the Internet and who want comfort and convenience at the most friendly prices available, which is under development with the first property due to open in 2015.
PHOTO: Martin Craigs (far left), CEO of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) presents the Education and Training Award in the PATA Grand Awards 2013 for the training program “4Cs: Centara Career Creation for Children” to Centara Hotels & Resorts. Centara was selected out of 165 entries from 60 organizations globally. The award was received in a ceremony at Chengdu, in China, by Pattara Jongcharoenkulchai (center), vice president for human resources, and Ratchadet Suksin (2nd right), director of training at Centara Hotels & Resorts. Also seen in the photo are Joao Manuel Costa Antunes (far right), chairman of PATA and Ben Montgomery (2nd left), director of business relations management of Centara Hotels & Resorts.
