The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company launches the 'Give Back Getaways'

The program, called 'Give Back Getaways' offers guests a variety of opportunities from helping to protect endangered sea turtles in Cancun, Mexico to helping with renovations and landscaping at the R.I.A. Center in Manama, which offers support for children with autism and other learning challenges in Bahrain.

'Give Back Getaways' is the most recent opportunity to volunteer under Community Footprints, The Ritz-Carlton social and environmental responsibility program. 'We have come to recognize the interest many of our guests have in becoming more involved in the region where they are spending their vacation. Many of them are active volunteers in worthwhile activities at home, and want to continue this spirit of giving when they visit other parts of the world,' explained Simon F. Cooper, president and chief operating officer. 'We believe Give Back Getaways is a unique way for our hotels to partner with guests to provide an experience both memorable and personally enriching,' he added.

The employees at each Ritz-Carlton hotel were challenged to identify an organization or cause in need of support in their community. They then partnered with the group to prioritize needs for hands on assistance, and scheduled dates throughout the year when 'Give Back Getaways' will be offered. From building a library for the young children of migrant workers at the Dandelion School in Beijing, to serving as a spotter and mapping the location of endangered Blue Iguanas in Grand Cayman, each of the programs offered will include instruction by professionals so participants can make a meaningful contribution to the project they select to participate in as a volunteer for the half-day program. All profits from the half-day programs will be donated to the partner organization.

'Give Back Getaways' from The Ritz-Carlton hotels in the Middle East

Three of the five Ritz-Carlton hotels in the Middle East have committed to preserving the natural elements of their environment, thereby safeguarding each respective location's sense of place. Known for its excellent diving, The Ritz-Carlton, Sharm El Sheikh has teamed with the geological experts at a local dive center to educate guests about the beautiful yet fragile coral reefs in the Red Sea. For several selected days in the year and under the watchful eye of dive experts, resort employees and guests will assist in removing endangered corals from identified areas to designated 'safe zones.'

Normally identified as a land with seemingly endless sand dunes with sparse vegetation, the Hatta Dam is truly a verdant oasis and a deep sensory contrast to its desert surroundings. Set against rugged mountain ranges straddling the United Arab Emirates and Oman, this subterranean water table creates a surprising habitat for many species of flora and fauna. Guests of The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai are encouraged to join the resort employees in an enriching, ongoing effort to restore and conserve this popular destination by taking water and plant samples for research purposes in addition to monitoring and recording wildlife activities.

At Sharq Village & Spa, environmental conservation is associated closely with the caring for local children with developmental learning challenges. Guests of the resort are invited to the Shaffalah Center which focuses on comprehensive services and care for these young charges. There, guests will interact with the children and also play a crucial role in conserving the environment by planting the native Shaffalah flowers - they bloom only in the summer - on the grounds of the Center that bears its namesake. In accordance with an ancient Qatari custom, guests will write their wishes and blessings on a piece of recycled paper which in turn will be planted with the flowers.

The employees of The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa have been closely associated with the R.I.A. Centre for the past two years. Together, they have created opportunities for the guests to interact with the local children who are struggling with autism and other communication disabilities. Over ten designated days throughout the year, guests are taken on a tour of the facilities, and also invited to join the teachers and children for skill-building programs including tree-plantings, baking cookies and cakes, and join in fun-filled events on the private island of the resort.

'Give Back Getaways' from the other Ritz-Carlton hotels worldwide

At The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun, guests will join a biologist from the Cancun Department of Ecology for rewarding hands-on experience protecting mother turtles during nesting and helping them return safely to the sea. Guests will head out at night to search for nesting turtles, gather sea turtle eggs and bring them to a safer location at turtle camps where they can be buried without interfering with their natural cycle. Employees at the resort have been involved in this project for over a decade, and are very proud that the program has been expanded to include guests in this critical mission.

Visitors to Berlin can roll up their sleeves, don their work gloves and accompany hotel staff from The Ritz-Carlton as they launch a spring cleanup of the SONNENHOF facilities for children with serious illnesses. Throughout the year other 'Give Back Getaway' programs will be scheduled including planting trees in the garden, renovating the petting zoo and cooking at an August 'Children's Day' barbecue to entertain and feed the youngsters and hospice staff.

Additional 'Give Back Getaways' include cooking and serving meals at the North Texas Food Bank, restoring homes in the ancient water town of Wuzhen, China, planting native Cyprus trees in the dwindling wetland forests of the Florida Everglades, and building homes with Habitat for Humanity in Jakarta, Indonesia and New Orleans, Louisiana.

In Jamaica, guests will partner with resort employees and the children of SOS Children's Village to beautify surroundings at the children's home by planting trees, native plants and vegetables. 'Having grown up at the SOS Children's Village, I was given amazing opportunities that might not have been possible without the involvement of organizations such as The Ritz-Carlton. Children deserve the right to feel cherished and the right to belong. This is a great opportunity for us to invest in brighter futures for these children - and doing so with the involvement of our guests' says Michelle Singh, administrative assistant to the executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton Rosehall, Jamaica.

'Even if people have never volunteered in their home communities before, we believe 'Give Back Getaways' offers a new personal vacation experience which can be memorable and rewarding', explained Simon Cooper.

'The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has always been committed to the support of local charities and causes and our ladies and gentlemen have donated tens of thousands of hours of paid time and their own time to organizations in their neighborhoods. Our employees around the world worked for months to develop the Give Back Getaways offerings and are immensely proud to have the opportunity to share the soul of our company with our guests' explained Sue Stephenson, vice president, Community Footprints. 'We believe extending this opportunity to our guests to participate in sharing their time and their skills is a fine example of 'voluntourism' in the hospitality industry.