Ocean City, Md. (July 19, 2012) – Executives at Real Hospitality Group (RHG), one of the nation’s largest third party hotel management firms, announced the launch of their Corporate Responsibility platform.  Recently, RHG become the first hotel management company in the United States to sign the Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct with ECPAT, USA, a non-profit organization that advocates for policies to protect sexually exploited children. 
 
“As a leader in the hospitality industry, Real Hospitality Group is proud to use our sphere of influence to do whatever we can to protect the most vulnerable.  Responsibility to our communities demands a  stance on this issue and we are pleased to partner with ECPAT,” comments Rick Day, Chief Operating Officer at Real Hospitality Group.  “Enabling change requires participation, participation requires commitment and commitment requires action.”
 
Along with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, a national leader in the fight against sex trafficking, RHG signed the code at an event in New York City with Carol Smolenski, Executive Director of ECPAT-USA. “We are thrilled to have one of the leading hotel management companies in the country join the efforts to protect children,” comments Smolenski.
 
The Corporate Responsibility platform was announced at its annual Management Leadership Conference and will be spearheaded by Jami Day, Director of Corporate Responsibility.  In her role, Jami will coordinate the implementation and execution of the Real Responsibility commitments, working with the organizations and our field teams to develop, train, and execute these initiatives in our communities.     
 
In addition to the commitment to ECPAT, the company also expanded its efforts by teaming with Clean the World to help prevent the spread of disease worldwide through simple soap and water hygiene.  “This opportunity originated from our field operations team and we were happy to make a companywide commitment,” comments Day.  The company will collect normally discarded soaps; donate them to Clean the World, which recycles the products into bars of soap for distribution.  The soap is then distributed to areas globally where at-risk health issues exist. 
 
About ECPAT-USA  
ECPAT-USA, the U.S. arm of ECPAT International, is focused on protecting children trafficked into the U.S., American children trafficked for sexual exploitation, and foreign children exploited by American tourists traveling abroad. ECPAT International is a global network of organizations working together for the elimination of child trafficking, child prostitution and child pornography. The network is comprised of 81 groups in 74 countries around the world. All ECPAT groups are independent grassroots organizations, working to combat child exploitation at the local level. Visit http://www.ECPATUSA.org  for a complete list of research, advocacy, policy, training and education programs ECPAT spearheads in the U.S. and abroad.
 
About Clean the World Foundation, Inc.
Clean the World Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) charitable organization.  The Foundation executes its mission of saving millions of lives around the globe by leading a global hygiene revolution to distribute recycled soap and hygiene products to children and families suffering from high death rates due to the top two killers of children worldwide – acute respiratory infection (pneumonia) and diarrheal diseases (cholera).  For more information, please visit http://www.cleantheworld.org.
 
About Real Hospitality Group
Real Hospitality Group (RHG) is headquartered in Ocean City, Md., and comprises a team with more than 150 years of combined hospitality and travel industry experience. The Real Hospitality Group portfolio includes 30 hotel properties with an inventory of more than 4,000 rooms in gateway cities that include New York, Philadelphia and locations in Morgantown, West Virginia as well as Glens Falls, Montauk, New York and Ocean City, MD. The company is a recognized service provider for Marriott, Hilton, Starwood, Hyatt, Wyndham, and the Choice Hotels brands as well as a collection of unique independent hotels.  RHG focuses on total service property management, revenue performance and business development for hotels, resorts and investment ownership groups.   For more information, please visit the company website at www.realhospitalitygroup.com.