Fondation Lombard Odier awarded the Extraordinary Voyages Prize at Lausanne’s Théâtre de Vidy to seven female students. These seven young women have been honoured with the opportunity to embark on five outstanding and ambitious travel projects. The trips will cover all corners of the earth, ranging from the Mekong to Iran. “I am happy to say that in presenting the projects of these women from French-speaking Switzerland, the Extraordinary Voyages Prize has fully achieved the objectives that Fondation Lombard Odier set itself when it launched eighteen years ago. The ambition and desire to witness and be enriched by what makes others different can leave no one unmoved”, says Patrick Odier, President of Fondation Lombard Odier. On Wednesday 16 May, at the Théâtre Vidy in Lausanne, the 19th Extraordinary Voyages Prize was awarded to seven female students from French-speaking Switzerland. The students came from different Genevan colleges, displaying very different but equally ambitious projects. From a celebration of leisure in Japan in the footsteps of an artist, to a rediscovery of poetry in Iran, and a perspective of the status of women at the world’s highest-lying regions in China and Tibet; there’s no doubt that these journeys will be extraordinary. The winners inspired enthusiasm in the jury who, this year, had to evaluate 24 submissions by 35 candidates from Geneva, Jura and Fribourg. Created in the year 2000 to celebrate Lombard Odier’s bicentenary, and open to all young people from French-speaking Switzerland in their last year of school, the Extraordinary Voyages Prize has enabled 95 young people to make their dreams come true and share their experiences with the general public, through the Prize’s own website or through other media. There are five grants awarded ranging from CHF 2,500 to CHF 6,500 for the 2018 prizewinners:

5^th prize: Matilde Ravano – “Engraving Japan on the go”

Fascinated by the precision and possibilities of engraving, as well as its richness and history, Matilde Ravano from Collège Claparède has decided to travel to Japan. Matilde hopes to follow in the footsteps of Hiroshige, and discover his works and landscapes. Undertaking this journey will also enable her to “physically” reproduce a work of art that is inspired by her travels. That is why Mathilde wants to journey by foot, bike or bus, which will enable her to develop a new style, in a leisurely way.

4^th prize: Mauranne Falise – “Rooted in the future”

Mauranne Falise, from Collège Sismondi, has decided to visit six European cities (Freiburg im Breisgau, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo and Reykjavik) famous for their sustainable development endeavours. She will contact at least one local business or association in each city that promotes sustainable, innovative or fair values. She will spend a month with each of them, doing voluntary work and finding out how they operate, their ideas and, above all, getting to know the men and woman who are part of these change-making companies.

3^rd prize: Apolline Dufeil – “Down the Mekong and into my dreams”

Apolline Dufeil, from Collège Claparède, will travel through three Asian countries – Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. She will travel by boat, along the Mekong, so that her work will capture memories made along the water. Afterwards, she will intertwine her artistic notebooks to capture the complexity of the people she will meet and of her dreams. The notebooks are a reminder of the fact that everyone has the right to dream. Every aspect of this work of art will showcase a part of her journey.

2^nd prize: Rayane Chraiti and Philippine Coutau – “The way of poetry”

Inspired by Amin Maalouf’s book “Samarkand”, Rayane Chraiti and Philippine Coutau, from Collège Claparède in Geneva, have decided to travel to Iran and Uzbekistan, to discover these countries through poetry. They will travel by bicycle to enjoy the countryside and reduce their environmental footprint. They will create an anthology of poems from different sources and eras, illustrated by memories of the journey. Rayane and Philippine will keep artistic and writing journals.

1^st prize: Chloé Bazin and Paola Arizzi – “In search of matriarchal societies on the roof of the world”

Chloé Bazin and Paola Arizzi, students at Collège Calvin in Geneva, want to meet matriarchal societies in China’s Sichuan and Yunnan provinces and in Tibet. They will travel mainly by foot, train, bus and bicycle to meet people from different areas, in different ethnic groups, who follow different schools of Tibetan Buddhism. In these three areas, the status of women greatly differs. Inspired by Nicolas Bouvier and Ella Maillart, they will endeavour to record their trip using photography, drawings and stories. The 2019 Prize will be opened to applicants in the autumn. Further information is available on the website here www.prixdesvoyagesextraordinaires.ch

Experience the legend of the QE2 during its summer soft-opening phase and take advantage of this exclusive offer for UAE residents – ahead of the October grand launch. Valid until 30 September 2018(excluding public holidays), the package includes 15% off the best flexible rate online, complimentary buffet breakfast for two, an upgrade to a higher room category and 25% off food and beverage throughout the stay. On September 20 1967, Queen Elizabeth named the QE2 after her mother in the company of Prince Phillip and 30,000 spectators arrived at John Brown’s shipyard on Clydebank in Scotland. On 2 May 1969, she made her maiden transatlantic voyage. In her lifetime, the QE2 would complete 1,400 voyages, sail some 6 million nautical miles and play gracious host to almost 2.5 million passengers. She would complete 25 tours around the world and, after 39 years, retire in 2008 to join Dubai as a prized and prestigious attraction.

Hilton today announced it will cut its environmental footprint in half and double its social impact investment by 2030. With this commitment, Hilton will become the first major hotel company to institute science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions and send zero soap to landfill. The company will also double the amount it spends with local and minority-owned suppliers, and double its investment in programs to help women and youth around the world. These goals are part of Hilton’s Travel with Purpose corporate responsibility strategy to further the United Nation’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. New consumer research reaffirms Hilton’s corporate responsibility strategy. According to a survey of 72,000 Hilton guests, social, environmental and ethical considerations are central to their buying preferences, especially those younger than 25 years old. The six-day survey was conducted in May 2018 and asked travelers if they research a hotel company’s environmental and social efforts. It discovered:

• 33% actively seek this information before booking – of those, 60% conduct research even if the information is not easily accessible
  • 44% under the age of 25 actively seek this information
  • 36% of leisure travelers actively seek this information, compared to 29% of business travelers
• Female travelers (39%) are more likely to actively seek this information before booking than male travelers (29%)
• Guests staying in Central/South America (46%), the Middle East/Africa (45%), Asia Pacific (41%) and mainland Europe (35%) are more likely to seek this information before booking

“For nearly 100 years, Hilton has been driven by our mission to have a positive impact on the communities surrounding our hotels,” said Christopher J. Nassetta, President and CEO, Hilton, and Chairman, World Travel & Tourism Council. “In this Golden Age of Travel, we are taking a leadership role to ensure that the destinations where travelers work, relax, learn and explore are vibrant and resilient for generations of adventurers yet to come.” In April, Nassetta joined Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, to engage travel and tourism industry leaders in a “common agenda” to take action on climate change, implement the Paris Climate Agreement and adopt science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions. Hilton’s new 2030 Goals include the following environmental and social targets: Cut Environmental Impact in Half to Help Protect the Planet

• Reduce carbon emissions by 61%, in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)
• Reduce water consumption and produced waste by 50%
• Remove plastic straws from managed properties
• Sustainably source meat, poultry, produce, seafood and cotton
• Expand existing soap recycling program to all hotels and send zero soap to landfill

Double Social Investment and Drive Positive Change in Communities

• Double the amount spent with local, small and minority-owned suppliers
• Double investment in opportunity programs for women and youth, including partnering with local organizations and schools
• Contribute 10 million volunteer hours through Team Member initiatives
• Double monetary support for natural disaster relief efforts
• Advance Human Rights capabilities in Hilton’s value chain to eradicate forced labor and trafficking

Hilton is already an environmental leader in the industry. Since 2008, the company has reduced carbon emissions and waste by 30% and energy and water consumption by 20%, saving more than $1 billion in operating efficiencies. LightStay, an award-winning performance measurement system calculates, analyzes and reports the environmental impact at each of Hilton’s more than 5,300 hotels. Hilton will use LightStay to track its goal of reducing carbon emissions by 61% across its portfolio by 2030. “The World Tourism Organization commends Hilton’s focus on sustainability, which is in line with our overall commitment as the UN’s agency that is dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism for development worldwide,” said Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). “Hilton has been our partner in this endeavor, raising awareness among customers with examples of best practices for the hospitality industry.” “Companies play an integral role in solving our climate crisis,” said Sheila Bonini, Senior Vice President, Private Sector Engagement, World Wildlife Fund. “By committing to significant intensity emissions reductions based on science, Hilton is setting in motion a plan that will have ripple effects across the hospitality industry while providing more sustainable options for travelers. Click here to learn more about Travel with Purpose and the 2030 Goals. About Travel with Purpose Travel with Purpose is Hilton’s corporate responsibility strategy to redefine and advance sustainable travel globally. By 2030, we plan to double our social impact and reduce our environmental footprint in half. We track, analyze and report our environmental and social impact at each of Hilton’s 5,300 hotels through LightStay, our award-winning performance measurement system. Travel with Purpose capitalizes on Hilton’s global scale to catalyze local economic growth; promote human rights; invest in people and local communities and preserve our planet by reducing our impact on natural resources. Our strategy aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development goals. Visit cr.hilton.com to learn more. Contact: Natalie Godwin Corporate Communications + 1 703 883 6085 natalie.godwin@hilton.com