Serena Hotels continues to give priority to the local communities living around our areas of operation so as to ensure economic independence with the end goal to better navigate uncertainty and thrive towards a sustainable livelihood in the future. Our properties focus on providing opportunity to the local community through: purchasing fresh food stuff; selling artifacts and handicrafts from various local community groups in our gift shops; and skills development and employment through work-training opportunities that allows youth to gain marketable skills leading to meaningful work. We enhance guest experience by exposing them to the diverse range of local cultures and ethnic groups through art, dance, song, musical and theatrical displays whilst economically empowering the local people. Other support initiatives includes provision of free medical consultation, health outreach programs and support through a broad range of charitable causes and community programs that takes the form of cash, food, clothing, visits to orphanages, hospitals, old-people's homes, homes for the physically or mentally challenged and other disadvantaged groups.
Serena Hotels works with schools around its properties in various ways to ensure children have a conducive environment for learning. This is achieved through a number of initiatives that influences positive attributes on a child, thus having a holistic positive impact on a child’s upbringing and development that will, hopefully in the medium to long-term assist to gradually transform the quality of life for generations to come.
Sports diplomacy has emerged as an integral part of Serena Hotel’s efforts to strengthen relations between diverse groups and communities. Serena Hotels has incorporated sports diplomacy into its annual calendar by hosting, sponsoring or facilitating diverse tournaments and matches across different ages and types of people which transcend linguistic and sociocultural differences and bring people together. Participation in sports and athletic activities teaches leadership, teamwork, and communication skills that help young people succeed in all areas of their lives.
Sport is a powerful tool for driving change in societies and an effective platform for bringing forward the Sustainable Development Goals. Serena Hotels encourages young people to use sports as a platform for promoting peace, dignity and equal rights for all human beings, especially by creating a space for women and girls outside the home or school, where they can engage with a broader group, participate in the public sphere and discover their own skills and capacities.
Art and culture build the strongest and most interesting bridges linking people and countries and under its cultural diplomacy banner, Serena has promoted the arts and intercultural activities to inspire peace and hope. At Serena, people come together to display their vibrant past and present heritage through their culture be it in the form of visual arts or music.
The Satrang Gallery, a dedicated space within Serena Hotel, Islamabad, is devoted to promoting Pakistani art and young artists by giving them a platform to engage with a wider audience but also hosts exhibitions of foreign artists. Serena Hotels, through its Cultural Diplomacy initiative, advances the cause of art and culture with the goal to build the foundations for a better future.
Serena’s Adventure Diplomacy Group was formed in 2014 to support Samina Baig, the first Pakistani woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, and her brother climb seven peaks in seven continents. The Adventure Diplomacy Initiative encourages human engagement with Nature in ways that test physical prowess, endurance and commitment.
The Public Diplomacy Initiative is the culmination of the value that Serena Hotels can bring to society. The convening power of Serena allows us to bring together experts, policy makers and the interested citizenry to inform and engage individuals and organizations in advancing debate, create knowledge and develop a wider appreciation of complexity of socio-economic subjects. Raabta, a nonpartisan public awareness initiative, which seeks to inform diverse groups and networks in critical aspects of socially significant fields such as economics, health and education.