Since its inception in 1986, the Dianova Nicaragua Foundation has implemented various social projects and development aid initiatives (education, addiction treatment and prevention, and community development) for the benefit of the Nicaraguan society through strong partnerships with key government and non-government institutions. These projects have affected:

• 4,319 students (primary, secondary and technical education),
• 4,946 adolescents and yound adults (addiction treatment and prevention initiatives),
• 7,868 parents or guardians (psychosocial support and follow-up),
• 30,000 people have benefited from a campaign to cover the population’s essential needs through in-kind donations,
• 750 children in a vaccination campaign,
• 2,550 adults and adolescents during a literacy campaign,
• 58 families, beneficiaries of a housing renovation campaign.

The Dianova Nicaragua Foundation has established various business initiatives to support these projects financially and to achieve their goals. With this objective in mind, a guest house initially opened in Managua, which later on became the Hotel Europeo. Over the years, the hotel thrived, although the most part of its profits were given to the Dianova Foundation’s social projects. At present, the hotel has 31 rooms, a conference venue and auditorium, and a restaurant.

However, this financial effort represented a burden for the establishment which consequently had to postpone a necessary modernization of its facilities and services, a situation which today puts it in a difficult situation vis-a-vis its competitors.

The project aims for positive impacts in terms of corporate social responsibility, social development projects, efficient management of human resources and financial profitability in order to achieve better social sustainability. In order to carry out this strategy, various initiatives will be implemented, including infrastructure management and social communication practices.

The approach is that of participatory development interventions through the integration of validated tools for developing a responsible tourism approach, both sustainable and profitable while strengthening the involvement of local communities.

Depending on their size, the interventions will take place in various physical spaces of the responsible tourism network, and more particularly in the hotel Europeo.

Ultimately, the project’s objective will provide a better positioning for responsible tourism structures, including that of the Hotel Europeo, which hopefully will become points of reference for a tourism that is responsible, sustainable and financially profitable.

The project will be conducted over a period of 6 months for a total cost of USD 249,883.79. The project will be financed as follows: own funds 20%, other public and private entities: 10%. The crowdfunding goal is 70%.

The project will be developed with the support of Dianova International. Local partners include: National Institute of Tourism (INTUR), Ministry of Education (MINED), Ministry of Family (MIFAMILIA), and responsible tourism operators El Perezoso and Rutas Escondidas.

• Increased revenues of the Hotel Europeo through a new marketing positioning focused on a new approach to responsible and sustainable tourism,
• Signing of partnership agreements with various organizations, tourisms companies and academic centers to stimulate, innovate and materialize the current trends in sustainable development, while applying these to the Hotel Europeo’s daily management (later replication in other establishments)
• Renovation of the hotel facilities and equipement,
• Increased social impact of the of the Dianova Nicaragua Foundation’s social projects

Education

• Provision of educational facilities of the Dianova Nicaragua Foundation for the benefit of 10 high schools in 53 communities and 300 students (laboratory physics and chemistry)
• Provision of educational facilities and materials to several primary schools in the Autonomous Region of the South Atlantic, or 90 students.

Social and community development through responsible tourism

• Agreement with several schools for the realization of practical training in the hotel Europeo (80 students)
• Agreement with the Association of tourist and hotel facilities to develop these activities within a framework of responsibility and sustainability (50 institutions involved,
• Collaboration agreements with interpreters and tourist guides working at the local and national level.

Social exclusion, addiction treatment and prevention

• Addiction prevention program in schools and universities (2000 pupils and students concerned)
• Organisation of a scientific conference for students of the medical faculty of the American University of Managua in partnership with the Institute of Toxicology (500 students).

• Installation of solar panels to provide hot water in the whole hotel,
• Installation of energetically efficient air conditioning equipment in all rooms and in the conference-auditorium room,
• Renovation of the rooms,
• Renovation and restoration of outdoor spaces and gardens,
• Redevelopment of the facade of the building and reception.

The economic and social viability of the project is guaranteed by the revenues of the Hotel Europeo (accommodation and rental and other services). The financial projection was made on four years, until 2020.