On the just lately held FITUR in Madrid, on the joint stand of BEONx and Hotelverse, a spherical desk was held on the important thing matter: “Sustainability as a lever for profitability”. Within the dialogue moderated by journalist Borja Cameselle from LADEVI, consultants from the lodge sector participated, akin to Finn Ackermann from Iberostar, Patrick Apostol from Radisson Resort and Helen Montijano from Bahia Principe.
In a world the place environmental consciousness is changing into a driving pressure, sustainability is a key aspect not just for social duty, but additionally for the financial profitability of inns. Cameselle’s first considering drew the eye of the World Journey and Tourism Council, stating that sustainable investments can generate vital returns in simply two to 3 years. The premise is obvious: sustainability is just not solely an ethical responsibility, but additionally a tangible driver of lodge profitability.
Cameselle’s assertion opened the door to an eye-opening dialog in regards to the cost-effectiveness of sustainable practices. Helen Montiano from Bahia Principe shared her perspective approaching sustainability from a cross-sectoral perspective. Along with tangible investments, Montiano emphasised the significance of native tradition, employees retention and training as key parts for sustainable lodge improvement.
Radisson’s Apostolo described how over time the lodge {industry} has advanced from fundamental initiatives to multi-company collaborative tasks. “The lodge {industry} should be approached making an allowance for native market variables and client preferences. Initiatives like Cleaning soap for Hope are just the start. Sustainability now additionally consists of the construction of buildings and their influence on property values. The lodge {industry} should evolve to satisfy challenges in a collaborative method and compete in a altering market.”
Apostolo added that acceptance of sustainability has grown, even in areas such because the Center East and Asia-Pacific, the place it was beforehand a troublesome idea to promote.
From the attitude of Finn Ackermann of Iberostar, profitability and sustainability are intrinsically linked. Ackermann emphasised that sustainability is already worthwhile in itself. “Over time, Iberostar has launched quite a few initiatives, from the elimination of single-use plastics to the transition to full electrification in lots of our inns,” he mentioned.
“At Iberostar, we consider that sustainability is already worthwhile in itself, whatever the marketing strategy with a payback of X years.”
Iberostar’s expertise highlights how sustainable actions not solely create environmental advantages, but additionally translate into financial advantages over time.
The dialog turned to the significance of profitability not solely on an financial stage, but additionally on a reputational stage. Helen Montiano talked about: “Repute is essential for us as hoteliers. In mature markets, sustainability generally is a deciding issue for a purchaser. The secret’s to see sustainability as a part of the model’s DNA, not simply as a advertising technique. It’s a actual dedication to sustainability, creating steady enchancment and positioning the lodge as a aware firm”.
Finn Ackermann expanded on the thought, stating that sustainability, correctly interpreted, not solely doesn’t negatively have an effect on the person expertise, however improves it. From small particulars, akin to the usage of glass bottles, to the implementation of synthetic intelligence to scale back waste within the kitchen, sustainability is changing into a component that provides worth to the shopper expertise.
On the subject of measuring sustainability, Patrick Apostolo highlighted the significance of KPIs and applied sciences like synthetic intelligence to acquire precious data. This analytical method not solely contributes to operational effectivity, but additionally reduces environmental influence.
The COVID-19 pandemic, whereas devastating to the lodge {industry}, has additionally supplied alternatives to evaluate prices and sustainability. Members mentioned how the short-term closure of the lodge supplied a greater understanding of variable and glued prices, highlighting the necessity for structural interventions in lodge belongings to attain significant change.
Members agreed that collaboration between inns is essential, particularly to handle industry-wide challenges, “though we compete, we should additionally work collectively to attain frequent objectives. “Competitors is a phrase we have to begin utilizing much more,” Apostolo mentioned.
Finn Ackermann concluded by emphasizing that in a world the place sustainability is changing into commonplace, clear storytelling turns into a key differentiator. “As an example what we do and let the shopper see it. Sustainability shouldn’t be only a advertising effort, however a actuality that positively impacts profitability”.