How important is sustainability to employees in the tourism industry, and to what extent can a well-designed sustainability strategy make a hotel attractive to employees?
Sustainability is increasingly important to employees.
The German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA) reports that there was already a shortage of more than 65,000 employees in the hospitality industry in 2023. According to the association’s monthly surveys, lacking skilled workers is one of the biggest challenges for companies. Looking at the needs of employees, an online study of 12,000 German respondents conducted by StepStone in 2022 shows that environmental and climate protection aspects significantly influence the choice of employer. Almost every second employee would even accept a lower salary for this, and more than 70% consider it essential that sustainability is a high priority for their employer. For four out of ten, sustainability is already a decisive factor in their loyalty to an employer.
What are the implications for hotels and accommodations?
An increasing number of hotels recognise the importance of sustainability for guests and employees. The team’s interest in sustainable development is essential, especially for sustainable accommodation. After all, it takes the commitment of all employees and all areas of work to integrate the topic into the hotel’s philosophy and to promote it to the outside world. Inspiring existing and future employees to embrace sustainability and involving them in initiatives and efforts is a prerequisite.
Sustainable development in the hotel industry requires enthusiastic and committed employees who support, shape, and communicate the initiatives to guests. To achieve this, further workplace training is essential to sensitize the team to environmental friendliness, social issues, and sustainable economic efficiency.
Green Pearls® Hotels are committed to making decisions today that ensure the future is worth living. This includes leading the way in sustainable expertise and green projects, pioneering team training, education in the workplace, and internal communication.
Training, Education, and Communication in Green Pearls® Accommodations in Europe
Team development of sustainability initiatives at Hotel Der Birkenhof ***** Genussresort & Spa
The Birkenhof, a renowned hotel in Neunburg vorm Wald, Germany, has been awarded the GreenSign Hotel Certification Level 5 for its exemplary commitment to sustainability. The resort is dedicated to sustainable and responsible management and has defined a mission statement that aims to harmonize ecological, social, and economic aspects to shape a sustainable future. The hotel’s values and goals are discussed with employees in regular training sessions, during which new technologies for greater efficiency, waste reduction, recycling, and renewable energy are considered together. At the same time, the hotel reflects on its sustainability practices and seeks to work with suppliers who are part of a sustainable movement.
Celebrating Life at Gut Sonnenhausen
The fully organic hotel Gut Sonnenhausen, located 30 km from Munich, offers a garden and a naturopathic practice that benefits guests and employees. Kirsten Walker, wife of the hotel’s founder, Georg Schweisfuhrt, is a naturopath and regularly holds team seminars on health and stress prevention. The hotel’s philosophy is celebrating life together, expanding one’s horizons, and appreciating the moment’s fullness. The hotel offers a place of tranquillity and relaxation that employees not only convey to guests but also experience themselves. In addition, all employees receive a small bonus of a €50 shopping or gas voucher every month.
Think YOUNIQUE when it comes to Sustainability at the Hotel Klosterbräu.
The management of the Hotel Klosterbräu is committed to hospitality and humanity as the foundation for an equal and productive relationship with approximately 100 employees. New team members receive in-house training in the Think-YOUNIQUE philosophy, emphasising sustainable and ecological thinking and action. The hotel’s unique approach to sustainability is critical in this former monastery. The Think-YOUNIQUE® philosophy extends beyond valuing employees to encompass respect for nature, perspectives worth living for, and sustainable environmental protection. This includes the use of local organic heating and solar energy. The team is regularly involved in decision-making, with special tours with regional producers and farmers. In this way, they take responsibility for the quality and regionality of the products used in the hotel.
Flying high at My Arbor
The family-run team at the Sustainable Tree Hotel My Arbor knows that a hotel is only as good as its employees. Its management is committed to establishing a trusting working atmosphere and a long-term employment relationship. My Arbor also believes it is responsible for treating people and nature with respect and care and constantly raising awareness of sustainability, diversity, and responsibility. The hotel has already taken numerous sustainable initiatives. For instance, the Baumhotel is a leading advocate of the zero-waste movement and avoids plastic and disposable products whenever possible. It has built its photovoltaic system to generate electricity, and guests are encouraged to travel car-free. The team is constantly striving to develop and improve. Employees receive targeted training to promote a more sustainable understanding of everyday work life.
Family Tradition meets the Modern at Bella Vista Zermatt.
The Hotel Bella Vista Zermatt is now in its third generation and stands for relaxation in the heart of the Swiss Alps. Fabienne Anthamatten puts her heart and soul into hosting the environmentally friendly hotel and appreciatively leads her employees with a consistently sustainable mindset. Once a year, there is a seminar on sustainability, the content of which is determined and discussed together in advance. Suggestions from the team are taken seriously, and input is integrated wherever possible. Furthermore, the management holds special meetings on sustainability twice a year to boost employee motivation. With just 21 rooms, the hotel with a view of the Matterhorn is small and informal, so Fabienne also leads a small team. She asserts that this makes it easier to live the hotel’s environmentally conscious philosophy together.
Setting a Positive Example at Naturhotel Outside
Outside, the nature and hiking hotel is in the middle of the Hohe Tauern National Park in East Tyrol. Nature is omnipresent: outside the windows, in the natural materials, on the plate, and in the philosophy and thoughts about the future. This is a natural environment for eco-friendly action. Hotel manager Daniel Ganzer is clear about his responsibility to set a positive example in his professional and private life. He is determined to show guests and employees what sustainable thinking and action can achieve. The family-run nature hotel is very people-oriented, with many colleagues coming directly from the region and working together to provide outstanding service quality. This includes fully engaging the entire hotel team in discussions about waste avoidance, energy savings, and other environmental concerns. Guests are rewarded for their environmentally friendly actions. For instance, they can be transported free of charge to and from Lienz station by train.
Beyond Sustainability at CERVO Mountain Resort
If you want to be home in a mountain region like Zermatt, you must be close to nature. That’s why the CERVO is committed to conscious travel close to nature. Sustainability is the central factor underlying all decisions on a large and small scale. The CERVO, therefore, has its own Sustainability Development Manager and a Green Ambassador Program. The program allows employees from various departments to actively participate as Green Guardians in developing sustainable projects and motivates them to question established processes to find innovative solutions. Sustainability is one of the main pillars of the CERVO Mountain Resort. It is defined here as a healthy attitude to life. As an attitude and an idea that is internalized and passed on to guests and team alike. Ultimately, nature is the greatest luxury good that must be protected together.
A Sense of Togetherness at ADLER Spa Resorts & Lodges
The six ADLER Spa Resorts & Lodges are in Italy’s most beautiful landscapes. Among them are the ADLER lodge RITTEN in South Tyrol and the ADLER Spa Resort SICILIA. This makes the team’s passion for nature a virtual prerequisite, and the ADLER family has always been committed to protecting and preserving the natural balance of the environment as much as possible. The commitment is achieved by passing on the hotel’s philosophy and the Sanoner host family to the more than 650 employees in the six hotels. Above all, the team spirit is strengthened by open cooperation, respect, and mutual trust. The employees, including management, see themselves as a warm but professional community, the ADLER family. They are co-creators and active partners in new projects and are trained and educated. Decisions are made together to ensure long-term, sustainable development and continuous improvement.
Learning together at the Lifestyle Hotel SAND
In 1995, Marion and Lambertus Muller boldly decided to embark on holistic, sustainable tourism by purchasing their hotel. In 2012, they redesigned the house to incorporate a new lifestyle design that is both ecological and unconventional. The SAND was born. Since then, the hoteliers have focused on internal communication. They know that all employees are essential and should be heard. They build confidence in being a reliable partner by listening and learning from each other. Together, this creates an awareness of a more sustainable lifestyle. New colleagues are taught the values of team spirit and sustainability in various on-board training sessions. In 2022, a joint, overarching sustainability workshop was initiated with employees to develop, implement, and evaluate ideas. The entire team continues to receive regular training and is empowered to make decisions. Social sustainability is more than just seminars. It includes above-average social benefits and a company pension scheme. After all, for the Mullers, holistic sustainability is a top priority in everyday hotel life.
Edited by: Anne Keam
