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, the lack of skilled workers is regularly one of the biggest challenges for companies. Looking at the needs of employees, an online survey of 12,000 German respondents conducted by StepStone in 2022 shows that environmental and climate protection aspects have a significant influence on the choice of employer. Almost every second employee would even accept a lower salary for this, and more than 70% consider it important 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 are recognizing the importance of sustainability for both 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 in 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.
A sustainable development in the hotel industry requires enthusiastic and committed employees who support and shape the initiatives and communicate them to guests. To achieve this, further training in the workplace 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, as well as 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 not only guests but also employees. Kirsten Walker, wife of the hotel’s founder, Georg Schweisfuhrt, is a naturopath herself and regularly holds team seminars on health and stress prevention. The hotel’s philosophy is based on celebrating life together, expanding one’s horizons, and appreciating the fullness of the moment. The hotel offers a place of tranquility 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, which emphasizes sustainable and ecological thinking and action. The hotel’s unique approach to sustainability is particularly important 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. That is why its management is committed to establishing a trusting working atmosphere and a long-term employment relationship. My Arbor also believes it has a responsibility to treat people and nature with respect and care and to constantly raise everyone’s 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 strongly 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 leads her employees in an appreciative manner and a consistently sustainable mindset. Once a year, there is a seminar on the topic of 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, which is why Fabienne also leads a small team. This makes it easier to live the hotel’s environmentally conscious philosophy together, she asserts.
Setting a Positive Example at Naturhotel Outside
The nature and hiking hotel Outside is located 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 of course 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 both his professional and private life. He is determined to show guests and employees alike 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 that the entire hotel team is fully engaged in discussions about waste avoidance, energy savings, and other environmental concerns. Guests are rewarded for their environmentally friendly actions. For instance, they are transported free of charge to and from Lienz station if they travel by train.
Beyond Sustainability at CERVO Mountain Resort
If you want to be at home in a mountain region like Zermatt, you have to be close to nature. That’s why the CERVO is committed to a type of conscious travel that is 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 gives employees from various departments the opportunity to actively participate as Green Guardians in the development of 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 situated in some of Italy’s most beautiful landscapes. Among them: the ADLER lodge RITTEN in South Tyrol and the ADLER Spa Resort SICILIA. This makes a team that is passionate about 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 philosophy of the hotel and the Sanoner host family to all of 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 made the bold decision to embark on the path of holistic sustainable tourism by purchasing their hotel. In 2012 they redesigned the house in 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 important and should be heard. By listening and learning from each other, they build confidence in being a reliable partner. 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 together. The entire team continues to receive regular training and is empowered to make its own 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.
