Introduction
 |
| Image: Eric Ricaurte - Founder & CEO of Greenview (Source: AHLA, 2024) |
Eric Ricaurte – He founded the company "Greenview in 2008," which is "an international consultancy and data intelligence firm catalyzing innovation and best practice in sustainability and ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance), providing services for strategy, programs, data management, bench marketing, and reporting. Greenview's clients include most of the world's largest hotel companies as well as hotel owners and developers, event organizers, cruise lines, NGOs (non-governmental organizations), DMOs (Destination Management Organizations), OTAs (Online Travel Agents), and industry organizations including the WTTC (World Travel & Tourism Council), UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization), and AHLA (American Hotel and Lodging Association)." (AHLA, 2024)
Topic:
What is the hotel of the future?
Eric Ricaurte extensively discusses how sustainability plays a significant role in hotel operations within the hospitality sector and how hoteliers must progress quickly to be sustainable and reduce environmental impact.
We see how Eric speaks on sustainability trends evolving and how the sustainable measures taken in the 1990s are "laggard" and barely making a significant difference to the environment when comparing a hotel's green initiatives now. Eric states that twenty years ago, the reuse of linen towels was seen as being innovative, but it had taken hotels twenty years to implement the reuse of linen towels as a best practice that we now see today. He remarks on the need for hotels to speedily adapt to sustainability practices before 2030 to solve the ever-looming problems of climate change.
Points taken from Eric's speech in a nutshell:
ENGAGED OWNERS / STAKEHOLDERS
/ INVESTORS
1. In
this talk, Eric states that hotels cannot be sustainable in 2030 unless owners
or crucial stakeholders aren't "engaged" or "interested" in
a sustainability agenda. Therefore, it is essential to establish an ongoing
dialogue to ensure everyone is on board with the green movement and its green
practices, as there is a high overhead cost involved.
EMPOWERED TEAM
2. An
empowered team on sustainability is needed as sustainability practices need
precise implementation because it "cannot just be compliance in dollars
and cents." Responsible employees in the hotel industry must implement
green practices in their workplace. For example, how many people care about
reducing energy consumption in a hotel? Will they take the responsibility and
the necessary steps to reduce it? How many people care about community and
making a difference? How many staff members are willing to be passionate about
giving good experiences to guests? Will they be happy to engage in a green team
or have roles that empower them to make decisions that make a difference?
GSTC CERTIFICATION
3. GSTC
is the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. This internationally accredited body
manages global standards for sustainable travel and tourism and provides
sustainable tourism certification. In some countries, like Turkey, Thailand,
and Singapore, GSTC is mandated as a platform based on criteria so that OTAs
(online travel agents) like Booking.com can see hotel companies adhering to
sustainability policies and certifications.
POWERED BY RENEWABLES
4. Hotels
would need to have renewable energy or at least run on low electricity.
Additionally, they'd need to uplift their standards on onsite PPE (Personal
Protective Equipment).
NET ZERO
5. To be
the leaders in the sustainability niche, hotels should target Net Zero. A hotel
must plan to decarbonize and be actively and successfully running by 2030.
GREEN CLEANING
6. The
products used by hotels should be made of natural materials, biodegradable,
non-toxic, recyclable, innovative, and come in bulk packaging. These products
should be given to the guests and utilized by the employees.
PLANT-BASED MEAL OPTIONS
7. The
market for plant-based food is growing, and this is a much sought-after element
within the luxury hotel markets as guests are becoming increasingly
diet-conscious and prefer vegetarian or vegan. By 2030, it may be commonplace
to have oat milk in the cappuccino rather than cow's milk.
PROCURES WISELY
8.
Where is the food coming from, and where is it going? Do
hotels source their food organically? Do they purchase produce from local
suppliers, and is their food sustainable?
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
9. Sustainable
hotels would be part of the circular economy, where everything used in the
hotel will be accounted for (where does it come from? Where is it going?). This
will ensure no unnecessary waste is generated.
COLLABORATES
WITHIN ITS DESTINATION
10. A
sustainable hotel needs to collaborate within its destination to find
solutions. As per Eric, Phuket, Thailand, is an excellent example because they
closed Maya Bay and came together as a community to discuss
sustainability-related issues. They also created an event called PHIST (Phuket
Hotel Island Sustaining Tourism), which brings together award-winning hotels.
They also give practical solutions to constantly educate and catalyze content
relating to sustainability.
Conclusion:
We can see that Eric uses the term sustainability, coined with the term 'green' as sustainability focuses more on using products or services that do not damage the future generations' use of resources while going green sheds light on using environmentally friendly products and services. (Hyseni, 2021) However, both "sustainability" and "green" words resonate with the idea of being aware of the environment and preserving natural resources while boosting economic vitality and social benefits. Eric talks about the importance of going green and how hotels of the future must think strategically with a long-term vision if they need to be on the path to success. His mode of communication is direct and practical, and he shows appropriate statistics of how the hospitality industry has lagged within the past decade by needing to be faster to adopt green and sustainable practices.
I believe therefore that this is a good speech to take as a case study, not just for the hospitality industry but for other industries as well because many other sectors such as banking, tourism, restaurant, retail, IT, apparel, construction etc. all are turning towards sustainability and researching on greener methods and practices. Consequently, I would like to sum up stating that a Green Human Resource Management team would then be the heart of a company that is striving to work towards a sustainable and green agenda.
References:
American Hotel & Lodging Association (2024) Eric Ricaurte, AHLA. Available at: https://www.ahla.com/staff/eric-ricaurte (Accessed: 02 April 2024).
C9 Hotelworks (2023) What is the Sustainable Hotel of the future? - thailand tourism forum 2023, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jzarNVyIz0&t=184s (Accessed: 02 April 2024).
Hyseni, V. (2021) Green Sustainability, PECB. Available at: https://pecb.com/article/green-sustainability#:~:text=Green%20vs.&text=Going%20green%20means%20using%20environmentally,not%20be%20sustainable%20at%20all. (Accessed: 02 April 2024).
Bibliography
Fernando Garcia et al, R.L. (2022) ‘The effect of green human resources management on Green Outcomes Among selected hotels in the Philippines towards Enhancing Environmental Strategies’, The Review of Contemporary Scientific and Academic Studies, 2(12). doi:10.55454/rcsas.2.12.2022.006.
Fletcher, W.D. and Smith, C.B. (2020) ‘What would it take to reach net zero?’, Reaching Net Zero, pp. 107–122. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-823366-5.00009-9.
Magro, B. and Borg, S.P. (2023) ‘A feasibility study on CHP systems for hotels in the Maltese Islands: A Comparative Analysis based on hotels’ star rating’, Sustainability, 15(2), p. 1337. doi:10.3390/su15021337.
Merli, R. et al. (2019) ‘Why should hotels go green? insights from guests experience in Green Hotels’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 81, pp. 169–179. doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2019.04.022.
Tokarz-Kocik, A. (2023) ‘Eco-friendly solutions in hotels as an example of CSR activities: A case study of hotels in Poland’, A Sustainable Green Future, pp. 429–445. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-24942-6_20.
Eric Ricaurte's keynote speech outlines a vision for the future of sustainable hospitality. He emphasizes the importance of engaged stakeholders, an empowered team committed to sustainability, and the necessity for hotels to adopt renewable energy and aim for Net Zero. He also highlights the growing demand for green cleaning products and plant-based meal options, the importance of wise procurement, and the role of hotels in the circular economy. Ricaurte's insights underline a strategic, comprehensive approach towards sustainability in the hospitality industry
ReplyDeleteExcellent observation and comment, Sonali. I am glad you had grasped the concept :)
DeleteSustainability in business is critical to generating growth and satisfying customers. Consumers increasingly seek out green businesses and pay more for environmentally friendly products and services(Cvent Guest,2021)
ReplyDeleteCorrect as cited, Shedric.
DeleteThe industry's future depends on hotels being able to change with what customers want, use new technology, and make their operations more sustainable. To do this, they need to focus on taking care of the environment, being responsible to society, and making sure they can stay in business financially. By doing these things, hotels can set themselves up for success in a world that's always changing. Exiting topic to discuss more. Great job done.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the positive reinforcement, Sudheera.
DeleteYet another interesting blog post and it was informative. Just curious to know Is the hotel industry capable to fully adopt the substantial changes towards sustainability as described by Eric Ricaurte, taking into account the probable financial consequences and operational difficulties connected with adopting these environmentally friendly practices?
ReplyDelete
DeleteExcellent question, Nufail. You're right, hotels have a high initial cost of investments for going green but it is seen through many case studies that the eventual ROI is huge for green hotels. Though it is true that many hoteliers have limited knowledge of how to go green, and no proper guidelines given by the government that make the concept a major challenge. But like Eric mentioned, hotels need to be strategic and holistic in their approach to counter this. How can they do that? Perhaps conducting an environmental audit would help. They can obtain external guidence from world tourism councils such as WTTC, green certification, and as well as educating stakeholders of the green concerns, conducting training programs with hotel employees, promotion of it to the guests. Sri Lanka too in fact is undergoing changes in this sector where it is joining in with UN's SGDs.
Eric Ricaurte's keynote speech underscores the imperative for hotels to embrace sustainability practices to thrive in the future. His insights highlight the importance of engaged stakeholders, empowered teams, and certifications like GSTC. By focusing on renewables, net zero targets, green cleaning, and plant-based options, hotels can align with evolving consumer preferences and contribute to a circular economy. Ricaurte's message resonates beyond hospitality, emphasizing the broader relevance of sustainability across industries. Overall, his speech underscores the pivotal role of Green Human Resource Management in driving organizational sustainability agendas.
ReplyDeleteYes Ruwan, correctly put. How do we measure how well a hotel is implementing sustainable practices? There has to be governing bodies that check on this and give the certifications to hotels and other organizations that wish to go green.
DeleteEric Ricaurte talked about making hotels more eco-friendly in his speech. He mentioned using renewable energy, offering plant-based meals, and working with local suppliers. He believes these changes are important for hotels to be sustainable and help the environment.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Minoshi. Lots of top tier hotel industry individuals are moving towards green sustainability projects worldwide.
DeleteEric Ricaurte's keynote speech sounds enlightening, especially in exploring the concept of the 'Hotel of the Future'. His insights into sustainability and technology integration in the hospitality industry must have been thought-provoking. I'm curious to know more about the specific strategies he proposes for hotels to achieve sustainability goals while maintaining a high level of guest satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteAppreciate the enthusiasm, Hasith. Eric is one of the key people involved in the green movement for hotels as he is advocating many sustainable policies. His company blog has many publications on their site: https://greenview.sg/category/blog/ if you are interested to find out more.
DeleteEric Ricaurte's keynote speech on "The Hotel of the Future" presents innovative ideas crucial for HR in the hospitality sector, highlighting the need to adapt HR strategies to embrace sustainability, technology, and evolving guest expectations for a more resilient workforce.
ReplyDeleteYes indeed. Eric is a very engaging speaker, and his concepts are very easy to follow, especially his strategies on sustainability.
DeleteIt's a good read for everyone. This article covers sustainability in the hospitality industry, as discussed in Eric Ricaurte's keynote speech. To address the environmental impact of hotels, stakeholders must be engaged, teams empowered, and sustainable practices adopted. Some may argue that implementing these green initiatives can come with significant upfront costs and operational challenges but Eric's insights provide a valuable case study for industries transitioning towards sustainability. Exciting times for green initiatives ahead!
ReplyDeleteThank you Dinesh for taking the time to read and for going through Eric's speech. Yes, hopefully we see more and more hotels overcome obstacles and transition towards sustainability with green initiatives ahead!
Delete