Once a niche travel market, sustainable travel is on the minds of more travelers today. Over eighty percent say that sustainable travel is important to them! How can hotels make sustainability changes that resonate with travelers and still make sense operationally? Do you have hotel management that can take on the challenge? Or is that too far out of their hospitality expertise?
Many hotels have found value in bringing in sustainability specialists for their companies and properties. Here are how hotel sustainability specialists can make a difference:
Aligns Teams Behind One Cohesive Goal
Though sustainability is a growing priority for many hotel professionals, it can be difficult to get everyone moving in the same direction. Whether it’s due to a knowledge gap, or they simply don’t have the headspace to tackle sustainability, a lack of perceived investment from leadership usually causes sustainability goals to fall flat. Someone designated to those sustainability goals can rally leadership and signal to teams that the company is truly committed.
They Can Positively Impact Your Bottom Line
As more companies roll out sustainability initiatives, it has also become apparent that they often directly impact the bottom line. However, not every hotel has a plan for maximizing this impact. For example, when a hotel reduces laundry services or eliminates complimentary toiletries, where do those dollars go? Can those savings be redirected into investments like solar panels or other environmentally friendly equipment? When tangible dollars come into play, it’s best to have a sustainability expert on staff who can maximize the bottom line while effectively reaching environmental goals.
They Can Give Your Goals Resilience
A sustainability specialist’s role is relatively new. In fact, the title itself varies wildly from company to company. Some hotels bring on Corporate Sustainability Directors to develop and implement new sustainability objectives, while others use Sustainability Coordinators to facilitate existing objectives. Some companies take an all-encompassing approach and bring in Social Responsibility Managers to address how a hotel impacts the environment and community. Each company utilizes these roles in its own way, hiring specialists with a variety of backgrounds like Environmental Studies, Business, or Sociology.
They Can Provide Measurable Results
Sure, a department manager or proactive employee can come up with ideas to reduce waste or emissions, but who will implement and track the results? Unless your actions come with tangible outcomes to report, it’s just a bunch of greenwashed marketing. A sustainability specialist can take a holistic view of what is producing results for your company’s sustainability goals and find new opportunities.
Find Forward Thinking Hotel Leaders
Environmental and social responsibility are quickly becoming non-negotiable for hotels. Whether you add sustainability responsibilities to existing roles or bring in staff dedicated to those sustainability initiatives, let us help! Our hotel recruiters know where to find the talent that your hotel needs to reach its sustainability goals.