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Top Hotel Summit Low on Sustainability
Friday, 15 Mar, 2010
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Luncheon networking at IHIF
Maybe it is the economic pressure, maybe it’s because the cost of attending means that profitable deals need to be fixed in double-quick time, but this year’s IHIF only had two sessions verging on sustainable tourism.
And when one of these started, half of the audience walked out to do more fulfilling things. A participant said “I don’t know what they are up to, I don’t know what’s happening. Don’t they realize that the environment is their stock in trade?”
The International Hotel Investment Forum was packed to the brim with 1,600 €2,000+ ticket purchasing hotel executives looking for profitable (and presumably sustainable) hotel development opportunities.
The 13th annual IHIF which took place in Berlin earlier this month was a tremendous success, with 1600 people in attendance, which is a substantial increase on the number of people attending the previous year. Over 58 countries were represented at the event making the IHIF a truly international event.
Say the organizers “The feeling at this year’s IHIF was one of optimism, and deals were being done at the conference showing the industry is moving in the right direction.”
Top level speakers included top hotel CEOs like Frank Fiskers of Scandic, Matt Avril of Starwood and Tony Potter of Corinthia. There were bankers, developers and investors galore in this leading hotel investment marketplace.
But, even though the world’s largest hotelier by rooms (IHG) has announced that its Green Engage plan has not only brought in investors but will also save up to $200m, hotels focus on sustainability has dropped pretty dramatically.
Just two low level panels, one with JC Baumgarten and Teresa Hitchcock (Moving hospitality towards a low carbon economy) and the other (Developing sustainable properties given economic stress) with just two panelists representing hotel companies – Particia Cortijo of Accor and David Jerome of IHG. Neither of which drew committed crowds.
Has the economic situation frightened hoteliers back to their short term cash registers? Don’t green savings wash with investors any more? Has the coming carbon market with its implicit tourism and hospitality costs been lost on the horizon?
Whatever the reasons, the big money in hotels has lost interest in sustainability. For the moment.
More information: www.berlinconference.com/
Valere Tjolle
Valere Tjolle is editor of the 2010 Sustainable Tourism Report Suite details at:www.travelmole.com/stories/1141006.php
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