In the days of October 26 and 27, 2023, representatives of FIHR joined HOTREC members and distinguished guests from across Europe at the 87th HOTREC General Assembly. The event provided an important opportunity for industry leaders to explore pressing concerns – the uncertain landscape in which hoteliers operate, rising energy and food costs and acute labour shortages. The discussions at the event began with a speech by the Minister of Tourism of Wallonia, Valérie de Bue, who presented the priorities of the upcoming Belgian EU presidency (1 January-30 June 2024) – digitalization of tourism and development of sustainable tourism The crucial role of collaboration between industry and institutions was stressed - agreement was reached on a law aimed at putting an end to greenwashing practices and a proposal on package travel is being worked on to ensure the resilience of the sector in times of crisis.
The topic of sustained collaboration with European institutions was central to HOTREC members' discussions on the upcoming European elections in 2024 and the related HOTREC Manifesto to be published on November 29 – European Hospitality Day.
HOTREC members had the chance to brainstorm on policy areas which HOTREC will prioritize in the next legislation 2024-2029 – namely, social affairs, environmental issues, digitalization and consumer. Among these, sustainability was undoubtedly a crucial topic for delegates as European hospitality commits to becoming carbon neutral by 2020. 2050Participants discussed ways in which companies can implement sustainable practices – such as certification programs, commitments to reduce the menu footprint, ecosystem restoration initiatives and tree planting support programs. This and other approaches proposed by HOTREC to green the sector are also available in the recent HOTREC study, A Roadmap to Net Zero for European hospitality.
