Sustainable Hospitality Competition: Changes Driven by the New Generations

The winners of the tenth edition of the Sustainable Hospitality Contest 2023: Argentina-Paraguay-Uruguay, in the Innovative Ideas category enjoy their prize: a stay at the Iguazú Jungle Lodge, an eco-friendly hotel located in the lush subtropical jungle of Puerto Iguazú, was the winning hotel in the Actions that Create History category. The hotel has the Gold Level certification of the Greener Hotels Program and carries out various practices and principles aimed at the environmental conservation of the region. “This experience confirms to us that sustainability and luxury can coexist harmoniously, respecting the surrounding natural environment without compromising its integrity. All this experience has provided us with a broader vision of the potential we have to contribute positively to the care of our natural environment,” say the young people. On September 20, Alder Farid Cuello Riveros, Ana Fiorella Pera Falcon and Bianca Arami Clemotte Sanchiz, students at the American University of Paraguay, were crowned with their Innovative Idea “Green Steps: Harvesting Energy by Walking”. The idea proposed the generation of electricity in hotels: “The stairwells and common places we frequent are transformed into a valuable source of renewable energy. By walking, ascending and descending, we generate kinetic energy that, through an ingenious mechanism, is stored and converted into energy to supply the hotels.” With this innovative idea, guests become an active part of the hotel’s sustainability, and each of their steps has a significant and real impact on energy savings. Each hotel will also be equipped with dashboards that show in real time the amount of energy generated, allowing everyone to appreciate their contribution,” they said during their presentation at the finals of the Competition.  The “Innovative Ideas” category was aimed at students from tertiary or university educational institutions in Argentina, Uruguay or Paraguay who present works applicable to the hotel industry and that contemplate the environmental, sociocultural and economic criteria of sustainability, as well as possible communication actions. Participants had to tell the story of the idea through a video and three finalist projects were selected, one for each participating country.  The contest organized by Hoteles más Verdes was supported by the Association of Tourism Hotels of the Argentine Republic (AHT), the Association of Hotels and Restaurants of Uruguay (AHRU) and the Hotel Industry Association of Paraguay (AIPHY).   Alder Farid Cuello Riveros, Ana Fiorella Pera Falcon and Bianca Arami Clemotte Sanchiz, students at the American University of Paraguay”Having the opportunity to promote Sustainable Hospitality practices at a global level is essential for the proper development and sustainable growth of both the tourism and hotel sectors. As young people, we feel a great responsibility in preserving our environment. We are deeply grateful to Greener Hotels for allowing us to demonstrate that young people have significant potential to bring about major changes in the industry.”  For those who want to have their revenge or present their Innovative Idea, they can do so in the 11th edition of the Contest that will take place within the framework of Hotelga 2024 from August 28 to 30. In the coming weeks, the call for pre-registration will be launched.  For more information, click here…

Original source in Spanish