Future hoteliers eye for sustainability at Beijing summit

The 2024 Future Hoteliers Summit, held at Beijing Hospitality Institute on Friday, brought together hundreds of industry executives, experts, professors and students specializing in hospitality management from both home and abroad, to delve into how the hotel industry achieves green, sustainable development.

In its 12th iteration, the summit, entirely orchestrated by students of the Beijing Hospitality Institute, serves as a platform for industry professionals and students worldwide to exchange perspectives and brainstorm solutions to the challenges faced by the hotel sector, according to Gao Songtao, the institute's principal.

Participants at the event concurred that climate change is a pressing global issue necessitating collective action. They highlighted the importance of reducing the carbon footprint in hotels, aligning with China's pursuit of sustainable economic development and the nation's "dual carbon" goal to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

A notable aspect of the summit was a competition focusing on how Gen Z hoteliers can drive innovation, implement low-carbon practices, and foster sustainable development within hotels. 14 teams of 46 students from 22 colleges worldwide addressed specific areas of hotels, such as the kitchen, the gym and swimming pool, and the guest room, identifying challenges and proposing solutions to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

The group comprising students from Shenyang City University and the University of Plymouth clinched the top prize.

Guo Qing, the supervisor of two students from Jiujiang University in Jiangxi province, told the China Daily website that she had been curious about this event developed and organized by students and she was really impressed about how things panned out at the summit.

Guo's students collaborated with two peers from Hong Kong Polytechnic University to prepare for the contest, presenting strategies for hotel restaurants to offer socially and environmentally sustainable buffets.

"It's good for our students to participate in contests of this kind to broaden their horizons and hone their communication, teamwork, and logical skills," Guo said, adding that "these two students of mine plan to work in the hotel industry upon graduation. I believe this experience can give them a leg-up in job hunting."