Future hoteliers eye for sustainability at Beijing summit

Another highlight was a panel discussion on sustainable development within the hotel industry, featuring four guests—Richard Parkman, associate head of International Plymouth Business School; Pieter Ham, general manager of EAST Beijing; Wang Dongyuan, human resource manager of CHAO Sanlitun Beijing; and Wang Xiao, a third-year student at Beijing Hospitality Institute.

Parkman argued that integrating a low-carbon initiative into curricula is essential to cultivate low-carbon awareness in students from a young age. He also proposed that university and college programs should adopt an interdisciplinary approach to provide future hoteliers with the necessary knowledge and skills to devise effective low-carbon solutions within the hospitality sector.

Wang Xiao emphasized the importance of schools implementing a mandatory sustainability course and organizing activities to educate students about low-carbon transitions in the hotel industry.

Ham and Wang Dongyuan shared strategies employed by the hotels they are associated with to motivate customers and employees to embrace a low-carbon, sustainable lifestyle.

The summit also featured a debate where industry insiders explored the opportunities and challenges that go hand in hand with the hospitality industry's decarbonization efforts.