Author

Florian Kaefer

PhD, Founder & Editor, Sustainability Leaders Project

Florian is the Founder and Editor of the Sustainability Leaders Project (Sustainability-Leaders.com), dedicated to sharing the insights and stories of sustainable tourism change-makers around the world: inspiring professionals, pioneering businesses and leading destinations. Florian is also the Founder and Editor of The Place Brand Observer (PlaceBrandObserver.com), an online magazine, think-blog, research hub and knowledge platform at the service of those in charge of the development, management and promotion of places, including neighborhoods, cities, regions, destinations and countries.

The Future of Sustainability Certification: Micro-Certification?

Micro-certification - while certainly useful for hospitality businesses in that they could pick what they need and thus experience a lower entrance barrier to sustainability assessment - would complicate things as customers have no idea what kind of factors contribute to a specific badge or label.

What is your take on the coronavirus and its impact on our industry?

We have experienced a variety of natural disasters and multiple contagions in the past and each time we rebound to previous levels of social and business behaviors — the question is though — how long will it take for a complete recovery?At the time of writing, it appears as though the rate of growth of this virus has slowed down for the first time in China, where it is believed the virus originated.

Sustainability Gives Hotels An Edge In The War For Talent. Or Does It?

This is a great question and one closely linked to our recent Sustainability Leaders Project panel question - whether sustainable tourism leads to more and better jobs. The panel's conclusion was that there is a notable relationship between sustainable tourism and jobs, mostly in terms of staff retention (because of more caring, fairer workplaces and a stronger sense of commitment and shared values).

How can sustainability be communicated beyond clichés and greenwashing?

To avoid falling into the „greenwashing trap” business need to be transparent, honest and modest. Since “greening” is not the core business of most tour-operators, hotels or resorts, investing in the wrong project or a poor strategy might turn into a slippery slope to reputation damage.