How do we reinvent the hospitality industry that has been shaken to its core?

One way to do it is to take stock of the industry's abilities and figuring out what works and what needs changing now to bounce forward post pandemic recommends Willy Legrand - he argues that the hospitality experience must go beyond the design of a trendy lobby or staff friendliness - it is about leaving the place better than you found it, and coming back home healthier, physically and spiritually, than when you left. And that's because hotels can foster that regenerative connection to the outside world, our surroundings both in social and environmental terms and provide safe spaces for people to meet and develop meaningful connections.

Prof. Dr. Willy Legrand is a Professor of Hospitality Management at the IUBH International University of Applied Sciences. Over the past 15 years, he has established over two dozen undergraduate and graduate courses on sustainable development in tourism and hospitality management in Germany but also as a visiting professor at universities around the world. Prof. Dr. Legrand is the lead author of Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry: Principles of Sustainable Operations. His latest textbook, Social Entrepreneurship in the Hospitality Industry: Principles and Strategies for Change is a timely addition tackling the many challenges facing the industry in the coming decade. He is also the Guest Chief Editor of the Hotel Yearbook Sustainable Hospitality 2018 and 2020 Special Editions. He chairs the Hospitality Net World Panel on Sustainability in Hospitality. The aim is to get sustainability anchored more than ever into the hospitality conversation and decision- making. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx