JUST AN OPINION

Don’t just talk about sustainability, do it

By Stuart Beveridge, head of marketing at St Michael’s Resort in Falmouth.

It has been several months since I stepped back into the hospitality sector, following a 4-year hiatus leading the Communications team at Cornwall Air Ambulance. What a difference a few years can make. The industry has seen some of its most turbulent years on record, with closures followed by last year’s mass staycation exodus to the Duchy and the staffing pressures it brought with it. We thought we’d seen the back of one crisis, but just around the corner loomed a European war and a rising cost of living that we will no doubt feel within our industry. We’ve gone from one generational crisis to another, in the space of two years. Competition for market share has never been so intense in Cornwall. However your brand is positioned, whoever your guest profile might be, wherever you’re located- there’s always competition. Telling your audience about fantastic facilities or unrivalled locations just doesn’t cut the mustard on its own anymore, the market is saturated with it. So, what can you do to peak your head out above the parapet? A survey of global travellers this year conducted by Statista revealed that 48% of responders believed it was important to choose environmentally friendly travel options and that their decision-making was

influenced by ‘green credentials’. In comparison, only 12% thought that it wasn’t important. While ‘going green’ and sustainability have been buzzwords for some time now, the hospitality industry hasn’t been fast to react, while data is suggesting it’s something that is fast becoming a key buying motivator. A quick breeze through a variety of Cornish hotel websites leaves me in no doubt that it remains an area in which more should be done to push it to the forefront. Not just through the odd ‘green’ logo or sustainability policy, but through actions that we can demonstrate and communicate to our audiences through all the marketing channels we have available to us. We need to show that we are more than just a destination to stay at, more than a business that’s only purpose is to exchange money for accommodation. We need to demonstrate that we are proactive in our community, that we showcase local partners and most importantly that we, not only consider, but take actions to preserve our surrounding environment. If you can achieve that, then suddenly your brand has another string to its bow. One that’s only going to become more important with over half of Gen-Z and Millennial travellers responding that environmental credentials impact their decision. But what does that look like in practice? Well, everyone is different, has their own challenges and limitations. In my short time at St Michaels Resort in Falmouth, I’ve pushed sustainability to the top of the agenda. While the Resort has always kept a keen eye on sustainability, I want to shift perception of the Resort We need to to one that plays a bigger part in local demonstrate that we life and protects its stunning location. I’ve begun this by forging a new local are proactive in our charity partnership, establishing regular staff beach cleans, adopting green community practices for housekeeping and have plans to implement a staff volunteering programme in the local community. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, there are so many ways to do it and plenty of ways to tell people about it. Don’t be afraid to live-stream or at the very least, get it on socials!