Hotelga, an event for Latin America’s hospitality and gastronomy industries organized by Fehgra (The Argentine Hotel and Gastronomy Business Federation), AHT (The Argentine Hotel and Tourism Association), and Messe Frankfurt Argentina, took place from August 28 to 30, 2024, at La Rural Trade Center in Buenos Aires. The event brought together professionals, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders from the hospitality and gastronomy sectors to explore trends, innovations, and solutions relevant to the industry’s future.
Over three days, more than 12,000 visitors had the chance to participate in keynote presentations and discussion panels aimed at fostering growth and facilitating knowledge-sharing within the sector. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) made a significant contribution to the event. Jorge Moller, GSTC’s Program Director for Latin America, delivered an insightful presentation on “Sustainable Hotels in Destinations Managed to Create Happier Communities.” Additionally, Estefanía del Azar, GSTC’s Communications Manager, shared valuable strategies in her session titled “Transform Your Message: Effective Sustainability Communication for Hotels, Creating Brand Value.”
“When we prioritize the well-being of local residents, we not only enrich their lives but also create destinations where travelers can feel a deeper connection and sense of belonging, » said Mr. Moller.
“By aligning messages with core values, hotels can strengthen their brand identity. We need to emphasize the importance of sharing sustainable practices in a way travelers can appreciate and understand,” said Mrs. Del Azar.
Hotelga 2024 was the chosen venue for the signing of the Letter of Intent to reaffirm the commitment to the Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children and Adolescents in Travel and Tourism between the Subsecretary of Tourism, AHT, and FEHGRA. Additionally, the Commitment for Sustainable Hospitality in South America was signed, with the participation of AHT and FEHGRA, alongside the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and regional sector associations, including the Association of Hotels and Restaurants of Uruguay (AHRU); the Industrial Hotel Association of Paraguay (AIHPY) the Hotel and Tourism Association of Colombia (COTELCO) Hoteliers of Chile and the Association of Hotels, Restaurants, and Related Services (AHORA Perú).
Workshop for Sustainable Hotels
Before the event, both GSTC staff members led a workshop for Hoteles Más Verdes members titled « Stories that Transform: Communicating Sustainable Initiatives with Impact. » The workshop attracted over 40 participants and offered an interactive setting where ideas and best practices were actively exchanged. Hoteliers engaged in dynamic discussions, exploring storytelling techniques to effectively communicate their sustainability efforts.
11th Edition of the Sustainable Hospitality Contest
The contest, organized during Hotelga by ‘Hoteles más Verdes,’ was supported by the Association of Tourism Hotels of Argentina (AHT), the Association of Hotels and Restaurants of Uruguay (AHRU), and the Hotel Industry Association of Paraguay (AIHPY), focused on disseminating and rewarding best practices and management models that contributed to balancing tourism with environmental respect, local economic development, destination growth, and socio-cultural diversity and inclusion in the hotel sector. Mr. Moller and Mrs. Del Azar participated as jurors, along with colleagues Yanina Martínez (Subsecretary of Tourism of Argentina), Ana María Vidal de Lamas (Subsecretary of Environment of Argentina), Óscar Iroldi (Assessor to the Ministry of Tourism of Uruguay), Julieta Martín (President of AHT Santa Cruz), Josefina Otero Rey (President of AIHPY), Pablo Scarpino (Secretary of AHRU) and Alejandro López (CEO of the Accessible Tourism Network of Argentina).
Hotelga 2024 served as a gathering for industry professionals to discuss current challenges, learn from experts, and contribute to the ongoing development of a more innovative and sustainable hospitality industry.
Collaborative Dialogues: GSTC Meets with Argentina and Uruguay’s Tourism Authorities and AOCA (Argentine Association of Organizers and Suppliers of Exhibitions, Congresses, Events, and Convention Bureaus.)
As part of the Hotelga framework, a meeting was held with SECTUR (The Argentinian Secretariat of Tourism, Sports, and Environment). GSTC representatives engaged with officials, including Daniel Scioli, Secretary of Tourism, Environment, and Sports, Yanina Martinez, Subsecretary of Tourism, along with Maria Gabriela Ferrucci, President of AHT, Franco Luciano Di Pasquo, Executive Director of AHT and Daniela Finocchiaro, Coordinator of the Greener Hotels Program, to explore potential collaborative actions aimed at laying the groundwork for continuing to promote more sustainable tourism at a national level, focusing on developing incentives and training programs.
In a separate meeting, GSTC representatives met the Ministry of Tourism of Uruguay, with officials Roque Baudean Maddalena, National Director of Tourism, and Oscar Iroldi, Tourism Assessor of the Ministry, and other industry players such as Franco Di Pasquo and Daniela Finocchiaro (Executive Director and Coordinator of the Greener Hotels Program of AHT respectively), Francisco Rodríguez Cabo, Gabriela Saffi and Pablo Scarpino, (President, Vice President and Secretary of AHRU respectively), to discuss opportunities for joining forces to raise awareness and strengthen sustainable tourism knowledge across the region.
GSTC also met with AOCA (the Argentine Association of Organizers and Suppliers of Exhibitions, Congresses, Events, and Convention Bureaus) through Executive Director Fernanda Rodríguez to discuss the MICE Criteria and explore how they can be effectively implemented to enhance sustainability within the industry.
GSTC speaks with the UADE Tourism Alumni
The GSTC also engaged in a meaningful dialogue with alumni from the Tourism program at the Argentine University of Enterprise (UADE). During the discussion, the GSTC shared insights into the latest sustainable tourism practices and the importance of implementing global standards within the industry. The conversation highlighted the critical role that educated professionals play in advancing sustainability in tourism.
