我們很多時候，都會以為有水可用是十分理所當然的，只要打開水龍頭，便會流出清澈乾淨的食水。
但事實原來並不是這樣，水質及資源短缺這個問題，原來比我們相像的要普遍得多，甚至離我們的日常生活十分接近。你有否想過在美國，有多達 1000 萬個家庭、400,000 所學校和托兒所，都無法獲得清潔的飲用水？與此同時，根據Sustainable Hospitality Alliance 的數據，酒店每間客房平均每天的用水量竟高達1,500升，較當地社區的使用量高8倍，這是個讓人震驚的數字。顯然，這樣的用水方式並不符合可持續發展的概念，仍有很大的學習及發展空間，而且可以由酒店業開始帶頭做起。
這正是Hotel Institute Montreux的理念，因此，我們很高興能與全球淨水管理公司Bluewater 建立合作伙伴關係，能夠為下一代的行業領導者灌輸正確觀念，並提高對節約用水等問題的重要認識。畢竟，相互合作更能併出火花。
是次合作，目的是與學生分享可持續發展的知識，加強學生的整體學習體驗，並建立一個水資源可持續發展的聯盟。Bluewater 將為學生提供寶貴的行業資訊，學生將能夠參與不同活動、講座，Blue Water亦為 HIM學生提供實習及畢業後的工作機會。
Bluewater 營銷和銷售主管 Jedidja Rittri表示: 「Bluewater 很自豪能與HIM展開合作，發起學術及企業之間的交流，並就酒店業的水質及可持續性進行重要對話。」
酒店業是規模龐大的行業，全球市值達 35,000 億美元。是少數行業在人和社會的價值觀中發揮著重要作用。
酒店業是規模龐大的行業，全球市值達 35,000 億美元。是少數行業在人和社會的價值觀中發揮著重要作用。無論你是入住酒店還是餐廳用餐，從食品質量，到提供安全及健康的飲用食水，酒店業都能就我們的健康和可持續性問題有著很大的影響。
在全球暖化問題下，不作為不再是一種選擇，而節約用水更是保護環境的關鍵部分。
Mr. Rittri說: 「聯合國表示，安全食水是可持續發展的核心，也是社會經濟發展、能源、糧食生產以及健康的生態系統的關鍵，更不用說對人類是不可缺乏的存在了。然而，擁有潔淨的食水並不是理所當然。越來越多的國家——以及越來越多行業包括酒店等服務行業——面臨著日益嚴重的挑戰，當中包括地下水逐漸稀缺、化學及工業污染日益嚴重、氣候環境變化等。是次合作，希望能減少對環境的影響，想出減少污染的辦法，同時為HIM 學生提供實習就業及就業機會。」
HIM非常重視行業發展，不單是學問，並著重培養未來行業的領導者，試問還有什麼比確保我們的學生能肩負起社會責任並為致力於保護地球這個家更重要呢？
「可持續發展是HIM課程的核心，這就是為什麼我們很高興能與 Bluewater 這樣有遠見的公司合作。」HIM 校長 Ulrika Björklund 強調說：「這種合作關係不僅會為我們的學生提供實踐經驗，而且還能讓他們深入了解全球的水資源問題，以及將要承擔的社會經濟和環境責任。作為未來酒店業的領導者，這是學生必須面對的問題，我們的希望是，他們會受到啟發，並對世界有所作為。」
與許多其他行業一樣，酒店業被視為其中一個對環境造成破壞的行業——但它同時也是一個接受新思維作出改變的行業。具創意和創新思維的人總會找到解決方案，Bluewater 正是本著這種企業精神繼續前進。
這種合作關係不僅會為我們的學生提供實踐經驗，而且還能讓他們深入了解全球的水資源問題，以及將要承擔的社會經濟和環境責任。作為未來酒店業的領導者，這是學生必須面對的問題，我們的希望是，他們會受到啟發，並對世界有所作為。
Mr. Rittri相信: 「Bluewater 的使命是我們用最先進的淨水技術，目標能永久消除一次性膠樽的需求，希望透過與HIM合作能夠集廣益並想出解決方案。 」
儘管所有事情在一開始時看起來都很微不足道，但只要願意行出第一步，總會慢慢地見到改變的，讓Hotel Institute Montreux的學生成為有影響力的人吧！
As things we take for granted go, water is certainly up there. We turn on the facet, and out it flows, clean, crisp and clear. Easy, right?
Not so. We tend to have a certain perception about where in the world water scarcity is a problem, but in actual fact, it’s much, much more commonplace and closer to home than we might think. For instance, did you know that up to 10 million American households, and 400,000 schools and childcare centers don’t have access to clean drinking water? Meanwhile, according to the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, hotels can go through a staggering average of 1,500 liters per room per day, and tourism as an industry uses roughly eight times more water per person than the local community. Clearly, this is not sustainable. We have much to learn, and hospitality can lead the way.
Here at Hotel Institute Montreux, that’s exactly what we intend to do. We’re thrilled to join forces with global water purification company Bluewater to launch a productive new partnership, which will instil mindful hospitality practices into the industry’s next generation of leaders and raise critical and crucial awareness of the issue of water conservation. Two heads, after all, are better than one.
The aim, is to share knowledge and intelligence, strengthening students’ overall learning experience and creating an alliance in the name of water sustainability. Bluewater will arm students with invaluable, international industry insights and water science expertise. Students will be able to be ved in get involuntary events, listen to keynote lectures and benefit from a host of career-enhancing internship opportunities at Bluewater, with a view to the company offering them full-time positions upon graduation.
“Bluewater is proud to work with Hotel Institute Montreux to initiate this dialogue between a seat of learning and a private enterprise, and to have vital conversations about water quality and sustainability in the hospitality industry,” says Jedidja Rittri, marketing and sales head at Water .
“Hospitality is big business on a mammoth scale, with a global market value of USD 3,500 billion. That’s one powerful industry, and few have as important a part to play in shaping the values of people and society. Whether you’re staying in a hotel or dining in a restaurant, hospitality has the power to influence your understanding of health, wellness, and sustainability issues, from quality of food, to how to create and provide access to safer, healthier water.”
At this point in the climate emergency, inaction is no longer an option, and water conservation is a key piece of the proactive puzzle.
“The United Nations says safe water access is at the core of sustainable development and is also essential for socio-economic development, energy and food production, and healthy ecosystems, not to mention human survival itself,” says Mr. Rittri. “And yet , access to clean water cannot be taken for granted, as more and more countries – and service industries like hospitality – face mounting challenges of increasing scarcity, chemical and industrial pollution of ground water, inadequate infrastructure investment and climate change. The goal of this is to remove barriers to a less polluted world, while improving career and entrepreneurial opportunities for students at HIM.”
It goes without saying that this school takes its role in shaping the future of our industry, and its next set of leaders, very seriously. And what could be more critical to the future of hospitality than making sure our students are committed to safeguarding the planet it calls home?
“Sustainability is at the very core of Hotel Institute Montreux’s curriculum, which is why we are so excited to be joining forces with such a visionary company as Bluewater,” stresses HIM dean Ulrika Björklund. “This partnership will provide our students not only with hands -on experience, but also offer insight into the very complex issues of global water access and the socio-economic and environmental responsibilities our students will inevitably eventually shoulder, as tomorrow’s leaders in the hospitality industry. Our hope, is that they will step out into the world and make a difference.”
Hospitality, like many others, can be seen as an environmentally damaging industry – but it’s also an ingenious one. Where there’s a solution to be found, its army of innovators will find it, and it’s in that same entrepreneurial spirit that Bluewater to continue forward.
We’ve made it our mission at Bluewater to deploy our state-of-the-art water purification technology to eliminate the need for single use plastic bottles for good, and this partnership is one way we can face today’s water quality challenges head on and think creatively and collectively about potential solutions,” believes Mr. Rittri.
Even ripples are small at first; yet, look how they grow. Someone has to start them. Let it be the students here, at HIM.