COVID has taught us that today ’ s luxury traveller is ( or will soon be ) seeking smaller , more intimate properties emphasizing privacy , hygiene , security , a departure from large urban centres , farm-totable offerings , and values around sustainability . Each of these elements speak to key aspects of the Relais & Châteaux brand . Research tells us that the generation now entering our industry aligns with these same qualities , and passionately so . Our message to them is that Relais & Châteaux offers career and career-development opportunities as varied and as diverse as those who seek them , across a global organization united around a common purpose . Delivering that message to a global audience , appropriately and effectively , is an important next step in our employer-brand story .
The Relais & Châteaux brand is synonymous with themes of sustainability , in all its forms of self-care and earthcare . Coming out of this year ’ s congress you now have a plan to , in a sense , expand the theme of sustainability to include talentcare – which fits beautifully with your brand . In your vision of linking the Relais & Châteaux brand to that as a hospitality employer of choice and industry role model , what can current and future hotel and restaurant members expect to see and receive from their affiliation with the association ?
Much like we ’ ve already done in the areas of operating and quality standards , our Board will be working on a set of common standards related to our employer brand . Our purpose in doing so would be to roll out an employer brand that coherently and consistently delivers to employees what we promise in terms of building a career with our brand . That ' s a wonderful challenge for a worldwide group of 580 independent properties . What are the employer values that we , collectively , want to promote ? Commencing with our delegation meetings this Spring , we will be working with our members and the Board in agreeing on how we promote Relais & Châteaux as an employer . This is fundamental . We would like to imagine a time , in the not-too-distant future , when new members will join our association because of what we are doing from an HR perspective – the values we share , the way we promote them , and how we bring them to life . I see a journey similar to the one we embarked on in developing our 2014 UNESCO manifesto for a better world .
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