Emma Gregson and Noemie Pinsonneault-Berger, students inthe Tourism and Hospitality Management program, were finalists inthe “Greenest Hotels” sustainable hospitality competition with their project titled “From Nature to the Table.”
The competition, which covers Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, is now in its12thyear. Voting to select the winning projects is open until August 28.
“From Nature to the Table” is competing in the Innovative Ideas category. The challenge was to submit a project applicable to the hospitality industry that addresses environmental and social sustainability criteria, as well as potential communication strategies.
The project presented by Emma and Noemie originated in the course “Economics and Tourism Management,” taught by Prof. Oscar Iroldi. The project aimed to identify, promote, and foster innovative ideas in sustainable tourism for the tourism accommodation sector, taking into account various impacts: environmental, sociocultural, and economic.
An initiative with local roots and a socially conscious approach
The students in the Tourism and Hospitality Management program explained that they chose the Slow Food movement as the focus of their project because “it promotes essential values: the preservation of culinary traditions, respect for local producers, the use of high-quality ingredients, and care for the environment”. This movement, they said, advocates for a “more mindful and sustainable” approach to food, connecting people with the origins of their food and the culture it represents.
They emphasized that there is no precedent for large-scale projects like this one in Uruguay. “Of course, the slow food movement is present in Uruguay, but figuring out how to integrate it into large-scale culinary tourism services was a process that took us a long time to research and figure out how it would work,” they explained.
The teacher highlighted three key points:
- “The relevance of its subject matter, as it highlights the need for hotel and restaurant businesses to innovate in their offerings and services, always with a focus on achieving sustainability in their operations.”
- “A comprehensive solution to this need, proposing a program that, through various phases, successfully implements the plan, addressing all possible aspects.”
- “The focus is on ensuring that this proposal is flexible in terms of its application to all types of tourism, in all destinations.”
When developing new tourism initiatives, “it is important to approach them from the perspective of sustainable tourism, which is in increasingly high demand,” the students emphasized. For his part, the professor noted that the goal is to“promote more and better tourism, maximizing business profitability while taking care to minimize the costs associated with this development—economically, socioculturally, and, above all, environmentally.”
From the Classroom to Buenos Aires
“It’s amazing to see how our project, which started as an idea we had to build from scratch, has become a chance to visit Hotelga”, said Emma, who added that they are “very proud of all the dedication and effort” they put into the journey.
Emma added, “I think I speak for both of us when I say that opportunities like this are why we decided to move to Uruguay.” Emma is Venezuelan and Noemi is Canadian.
In Noemie’s case, this experience also helped her improve her Spanish and learn more about Uruguayan culture, cuisine, and identity. “I never would have imagined that this idea would go so far, but working with Emma and having our teacher’s support has made the whole journey much more rewarding.”
On August 28, in Buenos Aires, the results of the contest will be announced as part of Hotelga Buenos Aires. The contest is sponsored by, among others, the Uruguayan Hotel and Restaurant Association.
Learn more about the "
" program in Tourism and Hospitality Management