Who are the new generations? What challenges does climate change pose for us? How to reconcile quality of life, business enterprise, and environmental protection? As we await the final event of the Dolomiti Paganella Future Lab, scheduled for 29 October, we asked some Altopiano della Paganella residents to give their own views about the 4 tough questions that underlie the project: the DNA of our holiday destination, new generations, climate change, and tourism in balance.
- Who is Beatrice Bottamedi?
After finishing high school in Trento I went to university in Florence. Then after graduation I decided to travel and I spent a year in Australia and saw a large part of Asia. However, when I returned home I realised how much I had missed everything in Andalo and how beautiful our part of the world is. So I decided to stay, because I saw and was happy to embrace all the possibilities our local community offered me to grow professionally and as a person.
- Hotel Serena is a family run facility, what is your role?
Like all family hotels, we have to do everything. At the moment I am trying to learn from my parents. I think a family hotel has the added value of being run with real sentiment, because the hotel is also our home, where we live. This makes a huge difference compared to big hotel chains. In your own home it is hard to keep your private life and work separate, but there are many advantages as well.
- There remain very few young hotel keepers like yourself on the Altopiano della Paganella. Why do you think so many people your age have gone away or have decided not to do this work?
First of all, young people are attracted to all the things cities have to offer, everything from night life to museums, things that you do not find up here on. Another very important factor is a lack of professional opportunities outside the tourist sector. Many young people see no alternative to going away to seek their fortunes in the big cities. It is also true that many children of hotel keepers feel obliged to do this work and this puts them off, because it is a very responsible job, and you have to want to commit yourself and not be forced into it.
What made the difference in my case was that my parents never denied me travel and experiences abroad, perhaps it is precisely for this reason that I returned of my own free will.
- Our parents’ generation managed their businesses on a 24/7 basis. Perhaps this is what scares off the new generation. How do you think the management style needs to evolve to attract young people?
The expectations and lifestyles of the new generations are completely different compared to their parents. Nowadays young people are horrified by the idea of passing most of the year stuck inside a hotel. What I hope is that the business culture can develop and make young people aware that there are new alternative ways of managing hotels. It is no longer realistic to ask people to work for more than 10 hours, because they are not willing to do so. The new generations saw the sacrifices of their parents and this led them to assign more importance to the quality of life rather than thinking only about profits. We have to learn how to work better, which does not necessarily mean less.
- In addition to running the family hotel, you are also directly involved in managing Andalo for Family. Can you tell us what your role is?
Andalo for Family is a group of hotel keepers and service providers on the Altopiano della Paganella who are strongly oriented towards the family target. I have coordinated this group for 3 years and this has enabled me to interact with many local business people, from whom I have learned a lot. It is a very tight-knit group, and our strategic decisions have enabled everyone to grow and compete in a healthy and appropriate manner.
Listen to the third episode of the “FUTURE – The resort that will be” podcast
The majority of the residents who took part in the community survey conducted by Dolomiti Paganella Future Lab believe that it is important to implement measures that reduce the waste of food in restaurants and hotels.
How much is wasted in everyday life?
How many natural resources are consumed in the mountains? And what are the limits of our natural resources?
What is a circular economy?
What are the advantages of a circular tourist economy for all of us?
(Italian audio only)
#3 Pillola dal Futuro
‘Pillole dal Futuro’ is an editorial project created to guide the community to the final event on October 29, a way to keep the discussion alive on the 4 tough questions of the Future Lab through the voice of some relevant figures of our destination. The six ‘pills’ were delivered to the homes of all residents during the summer months.