Speech by Mayor Jan van Zanen at the opening of the Hotelschool The Hague campus, 29 September 2021

 

Ms van Stieglitz, students and alumni,

 

The Hotelschool is known to all in The Hague.

A celebrated institution that has been run by and for the hospitality industry since 1929.

A place which has seen the development of hospitality as a profession as it became increasingly international over the years.

A college with a fine reputation that has to be earned time and again.

By remaining ambitious and striving for ever greater recognition.

 

The school now holds an honourable fifth position in the world ranking of hotel schools.

The aim is to reach the top three.

Something which must be possible.

With new ideas and practices in the field of the urban visitor economy and sustainable tourism.

The theme that was the topic of this afternoon’s forum discussion.

 

A leading school for hotel management is indispensable to The Hague.

Not least, because we are the royal residence, the seat of government, a knowledge hub and the place where many international institutions in the fields of peace, justice and security are based.

All surrounded by a wide variety of businesses and other organisations.

The hospitality industry creates a positive atmosphere in which all these players in The Hague arena can meet and inspire one another.

 

The Hotelschool The Hague is well on its way to reaching its coveted spot in the top three.

Just last week, students from the school were on stage at the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge in Dubai presenting their ideas on the sustainable hospitality industry in 2050.

And while tourism must reinvent itself, so the Hotelschool is also reinventing itself.

Not just with ideas and practices, but also with this renovated campus.

 

Sustainability is the key to this new building.

You can’t always see it, but that’s what I’ve been told.

I mention it now for the people in the room who aren’t yet aware of that.

For example, there is a rainwater reservoir under the courtyard.

Smart sensors ensure that power consumption is precisely tailored to the amount of electricity being used in the various spaces.

The curtains are made from recycled plastic bottles and the ceiling is made from recycled wood.

You cannot see it but perhaps you can just about smell it: one wall of the coffee corner has coffee grounds incorporated in it.

 

This is what Hotelschool The Hague wants to stand for and how it sees its future.

A sustainable future in the international setting of the city of The Hague and its institutions.

A highly respected college which attracts students from all over the world and one which contributes to a green and hospitable vision of The Hague.