{"id":15235,"date":"2026-02-17T11:00:02","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T10:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ferrieres-paris.com\/?post_type=insights&p=15235"},"modified":"2026-02-17T11:19:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T10:19:42","slug":"sustainable-tourism-and-social-responsibility-at-lecole-ferrieres","status":"publish","type":"insights","link":"https:\/\/ferrieres-paris.devsecureweb.com\/en\/insights\/sustainable-tourism-and-social-responsibility-at-lecole-ferrieres\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainable Tourism and Social Responsibility at L\u2019\u00c9cole Ferri\u00e8res"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In the face of major environmental and social challenges, hospitality can no longer rely on traditional models alone. At L\u2019\u00c9cole Ferri\u00e8res, these transformations are embedded in teaching, particularly through the master\u2019s-level course Sustainable Tourism and Social Responsibility<\/strong>, designed and delivered by Esther Binkhorst<\/strong>. <\/p>

Through this course, Esther Binkhorst encourages students to fundamentally rethink the role of tourism and hospitality in contemporary society, moving beyond purely operational approaches to embrace human, social, and sustainable dimensions. <\/p>

Educating responsible and committed leaders<\/h3>

The course aims to train responsible leaders<\/strong> capable of designing resilient, inclusive, and meaningful tourism models aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN, 2015).<\/strong> <\/p>

Under Esther Binkhorst\u2019s guidance, students develop a strategic vision of tourism as a driver of positive transformation for destinations, organisations, and communities. <\/p>

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Placing the guest experience at the heart of sustainable hospitality<\/h3>

The course begins with an immersive day focused on the fundamentals of sustainable tourism<\/strong>, applied to both destinations and businesses. Students are quickly invited to explore the core of hospitality: the guest experience.<\/strong><\/p>

By analysing memorable personal experiences \u2014 both positive and negative \u2014 students understand how experiences engage the senses, trigger emotions, shape feelings, and influence behaviours. This sensory and emotional chain plays a decisive role in travellers\u2019 choices and loyalty.<\/p>

Rethinking the notion of the \u201cguest\u201d<\/h3>

The course challenges the traditional perception of the \u201cguest\u201d and proposes a forward-looking approach to hospitality<\/strong>, rooted in sustainability, inclusion, and purpose. Guided by Esther Binkhorst, students examine how travellers\u2019 expectations are evolving towards value-driven experiences that contribute to personal growth and the common good. <\/p>

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Social responsibility and inclusion<\/h3>

Social responsibility<\/strong> is a central pillar of the course. Esther Binkhorst highlights that, according to the World Health Organization, around 15% of the global population lives with a form of disability or functional diversity<\/strong> (WHO, 2011).<\/p>

When tourism offerings are not designed inclusively, these groups are excluded both socially and economically. <\/p>

Students are encouraged to question how hospitality can be considered responsible if only part of the population can truly access it, and why universal design<\/strong> is not yet a fundamental component of hospitality and tourism education.<\/p>

Learning through immersion<\/h3>

To deepen these reflections, Esther Binkhorst leads immersive exercises<\/strong>, placing students in the position of travellers with disabilities: moving with eyes covered, simulating hearing impairments, or analysing wheelchair accessibility. These powerful experiences demonstrate how environments can either empower or exclude guests.<\/p>

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Innovation for sustainable hospitality<\/h3>

The second part of the course focuses on responsible innovation<\/strong>. Working in teams, students design sustainable experiences for Paxton Paris<\/strong>, creating value for guests, hotel teams, the Ferri\u00e8res academic community, and the environment. The projects reflect both creativity and strong professional maturity.<\/p>

Personal reflection and long-term commitment<\/h3>

Each student also completes an individual reflective assignment<\/strong>, including a 360\u00b0 self-assessment of their behaviours as a citizen, student, and traveller. Guided by Esther Binkhorst, they then articulate their vision of a responsible professional future.<\/p>

The conclusion is clear: lasting change always begins with oneself<\/strong>.<\/p> ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the face of major environmental and social challenges, hospitality can no longer rely on traditional models alone. At L\u2019\u00c9cole Ferri\u00e8res, these transformations are embedded in teaching, particularly through the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":15203,"template":"","tags":[],"insights_cat":[],"class_list":["post-15235","insights","type-insights","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ferrieres-paris.devsecureweb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insights\/15235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ferrieres-paris.devsecureweb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insights"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ferrieres-paris.devsecureweb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/insights"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/ferrieres-paris.devsecureweb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insights\/15235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15250,"href":"https:\/\/ferrieres-paris.devsecureweb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insights\/15235\/revisions\/15250"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ferrieres-paris.devsecureweb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ferrieres-paris.devsecureweb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ferrieres-paris.devsecureweb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15235"},{"taxonomy":"insights_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ferrieres-paris.devsecureweb.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/insights_cat?post=15235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}