Do you dream of a more sustainable and ecofriendly kind of tourism? Become an Ecolodge Director and you can make a real contribution to this shift. Among the emerging jobs in ecotourism, the Operations Director aims to run an entity in line with their values.
To satisfy a clientele engaged with ecotourism, an Ecolodge Director provides leisure activities and attractions in the local area. From constructing to operating your establishment, you strive to observe the principles of sustainable development.
To do this, you must:
Deliver a tourist project related to environmental issues:
an Ecolodge Director draws up a planning scheme for their project site. Each house and garden must blend into the scenery. The idea is to avoid disturbing the ecosystem of the nature park hosting the lodge. The director also designs actions to ensure that tourism has minimal negative impact.
Ensure the establishment is profitable:
as the director of an ethical operation, you are duty-bound to protect the financial interests of your entity while also distributing a share of your profits to neighboring populations – who use this contribution to preserve natural and protected areas.
Manage human resources:
an Ecolodge Director ensures the quality of the services provided by their trained staff. The director encourages sustainability by employing local people and, if necessary, by creating appropriate training plans.
Monitor the administration, budget and logistics of the operation:
the Operations Director is still a business manager. Besides promoting cultural diversity, they care about local people’s relationship with their environment. They devise a way to achieve maximum offset of the negative impacts of their tourist activity.
Communicate and raise awareness:
the Ecolodge Director promotes their offering in order to publicize it. They are duty-bound to be transparent about the resources used to adhere to environmental labels. They educate travelers about the importance of wildlife and flora.
An Operations Director specializing in ecotourism needs specific qualities to stay attuned to the values of the sector. To begin with:
The higher education courses delivered by hospitality business schools prepare students to quickly be operational as establishment managers. The Ecotourism Management specialization in the MBA final year at Vatel equips you with the full set of tools to become a responsible tourism professional. You will gain a practical overview of the hotel market and its related ecological, economic and social issues.
The average salary for a director of an eco-friendly hotel is between €2,500 and €4,000. The figure depends on factors such as its size and location, and whether it is part of a group.
An Operations Director can relocate and settle elsewhere, and can therefore move up to a General Manager position.
The Vatel School in Madagascar, which specializes in Hospitality Management, also trains students to manage an ethical, responsible establishment. The school also teaches the MBA in Hospitality in partnership with the top establishments on the island. Take advantage of Vatel’s training courses, refined by 40 years’ experience, and the group’s 50-plus campuses worldwide.
