Erwin van der Graaf appointed to chairman of the Hospitality Pact
Erwin van der Graaf has been appointed chairman and figurehead of the Hospitality Pact, the labor market alliance in which vocational education has joined forces with companies and organizations from the hospitality, recreation, event and travel industries to reduce staff shortages. CELTH has also signed the Hospitality Pact. Within the theme of Human Capital in the Agenda Conscious Destinations, CELTH is actively addressing labor market challenges.
Erwin van der Graaf works at hotel chain Accor and is a true well-known Industry Leader in the sector. Erwin's career is very extensive, from General Manager in several Accor hotels and most recently as Vice President of Operations managed hotels for Accor Western Europe. He is also Chairman of the Industry Advisory Board of Stenden NHL University and involved in Royal Catering Netherlands and formerly with the Pension Fund Horeca and Catering, among others. So Erwin is truly someone from the sector who is also at the center of society, and therefore the perfect candidate to serve as a figurehead of the Pact.
"The success of the hospitality sector stands or falls with the enthusiasm of the people who work in this wonderful sector. The hospitality secor is one of the most enjoyable industries to work in, to build a career in and for lifelong learning. The sector's contribution to social well-being and social cohesion in the Netherlands is enormous. To then be allowed to become chairman of the Hospitality Pact is an enormous honor and pleasure for me," said Erwin.
Launched in July 2023, the Hospitality Pact is a unique collaboration between numerous organizations, companies and vocational education in the hospitality and leisure sector. It is a response to the labor market challenges of today and tomorrow. And those challenges are great: where the influx of new talent into the sector has been under pressure for several years, the annual outflow is high. Through the Hospitality Pact, parties in a triple helix context are working together to attract and retain personnel in the hospitality and leisure sector on the one hand and to upskill and reskill personnel on the other.
This requires knowledge development and cooperation. The pact provides a "compass" to work on promoting and improving the labor market of the travel, leisure, food service, events and hospitality industries. The Hospitality Pact is widely supported: Koninklijke Horeca Nederland, ANVR, HISWA-RECRON, CLC-Vecta, Veneca, CELTH (Centre of Expertise Leisure, Tourism and Hospitality) the MBO council, HBO and FNV Horecabond are part of the direction group, and the initiative is widely supported in the sector and by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.