Eight young students received the prestigious certificate, earned through dedication and hard work at the first Hotel Academy located within an hotel in Italy, specifically the WorldHotels Crafted Mulino di Firenze (hia.academy/campus). This specialized structure has been strengthened by the new partnership between HIA - Hospitality Innovation Academy, HIM Business School in Montreux, and BWH Hotels Italia & Malta, the largest Hotel Group in Italy with 170 hotels under the WorldHotels, Best Western, and SureStay Hotels brands. HIA is the first and only Advanced Training Academy, founded in 2022 in partnership with HIM Business School, part of the Swiss Education Group (ranked sixth worldwide among hospitality schools according to the QS World University Rankings). This innovation can help bridge the gap between labor supply and demand, as a study by the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart on "Employment and Mismatch in Tourism and Services" shows that the trade and tourism sector will need 760,000 new employees by 2027, a problem that already affects the tourism industry, with 47% of businesses struggling to find personnel due to a mismatch between required and available skills. Moreover, the most in-demand roles are front office staff, waiters, night porters, and housekeeping staff, with most candidates having less than two years of experience.

In addition to the Hotel Academy at the WorldHotels Crafted Mulino di Firenze, the partnership between HIA and BWH Hotels Italia & Malta offers a threefold training opportunity: for new recruits with short preparatory modules for recruitment and training of professionals, for BWH hotel staff with short modules tailored to specific roles, and for homogeneous groups with internal pathways dedicated to specific clusters such as the Next Generation, General Managers, and Executive Staff. “For the hospitality sector, staff training is crucial. The quality of service and industry performance depend on the professionalism and attitude of human resources,” explains Sara Digiesi, CEO of BWH Hotels Italia & Malta. “Accompanying students through this journey and investing in their growth is a guarantee for the future, preparing new hospitality professionals to enter the workforce with updated and advanced skills. Training doesn't stop with the young; it must be continuous and help to innovate the skills of current staff. That's why the partnership with HIA is doubly strategic.”

The goal is to offer advanced training in hotel and tourism management, a highly sought-after specialization that is increasingly essential in the global hospitality and food & beverage industries, especially in luxury markets. The Hotel Academy program includes two years of training in Italy at the Academy's Student Campus, hosted by the WorldHotels Crafted Mulino di Firenze, a 4-star superior hotel on the banks of the Arno River, with a third and final year at HIM Business School in Montreux, Switzerland. The first two years at Il Mulino Hotel in Florence run from October to March, followed by curricular internships at HIA partner companies from April to September, allowing students to apply their acquired knowledge. This two-year period aims to provide students with an environment where academic activities and real-world professional experience are integrated. The curriculum is designed to train students to make decisions and develop strong leadership skills through a combination of theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and teamwork. At the end of the program, students achieve qualifications suitable for supervisory roles in large hotel companies and may access Term 4 at HIM Business School to obtain the Swiss Higher Diploma.

BWH Hotels Italia & Malta and HIA aim to help young people develop their abilities and put them in the best possible position to succeed. The instructors are selected by HIA and certified by HIM Business School, comprising a mix of professionals from the hospitality and tourism industries and academia. The curriculum is continually updated to cover the essential skills required for a manager in the tourism industry, including hospitality, leadership, digital skills, finance, hotel design, and sustainability. "HIA was created to accelerate careers in hospitality and foster a continuous connection between tourism businesses and young professionals eager to explore various roles and emerging opportunities,” says Giancarlo Carniani, founder of HIA. “With access to HIM Business School for the third year, students have prestigious employment opportunities worldwide. BWH Hotels Italia & Malta has shown great interest from the start in collaborating to develop new talent who will face the ever-evolving tourism and hospitality industry in the coming years. We are honored and excited to tackle these challenges with such a prestigious hotel company."

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For press enquiries, please contact Sedanur Saygili, Project Manager PR & Communications WorldHotels at sedanur.saygili@worldhotels.com

About WorldHotels™

WorldHotels™ is a privately held hotel soft brand within the BWH℠ Hotels global enterprise. Founded by independent hoteliers dedicated to the art of hospitality, WorldHotels offers one of the finest portfolios of independent hotels and resorts around the globe, expertly curated to inspire unique, life-enriching experiences that connect people and places. WorldHotels is comprised of four unique collections, each with its own personality and style to appeal to the needs of today's traveler. The collections include: Luxury, Elite, Crafted, and Distinctive. For more information, visit WorldHotels.com