'Baby Boomers' are settling into their golden years. By 2050, it has been estimated that nearly a quarter of the world’s population will be over 60 years old. With advances being made in health, nutrition, and wellness, rather than suggesting the end of an active life, retirement marks the beginning of a new one. For the hospitality industry, this population provides an exciting opportunity for innovation.
Today, many people in their 60s and beyond are delighted to set out on new adventures. These “third agers,” as they are often referred to have the resources and energy to embrace activities in retirement they never had time for while a part of the workforce.
Compared to previous generations, Boomers are shown to be generally optimistic in regards to the future, and their expectations are high as they enter their later years.
Some extraordinary opportunities open for the hospitality industry as it adapts to creatively meet the needs of an aging population seeking action and adventure.
Hotel Institute Montreux at hospitality’s leading edge
In light of this, Hotel Institute Montreux, an international institute of hospitality and hotel management located in Switzerland, now offers an academic specialization in Senior Living Management. This specialization focuses on the different aspects of managing the retirement communities designed to meet the needs of this emerging demographic.
The idea is to create a new kind of community living, different from a hotel or a resort, and certainly different from an elderly home. What can we offer this population that is going to keep them as young as possible?
When picturing a retirement home, what often comes to mind is drab white walls and stuffy rooms, the time of day marked by cups of pills handed to you by nursing staff, maybe the occasional shuffle through a nice garden. These are exactly the kinds of images that the faculty and students participating in the specialization in Senior Living Management are breaking away from as they ask themselves some key questions about what seniors want retirement to look like. Xavier Bouillot, lecturer at Hotel Institute Montreux, raises the question, “How can we make their lives more dynamic? What can we offer this population that is going to keep them as young as possible?”
In order for retirees to safely take part in activities and community life that will do just this, the program has established a partnership with Le Mirador Health Centre, which offers its support by teaching medical aid and preventative care.
Assisting with the creation of course content, holding guest lectures, and providing internships and jobs for HIM students, Resort Lifestyle Communities is another partner in the specialization. A company who builds and manages luxurious, all-inclusive resort-style retirement communities across the US, they demonstrate how the information students are learning can be brought into practice.
As a student enrolled in the specialization commented, “Being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes is central to the hospitality industry and is about how you take care of the person right in front of you.” With a focus on understanding the needs and values of the Baby Boomer generation, empathy lies at the center of this program.
Retirement becomes a season of freedom and opportunity to try new things, as HIM and its partners work to create a space that makes adventure, activity, and leisure possible for an aging demographic.
Learn more about the specializations at Hotel Institute Montreux
Specializations
- Luxury Brand Management
- Financial Analysis and Wealth Management
- Human Capital and Development
- Franchise Business Management
- Management for the Senior Living Industry
Hotel Institute Montreux, a member of Swiss Education Group, is a top-ranked school that brings the hospitality approach to business education. Based in the heart of the vibrant Swiss Riviera, students have the flexibility to tailor their degree with unique specializations, in close partnership with prominent global industry leaders in business and management.
A Bachelor of Business Administration offered in partnership with Northwood University (US) equips students to be uniquely agile and customer-focused, no matter what industry they choose to work in.
To learn more or apply to Hotel Institute Montreux contact Regina da Silva at rsilva@swisseducation.com
About Xavier Bouillot
Born in Belgium, holding a Swiss and a Belgian passport, Xavier Bouillot is a serial entrepreneur. He founded and managed companies in France, India, and Switzerland, all active in the production of natural health products. Some of the products he created have been sold by millions of units and are still on the market place.
Xavier Bouillot completed his managerial experience with a Master in Business Administration in 2006 and, when the time for transmission came, with a Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education in 2015.
Xavier Bouillot never forgets his first love, Nature that along with innovation has always fuel his passion: a bachelor degree in Agronomy to start with, then natural products and today, ecofriendly building, the latest of his entrepreneurial pursuit.When not at work, Xavier Bouillot goes hiking into the Swiss mountain or to the sea as often as he can.
Xavier Bouillot is currently teaching Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Management at Hotel Institute Montreux.