Looking to the future with ……..Michaela and Andreas Muster from the Ratscher Landhaus

We, the Gleichenberg Tourism Schools, want to encourage our pupils and students to take their future into their own hands and to shape and improve it according to their own wishes. Because the ability to do this is the most valuable asset that a young generation has.

In our series “Looking into the future with…” we invite visionaries, role models and key players of today to give us an insight into their personal vision of our future.

In the current issue, Michaela and Andreas Muster from the Ratscher Landhaus tell us something about their visions for the future.

1. Dear Michaela and Andreas, in 2020 you and the Ratscher Landhaus were awarded the Future Panther Award. What does it mean to you to invest in the future? Can you give us some examples?

Look ahead, think ahead and follow your visions. Standing still is a step backwards! The last few years have brought many challenges. You must accept them and simply adapt the path to your goals. Change is normal in life. Investing in the future means keeping up with the signs of the times. For example – energy has become very expensive, so we invest in photovoltaic systems and have already switched to wood chip heating. Shortage of labour – we train people ourselves, support young people and integrate digitalisation in the company to simplify and optimise work processes.

2. The events of the last few years have shaken up our world quite a bit. Many see this as just the beginning of fundamental changes that the climate catastrophe or developments in artificial intelligence will bring. Where do you see the biggest opportunities and challenges for tourism and for our society as a whole?

Having both also worked abroad for some time, we were confronted with different perspectives and challenges at a young age. All that glitters is not always gold. Adaptation has always been necessary. Hence, change is our constant companion. The biggest challenge for us in the industry is to maintain profitability after all the inflation (energy, staff costs and food). We see the greatest opportunities in tourism in the fact that Austrians stay in the country, the quality and performance of our gastronomy is excellent and still at a very reasonable price compared to other countries with the same wealth structure. After all, our appreciation in tourism is not very high. A lot is demanded of the guest, but it is always taken for granted. That will change.

3. With the change in values, the wishes and needs of our guests are also changing. How will they develop further? What will your offer look like in 10 years, how will you inspire your guests then?

With quality! That is the key to success. The price then is not the decisive factor. People will always enjoy, eat well, drink well, celebrate and go on holiday. In times of automation and artificial intelligence, the personal word will become even more valuable. No robot can convey the feeling of being welcome. The hardware, i.e. all the technical possibilities to optimise processes, will be exhausted. However, the software, the people who give a hotel its character, will become more and more valuable and also more appreciated by the guest, because it will no longer be taken for granted.

There will be very good gastronomy and hotel business at a valuable price and there will be low budget or system gastronomy. Unfortunately, the midfield will not survive because it will not be able to impose its price.

4. How much will technical innovations determine your offer in the future?

We will use more and more technologies, automate and process. However, there will always be people who will convey the personal touch, the warmth and the feeling of being welcome.

5. You regularly try to get children and young people interested in tourism, for example by inviting school classes to visit you. What experiences have you had with this?

The feedback was phenomenal. We launched the “Gastrovibes” project last year. In a nutshell: We invite students from the surrounding secondary schools and show them live what gastronomy feels like. Cooking together, discovering the hotel together and enjoying food together. The 12–13-year-olds are full of energy and enjoy actively creating something beautiful and delicious. They experience how varied, lively and creative our tourism industry is.

Our goal is to find apprentices who want to start an apprenticeship in tourism and to finally put our tarnished image in tourism in the right light again.  We are still at the beginning of this project and look forward to what is to come.

6. What does the tourism industry have to do to get young people more interested in the most beautiful profession in the world and in an education in tourism in the future?

Don’t complain but talk positively about our own industry. In other words, give off positive vibes. Lightness and joy are contagious. And if you take it easier, it’s easier. Change has always been there. Every day we welcome/care for/pamper guests in the hotel who visit us because they want to have a good time. Our guests are happy. We are happy! And we have to carry on this joy.

7. What do you think should change in tourism education?

Professional training is important for us as well. So that the positive vibes are passed on. It no longer works the way it used to. That is a fact. The catering industry is changing, people are changing. For us as trainers, as well as for teachers, it should be a matter of course to continue training, to analyse businesses and to learn from each other. The curricula should be rethought. Social skills, communication, self-reflection and personal attitude to life should be included. If you don’t like yourself, you can’t expect the training company or school to make you happy.

8. What advice would you give to young people on how to approach their career planning and how to manage to look positively into the future and handle it well?

Complete school or an apprenticeship. Gain experiences – the possibilities in tourism are unlimited. There is no other industry where you can work abroad for a short time so easily. No pain, no gain, this saying is still true. The career ladder is a ladder. You have to climb all the steps, so start off also with simple things in order to gain the experience you need at the top. Otherwise, you will stumble on the higher steps. The more solid and experienced the base, the easier it is to get to the top and stay there!

Many thanks for the interview!