Revolution in tourism: women lead with heart and capital!

Revolution in tourism: women lead with heart and capital!

Otmar Michaeler, CEO of the Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group (FMTG), comments on the connection between financial discipline and hospitality in the hotel industry in a recent interview. FMTG has established itself as a pioneer in the field of crowdinvesting and, with over 5,000 investors and around 100 million euros in capital, has the largest European crowdinvesting in the hotel industry. It is noteworthy that 30 percent of investors are women, which is above the average of 15 percent. Michaeler highlights that women are more critical and careful in their investments, which indicates higher trust in the brand and business model.

The FMTG offers investors the opportunity to receive interest in the form of hotel vouchers, creating a direct connection to the hotels. Michaeler emphasizes the importance of the emotional aspects in the hotel industry, which, alongside hard economic facts, are increasingly coming to the fore. However, the current shortage of skilled workers and rising energy costs represent challenges to which FMTG is responding by investing in digital tools and flexible working models in order to retain employees in the long term.

Challenges in tourism

Changes in the hotel industry require new thinking. Michaeler describes that the future lies in the creation of communities instead of anonymous markets. This clearly distinguishes FMTG from platforms like Airbnb, which often rely on short-term relationships. Guest loyalty has increased; Offers need to go beyond a simple overnight stay to meet changing expectations. Statista predicts that the European crowdinvesting market will grow to 920 million euros by 2028, which underlines the relevance of this form of financing.

In the context of financing in the DACH region, the situation for female founders is particularly challenging. According to a current status report on female start-ups in the DACH region, start-ups with female founders only receive 18.50 euros per capita, which is almost eleven times less than for all-male founding teams. In addition, in the DACH region only 1.5 percent of the capital goes to all-female teams, while mixed teams receive 6.5 percent.

Crowd investing as a solution

Crowdfunding offers a promising approach to reducing the gender start-up gap. This new form of financing allows the community to invest in startups rather than just supporting products or services, which could motivate women to become more active in entrepreneurship. Studies show that women's projects are on average 60 percent more successful on crowdfunding platforms, and the fact that women often invest in other women could have a crucial impact on creating a more equal investment ecosystem.

In summary, it can be said that Michaeler and the FMTG play a pioneering role in crowd investing for the hotel industry, while at the same time the challenges and opportunities for female founders must be taken into account. The calls for greater equality and support for female entrepreneurship expansion are more relevant than ever.

For more information on the challenges in the start-up sector see Sheconomy. Details about crowdinvesting and the gender start-up gap can be found in the article by Ellexx.