88% of respondents feel there is still a pressure to drink at industry functions
A collection of experts at a webinar this week, hosted by travel recruitment specialist C&M Recruitment, suggested the industry could normalise people’s sobriety in the same way that vegetarianism or veganism is seen as a ‘standard’ choice, by widening the offering of non-alcoholic drinks at functions and by providing alternative incentives or freebies to the traditional bottles of wine or champagne.
“We’ve got to make the provision of non-alcoholic drinks normal, that happens as a matter of routine,” said Travlaw partner Ami Naru. “Just as you cater for vegetarians, you have to normalise that there will be sectors of our audience that don’t want to drink, for whatever reason.”
As part of “The ABC of booze in the travel workplace” webinar, held on Wednesday 27 March, experts, including Naru, C&M boss Barbara Kolosinska and HR professional Claire Steiner – discussed the pressures of drinking at work events as well as the potential ramifications of alcohol in the workplace.