Hoteliers and Innkeepers Association

What Hoteliers and Innkeepers Association does

Hoteliers- und Gastwirteverband (HGV) is a private trade association (Verband) headquartered in Bozen (Bolzano), South Tyrol, Italy, representing approximately 4,500 to 4,600 hotel, accommodation, restaurant, and food-service member businesses across the region. Founded with continuous operations since 1990, it functions as the territorial chapter of the national Italian associations Federalberghi (hotels) and FIPE (food service), giving it a structural role in industry representation at regional, national, and EU levels. The association combines advocacy and lobbying with an integrated portfolio of member services spanning tax advisory, legal counsel, HR and payroll consulting, business strategy, web marketing, and electronic invoicing, delivered through a central office, a distributed network of local chapters (Ortsgruppen), district representatives, and digital portals.

The core technology stack is portal-based rather than AI-driven: members access the HGV-Serviceportal for payroll evaluations, employment contracts, online time tracking, daily revenue recording, and balance-sheet services; the HGV-Förderportal aggregates regional, national, and EU subsidies and grants; and the HGV-Ortsgruppenportal supports local chapter administration. Compliance training is delivered through an e-learning platform offering workplace safety courses (compliant with Italian Art. 37 D.Lgs. 81/2008) and food hygiene courses with multilingual support and certification tracking, supported by over 200 in-person events per season and more than 3,100 training participants. Branded sub-initiatives include the JOIN employer brand for hospitality careers, the Future Hospitality portal, the Gustelier culinary platform with its COOLinarisch podcast, HGV 65 Plus for senior operators, HGJ youth section, the Vereinigung Südtiroler Gastwirtinnen women's network, and product groups such as Vitalpina Hotels Südtirol (29 members).

HGV's business model is membership-subscription based: annual membership fees grant access to the full advisory, training, and portal suite, with tiered pricing that offers non-members roughly 35-45% higher rates on training courses (e.g., EUR 60 vs. EUR 81 for the 8-hour workplace safety course). Additional revenue streams include fee-based professional development courses and professional services for both members and non-members. Go-to-market is community-led through local chapters, district assemblies, professional events, the HGV Magazine, email newsletters, and social channels. Key partnerships include Federalberghi, FIPE, IDM Südtirol, the Südtiroler Bauernbund, the Südtiroler Tourismuskasse, and Vitalpina Hotels Südtirol, alongside a wholly-owned operating subsidiary, HGV-Service Genossenschaft, which handles service delivery.

Name

Hoteliers and Innkeepers Association

Legal name

Hoteliers- und Gastwirteverband (HGV)

Website

https://hgv.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hoteliers- und Gastwirteverband (HGV) is a South Tyrolean trade association serving approximately 4,500-4,600 hotel and restaurant members with tax, legal, and HR advisory, e-learning compliance training, digital member portals, and industry advocacy as the territorial arm of Federalberghi and FIPE.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolzano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees providing access to all HGV services including tax advisory, legal counsel, training, and member benefits
2. Training Course Fees: Fee-based professional development courses in workplace safety, food hygiene, and other hospitality topics with different pricing for members and non-members
3. Professional Services: Revenue from tax advisory, legal consultation, HR consulting, web marketing, and business consulting services provided to members and non-members

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HGV is a membership-based trade association providing hoteliers and restaurateurs in South Tyrol with tax advisory, legal counsel, HR/personnel consulting, business consulting, web marketing, continuing education, and access to digital service portals for payroll, e-invoicing, subsidies, and local chapter operations. The association also functions as the official industry representative to regional, national, and EU authorities and operates member-exclusive digital platforms for training and business management.

Product overview

The Hoteliers and Innkeepers Association (HGV) is a membership-based trade association serving approximately 4,600 hotel and restaurant businesses in South Tyrol, Italy. The organization offers a portfolio of member services including professional consulting (tax, legal, HR, business), continuing education and e-learning programs, and digital portals. Key platforms include the HGV-Serviceportal for business management tools (payroll, contracts, invoicing), the HGV-Förderportal for subsidy access, and the HGV-Ortsgruppenportal for local chapter coordination. The association also operates branded initiatives such as JOIN (employer branding), the Südtiroler Gastwirtinnen women's network, HGV 65 Plus for senior members, and various culinary and cultural programs including the Gustelier culinary studio and Booking Südtirol booking platform. HGV functions as a comprehensive service ecosystem combining advisory services, digital tools, and community networking for the hospitality sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JOIN - Be part of our Future Hospitality: The employer brand for South Tyrol's hospitality sector, promoting careers in the hotel and restaurant industry.
• Gustelier
• Future Hospitality
• HGV 65 Plus
• HGJ - Hoteliers- und Gastwirtejugend
• Vereinigung Südtiroler Gastwirtinnen

Products and services

• HGV-Serviceportal An online business management portal for HGV members offering payroll processing, employment contract handling, time tracking, daily revenue recording, balance sheet services, and electronic invoicing integration via aziendaonweb.it. Exclusively available to HGV members and customers.
• HGV-Förderportal A centralized database portal providing HGV members with access to subsidies and grants available at regional (Land), state, and EU levels, helping hospitality businesses identify and apply for relevant financial support programs.
• HGV-Ortsgruppenportal A portal for HGV local chapter officials providing access to top news, forms, templates, and important contact information for coordinating work at the local chapter (Ortsgruppe) level.
• E-Rechnungs-Tool (aziendaonweb.it) An electronic invoicing tool integrated with the HGV Service Portal that enables member businesses to manage and process electronic invoices digitally in compliance with Italian requirements.
• Steuerberatung (Tax Advisory) Professional tax consultation services for HGV members covering bookkeeping, tax planning, online daily revenue recording, online balance sheets, and compliance with Italian tax regulations.
• Personalberatung (Personnel Consulting) HR services for hospitality businesses including online payroll processing, employment contract management, and online time tracking (Stundenregister). Designed for HGV members to manage workforce administration efficiently.
• Rechtsabteilung (Legal Department) Legal advisory services helping HGV members understand their rights and obligations, providing guidance on regulatory compliance, business protection, and representation in legal matters including advocacy against unlawful online reviews.
• Web Marketing Digital marketing services including tools and portals to enhance online presence, increase online visibility, and support web marketing strategy execution for hospitality member businesses.
• Unternehmensberatung (Business Consulting) Expert business consulting services for hospitality operators covering strategic planning, operational improvement, digitalization strategy, and business development support.
• Weiterbildung (Continuing Education and Training) Professional development and training courses for hospitality workers including food hygiene, workplace safety, and industry-specific skills, delivered in collaboration with the Südtiroler Tourismuskasse (STK) and gastronomic schools through in-person courses, webinars, and online e-learning.
• E-Learning-Kurse Arbeitssicherheit (Workplace Safety E-Learning) Online workplace safety training courses required for employees, covering general and specific training modules based on Italian labor law requirements. Includes complete 8-hour course (€60 members / €81 non-members), individual 4-hour modules (€45 / €69), and 6-hour refresher courses (€55 / €70), with multilingual support in German, Italian, and other languages.
• Online-Kurs Hygiene im Lebensmittelbereich (Food Hygiene E-Learning) Online food hygiene training course required for all employees handling food products in hospitality businesses. Includes official brochures and templates for optional in-house training, priced at €36 for members and €65 for non-members (plus 22% VAT).
• HGV-Kleinanzeiger (Classifieds) A classified advertising platform for HGV members to post and browse job opportunities, business sales, equipment, and other commercial listings within the hospitality community.
• HGV-Magazine (Digital Magazine) A digital magazine providing news, tax updates, legal information, and expert articles from HGV service departments to keep members informed about industry developments, regulatory changes, and association initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Customer satisfaction score of 9.1 out of 10 and 95% recommendation rate
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• FederalberghicoreOthersNational hotel association of which HGV serves as the territorial organization, representing South Tyrol's hotel sector at the national level
• FIPEcoreOthersNational hospitality and food service association of which HGV serves as the territorial organization for South Tyrol
• IDM SüdtirolstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tourism and innovation agency collaborating on projects promoting regional products in hospitality kitchens, such as the local egg initiative
• Südtiroler Bauernbund (South Tyrol Farmers' Association)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for promoting regional agricultural products in hospitality establishments, including joint initiatives for food origin labeling and regional sourcing
• Spezialbier-Brauerei FORSTminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInitiator and partner of the 'Südtiroler Wattkönig' card game tournament, a regional entertainment and networking event for hospitality members
• Dolomiten (Tagblatt)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for the Südtiroler Wattkönig tournament and other HGV events and initiatives
• Südtiroler Tourismuskasse (STK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration since the 1990s for conducting professional development and training activities for hospitality sector employees
• HGV-Service GenossenschaftcoreOthersHGV Service Cooperative providing service offerings, with tax number 00576540215 and state aid transparency disclosures
• Vitalpina Hotels SüdtirolcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAngebotsgruppe (product group) of 29 member hotels promoting nature-based wellness tourism in South Tyrol, celebrating 20th anniversary in 2026

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• UKHospitality: UK trade association representing hotels, restaurants, pubs, and foodservice operators. Provides advocacy, training, and member services comparable to HGV's portfolio, serving as a direct structural peer for hospitality representation in another European market.
• DEHOGA (Deutscher Hotel- und Gastronomieverband): German Hotel and Restaurant Association, the national trade body for hotels and gastronomy in Germany. Operates a structurally analogous portfolio of tax, legal, training, and advocacy services for hospitality businesses, making it the closest cross-border peer to HGV's role.
• GastroSuisse: Swiss trade association for the hotel and restaurant industry, serving an alpine tourism-driven economy very similar to South Tyrol. Provides member services, training, and advocacy comparable to HGV, with analogous regional/local chapter structure.
• American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA): U.S. national trade association for hotels and lodging. Performs a structurally analogous role to HGV (advocacy, training, member services) but at U.S. national scale, serving as a clear functional and structural peer.
• WKO Tourismus (Wirtschaftskammer Österreich): Austrian Federal Economic Chamber's tourism division, representing hospitality businesses in Austria. Operates a similar alpine tourism economy and chamber/association structure as HGV in South Tyrol, with comparable professional services and apprenticeship training programs.

Broad incumbents

• HOTREC: European umbrella trade association for hotels, restaurants, pubs, and cafés. Operates one level above HGV in the trade association hierarchy, providing pan-European policy coordination and advocacy that HGV channels into South Tyrol via its Federalberghi/FIPE membership.
• Federalberghi: Italian national hotel association representing hotels across Italy. HGV functions as Federalberghi's territorial organization in South Tyrol, making it the direct upstream peer in the same trade association hierarchy and giving HGV national reach through this affiliation.
• Confcommercio: Italy's main confederation for commerce, tourism, and services. Overlaps with HGV in tourism and hospitality representation and offers a similar professional services suite to Italian member businesses at national scale.
• Confesercenti: Italian confederation representing small and medium-sized enterprises including hospitality and tourism. A broader national peer to HGV, offering overlapping services such as tax advisory, training, and advocacy across multiple sectors.
• FIPE (Federazione Italiana Pubblici Esercizi): Italian national federation representing restaurants, bars, and food service establishments. Like Federalberghi, FIPE has HGV as its territorial affiliate in South Tyrol, providing overlapping structure and a comparable membership services mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hoteliers and Innkeepers Association