Green Management Tools as a Way to Sustainable Behaviour in the Hotel Industry: Case Study from Czechia

Abstract

Sustainability has long been a buzzword and is also currently one of the major priorities of tourism all over the world. In many places, hotels function as a driving force for socio-economic development, serving as employers for the local population, but also providing space for meetings, conferences, private/family events, and ceremonies. Unfortunately, the hotel industry is also considered an industry characterized by the consumption of considerable amounts of resources. These include mainly energy and water consumption, but also waste production. Emphasis is placed on the role of the communication between the various players involved in the operation of hotels. The article deals with applying elements of green management in a selected hotel in Czechia. It analyses the implementation of green management elements and principles of sustainable development in accommodation services. The primary data were conducted from April 2017 to March 2018 and we used structured and semi-structured interviews with the TOP management of the hotel and by author observation. We used the methods of scientific work, i.e., the analysis, mathematical, and statistical methods. As part of economic and social activities, cooperation with suppliers in the close surroundings of the hotel and the selection of local employees work well. Room for improvement has been observed, e.g., in supporting local infrastructure or promoting environmentally friendly types of transport.

A Conceptual Framework Proposal Regarding the Engagement of Hotels in the Modern Fight against Unsustainable Food Practices

“…Using this approach allows to support not only local communities and sustainable food production, but also reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation and processing of food products [45]. In this matter, hotels are focusing on menu optimizations to include seasonal, locally available ingredients and plant-based options [46,47]. This promotes biodiversity conservation, reduces the environmental impact of food production, and provides healthier and more sustainable dining choices for guests [48].…”

Sustainability Measures Implemented in the Hotel Industry. Case study: Romania

“…Thus, hotels are increasingly considering sustainability issues in their business models and strategies (Sakshi et al, 2020). Sustainability has long been a buzzword and is also now one of the top priorities of tourism around the world, including for the hotel industry (Scholz, Linderova, Konecna, 2020). The practices applied in order to increase the level of sustainability of activities in the hotel industry refer to the lowest possible consumption of energy from polluting sources and replacement with renewable resources (solar, wind), installation of water meters and possibly automatic batteries that substantially reduce the consumption of water, the implementation of a system for the selective collection and storage of rubbish, the reuse and recycling of certain materials, the predominant use of cloth napkin or reprocessed paper napkin, the use of sustainable materials for the construction of new buildings, or interior and exterior design, as well as training and educating employees to develop sustainable behavior (Ham and Lee, 2011;Doğan et al, 2015;Iamkovaia et al, 2019).…”

Desarrollo turístico promotor socioeconómico.

“…En el mismo contexto Sánchez, Mazariegos, Milla y Martínez (2020) nos propone mejorar la infraestructura de las comunidades y así aumentar la oferta turística, entregando al turista una variedad de productos como son sitios para conferencias, conciertos, eventos familiares, etc. (Scholz, Linderová, y Konečná, 2020;Riveros, y Olmedo, 2020) o ganar espacios a las islas (Duvat, 2020), pero para poder tener un desarrollo sostenible esta infraestructura debe ser un factor que no destruya la calidad del ambiente (Wibawa, Prijambodo, Fauzi, y Shabrina, 2020;Elmo et al, 2020;Peterson, DiPietro, y Harrill, 2020;Quevedo, Medina y Rivera, 2019). Las vías ferroviarias son un incentivo para mejorar el turismo (Jou, y Chen, 2020).…”