10 - Energy efficiency in tourism sector: eco-innovation measures and energy

Abstract

In recent years, the debate on the sustainability of economic growth has come strongly to the tourism sector. The enormous importance that the leisure industry is reaching in the world, with record numbers of movement of travelers, determines the need for this industry to also submit to the new paradigm of sustainable growth, a demand that until now has focused on industrial sectors but no in the tourism sector. Tourists have changed their requirements in terms of demand, introducing the environmental variable as one more element when deciding destination and service providers they are going to contract with. The response of tourism companies to this need has been diverse although, in general, they have focused on the application of measures that, in addition to preserving the environment and improving their corporate image, have resulted in cost savings. These include, in particular, the measures that aimed at reducing water and energy inputs, two of the elements that represent a greater economic expense for hotel establishments. Based on data from Technological Innovation Panel database prepared by the Spanish National Institute of Statistics and the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, in this chapter we have been able to determine the role played by this business goals of reducing energy cost in the innovative measures implemented by tourism companies. The results obtained suggest that the relevance of reduction on energy consumption as goal of innovative measures implementation is significantly influenced by process innovation, product innovation, and organizational innovation. To be located in the region of Catalonia, to belong to a chain, or to receive public funding are the characteristics of the firm that increase that possibility. The general context of the economy is relevant in the adoption of innovative initiatives.