Harnessing renewable energy technologies for energy independence within Zimbabwean tourism industry: A pathway towards sustainability

Abstract

Zimbabwe heavily relies on conventional energy sources, such as firewood, coal, thermal power, and hydropower, for meeting its energy needs. This research aims to explore the relationship between renewable energy technologies (RT), green tourism supply chain management (GTSCM), and energy independence in the context of Zimbabwe's tourism sector. Employing a quantitative methodology, data were gathered from 507 managers using stratified random sampling and the Krejcie and Morgan approach. Questionnaires were administered through Google Forms, and data analysis was performed using SMART PLS 3 software. The findings indicate direct significant relationship between renewable energy technologies (independent variable), green tourism supply chain management (mediator) and four dependent variables: energy grid resilience, energy self-sufficiency, energy capacity, energy access and efficiency. The T-statistics values for each of the nine direct hypotheses were all greater than the threshold of 1.96, ranging from a minimum of 2.765 to a maximum of 9.822. Furthermore, variance accounted for (VAR) analysis shows that green tourism supply chain management completely mediates the connection between renewable energy technologies and energy grid resilience (GR), explaining 64.1 % of the variance. Moreover, it has significant partial indirect impacts on other dependent variables like energy self-sufficiency (ES), energy capacity (EC), and energy access and efficiency (EA), accounting for 25.7 %, 20.4 %, and 42.1 % of the variance respectively. These results highlight how renewable energy technologies and GTSCM are crucial in shaping energy independence outcomes in Zimbabwe's tourism industry. The research proposes that adopting renewable energy technologies and practicing GTSCM can enhance energy independence and sustainability in the tourism supply chain. The significance of these findings provides useful guidance to policymakers and industry stakeholders, assisting them in formulating strategies that promote sustainable practices and achieve long-term energy independence objectives.