Abstract
A blooming hotel industry has the downside of an increased negative environmental impact. At the same time, many hotel guests and employees have become conscious of eco-friendliness and green practices. In addition, 2017 was by United Nations declared as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, with the emphasis on (among other elements) resource efficiency and environmental protection. A hotel that has obtained green certificate(s) promises green services, products, and operations, and possesses thereby (potentially) important strategic assets, when it comes to attracting customers and employees. Many green certifications are offered within the hotel industry, such as for example Green Globe and Green Key. However, which certificate(s) to choose is a strategic choice for the hotel management. In this paper, we examine green certifications in order to determine similarities and differences among them. As part of the research, we analyze the usage of green certificates in different regions (e.g. Southeast Europe). Even though many of the certifications are offered internationally, we identified clear differences in dissemination across regions. In addition to region, our motivation factor analysis shows that belonging to a hotel chain/brand seems to be highly influential on the choice of certificate(s).
Highlights
The hospitality industry is one of the world’s largest and most important industries
Eco-friendly options are welcomed within the hospitality industry, where e.g. both hotels and airplanes opt for greener solutions
The study found that green certification may be sought by hotels due to a number of different benefits associated with it
Summary
The hospitality industry is one of the world’s largest and most important industries. The study found that green certification may be sought by hotels due to a number of different benefits (e.g. cost saving and an effective environmental management system) associated with it With this background it seems evident that there is a big potential for the hotel industry to rethink business models and services aiming to reduce the consumption and waste, and to increase the sustainability oriented experiences of the hotel guests. As the most recent study shows [7], hotels fear losing their domestic and international reputations when they fail to uphold environmental conservation standards, they want to demonstrate that they are doing so by gaining green certification This creates an effective green corporate image. A section on findings is presented and, a conclusion, limitations and suggestions for further research are offered
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