Sustainable Development Goals Localisation in the Hospitality Sector in Botswana and Zimbabwe

Kaitano Dube

doi:10.3390/su13158457

Abstract

Many countries have fronted tourism as a tool for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their voluntary national reviews. Nevertheless, very few studies have examined how the tourism industry has been localising SDGs. Therefore, this study is borne out of that knowledge gap. A qualitative approach comprising the use of primary and secondary data from integrated annual reports was adopted. The study found some progress made by hotel companies in localising SDGs. It emerged that Cresta Hotels and the African Sun group of hotels are only at the inception stage of SDG localisation, focusing on several SDGs that respond to the socio-economic and environmental demands of the environments they work in. Given that most of the work under the SDGs only began inception between 2018 and 2019, there is still a long way to go before meaningful progress can be reported regarding SDG localization, with preliminary evidence showing that the hotel industry is likely to have made significant inroads when the SDGs lapse in 2030 if their efforts are not disturbed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study recommends continuous monitoring and support for the sector as the SDG framework offers a better and more focused sector to achieve sustainable and responsible tourism in Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Highlights

As the year 2030 draws closer, which will mark the lapse of Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there is a need to take stock of sectoral gains made to achieve Sustainable Development Goals
The study was aimed at examining the progress made in SDG localisation by the hotel industry using Cresta and African Sun hotel groups that operate in mainly Zimbabwe and Botswana, amongst other African Countries
The study found that the hospitality industry in the region still has a long way to go to ensure SDG localisation

Summary

Introduction

As the year 2030 draws closer, which will mark the lapse of Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there is a need to take stock of sectoral gains made to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Nowhere else is it more imperative than in the developing world, where poverty, hunger and inequality are expected to worsen because of the COVID-19 pandemic [1]. There is, no doubt that the sector expected to assist host communities with achieving the SDGs is the tourism and hospitality industry. This notion is supported by Sharpley [3] and Mabibibi et al [4], who argued that tourism has the potential to contribute directly and indirectly to all the 17 SDGs and related 169 targets

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion