Sustainability has become one of the most critical
issues currently facing our world. Sustainability focuses on the idea of saving and supporting the
environment and not abusing it with our modern lifestyle requirements. However, this principle of sustainability has
often seen being neglected by the hospitality industry. The natural landscape
is destroyed by the construction of new hotels and resorts with little regard
for the natural surroundings and local communities.
The Conference
of Parties (COP23) on United Nations Climate Change held
in late 2017, stated: the carbon footprint of
the hospitality industry be reduced by 66% and 90% by the years 2030 and 2050,
respectively, in order to
keep global warming below the 2-degree threshold. The industry needs to realize the importance of ‘going green’ and
conserving the resources, not only for the benefit of nature but also to meet
the growing demand of the millennial travellers for more responsible and
sustainable options.
As
demonstrated by recent surveys, green travel is set to grow. A recent TripAdvisor survey showed that 62% of
US travellers always consider the environment when choosing hotels,
transportation and meal options. This
year, a growth of 36% is projected in the number of people looking for
eco-friendly staying options as compared to
the previous year. At the same time, the number of people interested in ecological
travel is set to increase by 39%. According to Deloitte,
95% of business travellers surveyed believe that the hotel industry should be
undertaking “green” initiatives.
In fact, 66% of the millennial travellers are willing to pay more to the
companies that are committed to creating a positive environmental impact. Hotels that demonstrate a high priority for environmental
sustainability develop a greater sense of loyalty from its customers.
Initially, the hoteliers eluded from the need of going
green thinking that it would incur great costs without bringing any difference
in customer experience. However, the opposite of the both is true. Not only do
the consumers prefer sustainable hotels; the renewable-energy related
technology has evolved majorly with recent advances made (solar, geothermal,
wind, etc.) which have made the use of such alternative resources very
economic. In fact, incorporating greener
choices and methods helps the hotels by saving on their costs to a
great extent.
Recently, there has been an evolution in “green
thought” in the hospitality community inspired by multiple factors. The hoteliers
have turned their focus to the importance of sustainability as it relates
to the environmental, economic and social impact. Hoteliers
are trying to provide an enhanced guest experience by integrating the natural
elements. Introduction of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, as well
as the preference for green buildings for new development projects, shows a remarkable shift in the initiatives towards
becoming more sustainable.
Aditi
Balbir, MD & Founder, V Resorts says, “Hotels
have become more observant about sustainability and are using several measures
to reduce the impact on natural resources - for instance, Taj uses recycling
plants to produce gas for banquets, Hyatt provides sustainable menus focused on
local sourcing and so on. As sustainability garners importance, various hotels
chains like ours focus on the creation of circular economies - where local
vendors supply directly to the hotel and in doing so, create a market directly
for their products”.
The
upcoming hotels can put to use eco-friendly concepts at the designing stage
itself; while the older hotel structures can also research and incorporate ways
to reduce waste and recycle items to become more eco-friendly. Initiatives like
going paperless, installing solar panels and motion-sensor electronic devices,
water management, minimizing the use of plastic-ware, planting more trees and making terrace gardens, recommending ecological
activities to the guests, will help in making a hotel eco-friendly. A streamlined methodology - Hotel
Carbon Measurement Initiative – has been adopted by twenty-three
global hotels, including Hilton and Marriott – in order to measure the
individual carbon footprint of the hotels depending on their locations. Over 15,000 hotels have already adopted this
approach. New and smaller hotels should also adopt such methodologies to keep
their carbon footprint under check. There are
various certifications available that label a hotel as eco-friendly, such as
LEED and ECOTEL certifications that have comprehensive principles to follow to
ensure that the hotel
is environmentally sensitive. Such certifications enable the customers to be
aware of a hotel's commitment to environmental principles and also make the
eco-audit of the company easier.
The facts
like high consumption of energy and water resources, use of consumable goods
and creation of perilous waste by the Hospitality sector has a dramatic impact
on the eco-system. Its increasing carbon footprint is a matter of prime concern and being ignorant and
oblivious towards green initiatives could have a potential negative impact on
the business. It is imperative to stay up-to-date with the emerging trends. The hospitality industry
needs to be aggressive and agile with their green initiatives in order to stay below the
global warming threshold of 2-degree. The concept of
sustainability in the hospitality industry is at the forefront of a new socially
responsible way to discover the world that seeks more authentic experiences,
where conservation and respect of local cultures are clear priorities.
