Hospitality Industry Going Eco- Friendly

Hospitality Industry Going Eco- Friendly

Hospitality Industry Going Eco- Friendly

Chapter 1: Introduction

With the expanding perception of international weather change and natural catastrophes, ecological defence is an issue of high topicality and relevance. Companies across all sectors try to develop products and practices with minimized environmental effect as part of social responsible practices, but also in order to establish themselves in a new niche for consumers with environmental concerns. This is furthermore factual for the hospitality and tourism industry where enterprises often rely on the integrity of the environment.

Hotels located in natural areas such as mountains or beaches for example, are especially dependent on the “healthiness” of their sites, and therefore some have been engaging in green practices and eco-tourism for several years. Restaurants however, are often less dependent to such environmental factors and have therefore shown less care for these issues. In addition, to the issue of environmental protection, the food service sector is also facing new challenges with regards to a general concern of the effect of food consumption on the health of consumers. With more and more UK citizens becoming overweight or obese and the yet unknown effect of genetically engineered food, healthier food is an important issue in the restaurant sector. That includes not only the use of organic food items, but also better food handling and preparation practices.

Realizing their image was at stake, several quick service restaurants have changed their attitudes towards environmental and nutritional issues and implemented certain improvements in favor of a healthier environment and healthier foods. For example, several years ago Mc Donald's has changed their packaging from Styrofoam to cardboard in order to produce waste that is biodegradable and reduce oil consumption. Furthermore, the company has engaged in several attempts to offer healthier food choices on their menu. However, it is questionable whether these quick service restaurants engage in green practices out of Corporate Social Responsibility or in an attempt to attract more customers and boost sales. For casual and fine dining restaurants, the impact on the environment is often less visible as they do not produce as much waste as quick service restaurants. They are also more often located in nicely landscaped spots with green areas around as opposed to quick service restaurants that are surrounded by concrete parking lots. On the other side, several restaurants have recognized the need for healthier food and implemented the usage of local or organic foods as well as healthier food preparation techniques.

The Purpose of the Study

The primary purpose of this study is to determine the current state and perceived advantages of environmental management and to identify whether top managers' personal attitudes toward the environment affect corporate environmental orientation and thereby determine corporate environmental behaviors in hotel companies. This study also examines the relationship between top managers' environmental attitudes and their motivations to go green to identify if the personal attitudes relate to managers' perceived advantages of environmental management. To do so, following objectives should be accomplished through this ...