Award Date

12-2010

Degree Type

Professional Paper

Degree Name

Master of Science in Hotel Administration

Department

Hotel Administration

First Committee Member

Billy Bai, Chair

Number of Pages

75

Abstract

In the 1980s hotel operators became concerned with greening and sustainability. It was at this time the hospitality industry began focusing on energy efficiency and the sustainable development of tourism (Chan & Lam, 2001; Welford, Ytterhus, & Eligh, 1999). Since then, a global trend has emerged as hotels introduce programs to reduce the amount of resources used and the overall environmental impact they have on the planet, or their carbon footprint. The hospitality industry has introduced programs such as recycling in both the front and back of the house, energy-efficient lighting, towel re-use programs, linen exchange programs, Green Certifications, and alternative ways to provide bathroom amenities, especially toiletries, in order to operate more sustainably (Lee & Heo, 2009; Millar, 2009). However, the industry can do much more to become even more sustainable. The paper is divided into three parts. In Part One, the purpose, statement of problem, objectives, and justification will be discussed. Part Two will review the scholarly literature and ascertain the prominent themes essential to this paper. This paper first explores the corporate social responsibility programs that companies are implementing. Further topics investigated within the literature review include sustainable environmental practices currently utilized in the hospitality industry and how consumer attitudes, rating agency regulations and certifications impact hotel operators directly and indirectly. Other topics include guest satisfaction and behaviors leading to more sustainable practices. The final section provides managerial suggestions for implementing recommendations that will assist hotels in their endeavors to become more environmentally sustainable.

Keywords

Hospitality industry – Environmental aspects; Hotels; Sustainability

Disciplines

Hospitality Administration and Management | Sustainability

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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