Tourism and Hospitality Management (Dec 2018)
Energy efficiency as a business policy for eco-certified hotels
Abstract
Purpose – Green business awareness has been steadily increasing among employers and guests, and a large number of green certificates for hotels are being developed around the world. However, Croatia has only about 40 certified green hotels with a "Sustainable Hotels" certificate. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether these certified hotels operate in an energy- efficient way, and discover what the managers’ attitudes are towards hotel energy management. Design/Methodology – This study was conducted by sending an e-mail-based questionnaire to Croatian hotels with a “Sustainable Hotel” certificate. The questionnaire, based on a comprehensive literature review, was administered in two stages, and consisted of two groups of questions. The first group used closed-ended questions with a Likert scale, ranging from 1 (worst) to 5 (best). The second group used open-ended questions meant to explore the views of energy efficiency managers. Findings – When it comes to energy efficiency, Croatian hotels have not yet reached the EU level, but there is great potential for responsible energy management development. The results of this survey point to the fact that some hotels in Croatia see significant benefits in terms of attracting ecologically conscious guests, but also lower operating costs. From the questionnaires, it can be concluded that managers and hoteliers are insufficiently informed about energy efficiency or the measures necessary to achieve satisfactory energy savings in general. Originality of the research – Even without applying for the actual eco-label, eco-labelling criteria can be used as guidelines for improving the energy efficiency performance of a hotel. The obtained results represent a relevant information base necessary for managing energy savings and energy efficiency.
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