Critical Questions in Sustainability and Hospitality

Description

Informed by the scholarly and practical viewpoints of a myriad of internationally recognised experts, this engaging and timely volume poses a set of pertinent questions that cover critical and contemporary sustainability issues in hospitality and tourism and proposes actionable solutions. Embellished with informative tables, diagrams and photographs, key questions and debates are discussed from a variety of angles with proposed solutions by industry practitioners, academics and consultants belonging to the Hospitality Net World Panel on Sustainability in Hospitality. Designed to facilitate contemporary discussion and debate, this book presents constructive dialogues which are designed to lead to action within the hospitality industry and education. Key questions cover the following topics: • Major contemporary sustainability challenges – e.g. climate change, biodiversity loss, impacts of pandemics, water scarcity, human right risks. • Specific hospitality functions or departments – e.g. food and beverage, engineering, health and safety, guest relationship, finance, purchasing, human resources. • Strategic issues related to marketing and stakeholder relationships – e.g. sustainability working groups, return on sustainability investment, marketing and reporting sustainability, certification, supplier relationship, engaging guests. This book is an essential reading for students and academics in the field of hospitality and tourism management, as well as industry professionals searching for answers to the challenges they face in enacting sustainability in their business. Cover Half Title Endorsements Title Page Copyright Page Contents Figures Tables Contributors Preface References Organisation of the Book PART I Global Sustainability Challenges Facing the Hospitality Industry 1 Climate Change 2 Biodiversity Loss 3 Water Scarcity 4 Human Rights Risks along the Supply Chain 5 Risk Management PART II Operational Sustainability in Hospitality 6 Food Waste and Net Zero Ambitions 7 Food and Beverage Sustainability Criteria 8 Future of Food and Menu Design 9 From Wellness to Wellbeing 10 Balancing Health and Safety and Sustainability 11 Incentivising Guests to Save Resources 12 Charging Guests for Carbon Emissions 13 Sustainable Procurement and Product Certification 14 Zero Plastic in Hotels 15 Rewarding Employees for Sustainability Commitment 16 Attracting Talent through Sustainability PART III Hospitality Strategies, Metrics and Stakeholder Participation 17 Green Teams and Unlocking Collective Intelligence 18 Supplier Relationship and Sustainability Standards 19 Return on Sustainability Investments 20 Key Metrics and Reporting Sustainability 21 Marketing Sustainability 22 Communicating Sustainability to Guests 23 Engaging Guests in the Sustainability Experience 24 Stakeholder Engagement and Regenerative Hospitality 25 Hotels and E-mobility 26 Incorporating Nature in Sustainable Hotel Design 27 The Greater Purpose of Hospitality Acknowledgements Introduction How to Use this Book Additional Note for Educators Editors' Take PART I Global Sustainability Challenges Facing the Hospitality Industry PART II Hospitality Operational Sustainability PART III Hospitality Strategies, Metrics and Stakeholder Participation Part I: Global Sustainability Challenges Facing the Hospitality Industry 1. Climate Change: Leading question: A vicious circle? How does the hospitality industry impact the climate and how is it impacted by climate change? Introduction: The great acceleration How does the hospitality industry impact the climate? How does climate change impact the hospitality industry? Conclusion References 2. Biodiversity Loss: Leading question: How does the hospitality industry impact and benefit from biodiversity? Setting the scene: What are we talking about? Threats to scale: Biodiversity erosion and others How does the hospitality industry benefit from biodiversity? What are the impacts, and which should be mitigated? Planning phase Building phase Operational phase References 3. Water Scarcity: Leading question: How does water scarcity affect hospitality operations and what can be done? Introduction Water scarcity The problem with tourism How does water scarcity impact tourism and hospitality? What can be done? Drinking water solutions Wastewater and grey water treatment Measuring to manage Laundry Smaller-scale actions Bathrooms Laundries Kitchens/restaurants Swimming pools Landscaping and gardens Behaviour of staff and tourists Conclusion References 4. Human Rights Risks along the Supply Chain: Leading question: How can hospitality address, prevent and mitigate human rights risks directly and along its supply chain? Addressing human rights risks Why is the hospitality industry vulnerable to human rights risks? Labour-intensive industry Complex hotel ownership structure Complex procurement practices Complex recruitment processes Countries of operation Hotel-guest relationship privacy Why migrant workers are vulnerable to exploitation Principles on Forced Labour Five essential elements of ethical recruitment 1. Respect the rights of workers throughout the labour recruitment process 2. Adopt the Employer Pays Principle () 3. Carry out human rights due diligence on business operations and supply chains 4. Respect workers' right to freedom of movement 5. Provide access to remedy Mitigating human rights risks: How to get started Developing policies Carrying out due diligence Measuring and reporting Setting up grievance mechanisms and correcting unavoidable adverse human rights impacts Joining forces Case studies: Examples of multi-stakeholder cooperation between government, civil society and the hospitality sector Case study 1: Promoting ethical recruitment in the hotel and tourism industry Case study 2: Aligning Lenses Towards Ethical Recruitment: The recruitment and migration journey between the Philippines and the GCC countries Useful resources References 5. Risk Management: Leading question: How can the hospitality industry manage risks and build resilience towards pandemics, climate change and other threats? Introduction What is disaster risk and how can it be managed? What is resilience? Resilience in the hospitality sector What unique challenges does the hotel industry face? Pandemics and the hospitality industry Climate change and the hospitality industry Natural disasters and the hospitality sector Terrorism and the hospitality sector A Framework for Resilience and Sustainability in the hotel industry Good (resilience) practices for hotels Hotel industry response to the COVID-19 pandemic Beyond COVID Tackling climate change Standards on disaster risk management and climate change adaptation Software-supported resilience assessments Conclusion - Hotels as key agents in disaster resilience References Part II: Operational Sustainability in Hospitality 6. Food Waste and Net Zero Ambitions: Leading question: What is the importance of food waste prevention for net zero ambitions? Introduction Key concepts in the climate, food and waste narrative Climate change and greenhouse gas emission reporting Defining food and food waste Food, food waste and the concept of value Barriers to preventing food waste Structural barriers Infrastructural barriers Organisational barriers Cost barriers Behavioural barriers The art of changing human behaviours In conclusion References 7. Food and Beverage Sustainability Criteria: Leading question: What are the food and beverage criteria necessary to operate sustainably? Introduction Sustainability approaches within the hospitality industry (and the criteria derived from them) Corporate social responsibility (CSR) Environmental/social/governance programmes (ESG) Criteria to assess sustainability efforts in F&B Sustainable and healthy food (procurement, production, consumption, etc.) How to benchmark sustainability efforts in F&B? References 8. Future of Food and Menu Design: Leading question: What does the menu of the future look like? Introduction Personalised gastronomy Sustainable developments in the menu of the future Moving away from traditional animal protein Sustainable agriculture alternatives Emerging consumer technologies that shape the menu of the future Personalised Gastronomy Framework for the menu of the future Concluding remarks References 9. From Wellness to Wellbeing: Leading question: What is the path to stakeholder wellbeing? Introduction: What is the path to wellbeing? Aligning people and planet's health as a core principle The role of the hospitality industry to foster wellbeing Towards developing comprehensive hospitality wellbeing touchpoints Hospitality wellbeing for individuals and the environment Hospitality wellbeing for the community Sustainable wellbeing wheel Conclusion References 10. Balancing Health and Safety with Sustainability: Leading question: How can health, safety and sustainability be balanced? Introduction The importance of tourism to the world economy The role of health and safety in hospitality and tourism The importance of health and safety General cleaning processes and chemical consumption Pool and Jacuzzi safety Food safety Water safety Green certification programmes in hospitality, catering and tourism Conclusion References 11. Incentivising Guests to Save Resources: Leading question: Should guests be incentivised to save resources at the hotel? Introduction Tactical incentives for room occupants Guests are 'happy' to apply responsible behaviours ... that is their reward Research on incentives to encourage guests' pro-environmental behaviour How incentivisation can go further Gamification - what is it? Using technology to gamify and self-motivate guests' responsible behaviours How My Green Butler applies gamification Conclusion References 12. Charging Guests for Carbon Emissions: Leading question: Should hotels levy a carbon emission fee? Climate change is a global risk Environment fund Positive impact The Myanmar Stoves Campaign The Darfur Stoves Project Soneva Forest Restoration Project, Thailand The Soneva Wind Turbine Guest feedback Energy efficiency, renewable energy and carbon offsets Conclusion and recommendations About Soneva References 13. Sustainable Procurement and Product Certification: Leading question: Should certified products be made mandatory? Introduction Purchasing in the hospitality industry Benefits of voluntary and mandatory certification in procurement Limitations of mandatory certification Searching for a solution Industry examples Examples beyond hospitality Proposed framework for decision making Conclusion Note References 14. Zero Plastic in Hotels: Leading question: Is plastic-free the new norm in hotels? Introduction and context Plastic and tourism Changing attitudes to plastic pollution Plastic use in hotels The challenge for hotels What can hotels do? Follow the waste reduction hierarchy Hotels leading by example Other tools and resources The role of certification Plastic neutrality The likelihood of plastic-free becoming the new norm for hotels References 15. Rewarding Employees for Sustainability Commitment: Leading question: Should staff be rewarded for committing to sustainability endeavours? Introduction The role of the HR function Employee perceptions Rewards Rewards and sustainability Conclusion References 16. Attracting Talent through Sustainability: Leading question: Does sustainability help attract and retain talent? Introduction The meaning of talent and talent management Sustainability in the context of talent management The building blocks of sustainable talent management Diverse and creative talent Employer branding and value proposition Coopetition Conclusion References Part III: Hospitality Strategies, Metrics and Stakeholder Participation 17. Green Teams and Unlocking Collective Intelligence: Leading question: How can green teams be made to flourish? The promise of green teams Current state of green teams Success factors for green teams Building collective intelligence Facilitating green teams Unlocking the potential of green teams References 18. Supplier Relationship and Sustainability Standards: Leading question: Should hotels require suppliers to comply with specific sustainability standards? Sustainable procurement Driving scalable impact by engaging suppliers How to best engage suppliers The role of standards and certification How to navigate the landscape of sustainability standards by material Plastic alternatives Language - best practices to ask your suppliers for Standards and certifications - what to look for Paper products Language - best practices to ask your suppliers for Standards and certifications - what to look for Appliances and fixtures Language - best practices to ask your suppliers for Standards and certifications - what to look for Food procurement Language - best practices to ask your suppliers for Standards and certifications - what to look for Cleaning and personal care products Language - best practices to ask your suppliers for Standards and certifications - what to look for Fair labour Language - best practices to ask your suppliers for Standards and certifications - what to look for Creating a sustainable procurement policy Training Conclusion References 19. Return on Sustainability Investments: Leading question: Is sustainability paying off? Introduction The triple bottom line approach in hospitality businesses TBL across the hospitality asset life cycle Aligning timeline and strategic vision of stakeholders Towards establishing returns on sustainability Conclusion References 20. Key Metrics and Reporting Sustainability: Leading question: How and what key sustainability metrics should hotels report? Introduction What is sustainable tourism? Why does sustainable tourism matter? What is sustainability reporting? Why report? 1. Ensuring legislative compliance 2. Meeting key global climate goals 3. Meeting investor requirements 4. Improving performance 5. Meeting changing consumer demand 6. Attracting and retaining the best staff - the linchpin of all hotels 7. Improving supplier relationships 8. Strengthening public relations What key sustainability metrics should a hotel report? How should hotels report key sustainability metrics? Environmental metrics Social metrics Governance metrics Case Study Con-Serve™ - data-monitoring and reporting platform References 21. Marketing Sustainability: Leading question: How should a hotel market its sustainability initiatives? Marketing sustainability Marketing sustainability to suppliers Who Why What Where Best-practice example Marketing sustainability to staff Why What Where Best-practice example Marketing sustainability to local community Who Why What Where Best-practice example Marketing sustainability to authorities Who Why What Where Best-practice example Marketing sustainability to partners Who Why What Where Best-practice example Marketing sustainability to potential customers Who Why What Where Stage 1: Appeal and engage Stage 2: Trust and convert Best-practice example Stage 1: Appeal and engage Stage 2: Trust and convert Marketing sustainability to in-house customers Who Why What Where Stage 3: Exceed and wow Stage 4: Loyal and repeat Best-practice example Stage 3: Exceed and wow Stage 4: Loyal and repeat Conclusion References 22. Communicating Sustainability to Guests: Leading question: How should sustainability be communicated to guests? Why are you communicating about sustainability? Hilton International Accor Group IHG Hotels & Resorts Marriott International Wyndham Hotel Group Choice Hotels Communicating to customers 1. To convey the commitment to 'responsible business' practices 2. To create a sense of purpose for customers during their hotel stay 3. To measure both the savings of water and energy use and reduction of waste from customer efforts Who are you communicating to about sustainability? How are you communicating about sustainability? Communication method suggestions Technology delivery for customer communication Personal communication by hotel staff with customers Interactive sustainability-themed activities for customers Collaborative programmes for customer education and participation Concluding remarks References 23. Engaging Guests in the Sustainability Experience: Leading question: How can hotels engage guests in sustainability endeavours and experiences? Introduction Hotel trends: From technology to the search for meaning and authenticity Guest and sustainability endeavours Case Study: Golden Bay Galapagos and MUYU 1. Sustainability 1.1 How is sustainability developed in the hotel? 1.2 Which areas of management are involved? 1.3 Bearing in mind that the hotel is integrated in a natural area, how do you interact with the nature and fauna of the area? 1.4 Are luxury and sustainability incompatible, or perhaps doomed to understand each other, or a necessity? 1.5 The Galapagos Foundation, how is the hotel part of it, what role does it play and what will be the next projects? 2. Circular economy: What is being done in different areas affected by the circular economy in the business (recycling, local produce, environmental care, suppliers, gastronomic offer and zero waste)? 2.1 Recycling 2.2 Local produce 2.3 Environmental care 2.4 Suppliers 2.5 Gastronomic offer 2.6 Zero waste 3. People management 3.1 How do you link the local people to the hotel? 3.2 What do you bring to the area? 3.3 Are there any intergenerational interventions? 3.4 How do you 'empower' women and young people through your project? 4. Customer profile 4.1 What are customers looking for in this space? 4.2 How do you think they have been adapting to what you are offering? 4.3 How do guests interact with the environment? 4.4 How do they live the sustainable experience that the hotel offers to visitors? 5. The future 5.1 How do you see the future of sustainability linked to hotels? Conclusion References 24. Stakeholder Engagement and Regenerative Hospitality: Leading question: What is the role of stakeholders in advancing sustainability and regeneration in tourism and hospitality? Introduction Regenerative business practice Rethinking tourism: From sustainability to regeneration Embracing the regenerative development approach in tourism contexts Moving forward: Concrete actions for regenerative tourism References 25. Hotels and E-mobility: Leading question: Should hotels adopt charging stations? Introduction Demand drivers for e-mobility and electric charging stations Consumer demand for electric vehicles Policy support for e-mobility EV charging and the lodging industry Innovation and the lodging industry Benefits and perils of early adoption Drivers of hotel adoption of EV chargers Reasons for caution Embracing the transition to e-mobility References 26. Incorporating Nature in Sustainable Hotel Design: Leading question: How can sustainable hotel design incorporating nature effectively contribute to social and environmental regeneration? Introduction Setting the stage A jungle of concrete and the search for the unspoiled Restoration as a response to damaged habitats Leading the way The goals of sustainable hotel design Nature-based solutions and hotels Biophilia and hotels Biophilic design and hotel applications Conclusion Notes References 27. The Greater Purpose of Hospitality: Leading question: How can purposeful hospitality be developed? Introduction The emergence of purpose in hospitality Historical background to hospitality and purpose Traditional CSR vs. purpose from a consumer perspective A framework for evaluating purposeful outcomes Does the initiative trigger emotions and lead to positive customer outcomes? Is the initiative instrumentally good for the business that provides it? Does the EMCE create trade-offs? Does the EMCE imply larger societal implications? Significance to hospitality, conclusions and next steps Significance to hospitality Conclusions Next steps References Conclusion A note on additional reading and resources Index