The Hospitality and the Lodging Industries - Assignment Example

Introduction The Hospitality and the lodging industries have altogether seen a rapid growth over a decade and more and more emphasis is being laid out on tourist satisfaction and retention. In the view of growing tourism industry in various regions all over the world, the industry has witnessed intense competition and rivalry among the major players in the market. In UK alone, the industry employs more than 1.8 million people and this can clearly be viewed as a testimony to the fact that hospitality industry plays an instrumental role in the economy of UK. As this sector, continues to grow, it remains to a challenge as to how well it also lives up to the environmental standards laid by various organizations in the world. (Pamela.R.Cummings, 2001) With increasing awareness among the people regarding issues like Global Warming, Water and food conservation, hotels have once again come to spotlight on how well they comply with the international standards. There have been serious allegations that hotels always tend to neglect the environmental issues and have only profit maximization on their priority list and this has clearly added onto the concerns of the consumers towards the Hospitality industry. The attitude of the major players in the hospitality industry has only added on to the apprehensions of the consumers. This dissertation will mainly focus on ways to improve the present environmental scenario in the hotels and the strategies and ways implemented by them in combating the ill effects of environmental contamination caused directly, or indirectly by them. It will also analyze as to how various hotels have been focusing on issues like minimization and management of wastage, energy conservation, and sustainable food, staff training. It will also try and come up with practical environmental initiatives for the hotels. (Conrad Lushly, 2004) As rightly pointed out in the first dissertation, the hotels, barring a few prominent and well known ones, do not configure or install any kind of energy-saving systems which clearly conflicts their statements generally about their concerns towards environment. Of course, they may be expensive to install, but the fact that the energy sources save a lot of energy clearly should send a message across that they help in reducing the overall operating costs of the hotel, if not in the short run, but definitely in the long run. Hence, in this dissertation, I also come up with a few measures for the hotels for the installation of specific devices and then will also list out the advantages of implementing the same. In the wake of globalization followed by rapid growth of various industrial sectors and the mounting concerns towards the ill effects caused by the industrial growth, this is clearly an area worth researching. Though this deals with the research of only the lodging and hospitality in UK, I can say that this will clearly indicate the amount commitment hotels give towards environment.(Tyya.N.Turner, 2001) This dissertation aims at coming up with alternatives to the existing proposals for the installation of devices and discusses the benefits for the same. It also elucidates the fact that installation of energy-saving devices will surely ensure in customer retention and moreover, will reduce the operating costs in the long run. Moreover, installation of such devices will make the hotel maintain eco-friendly and clean atmosphere which will clearly go a long way in enhancing the reputation of the Hotel and will definitely set an example for others to follow. Literature review This section deals with much more concrete measures that have to be taken up by the hospitality industry and the hotels concerning specific aspects of the environment practices being followed and how they can improve on them. Waste Reduction/Management. At a time when the natural ecologies are in the state of crises and when the rapid depletion of natural resources, it is indeed a matter of concern to the healthy nations and economies who boast if exponential growth. It is indeed a massive challenge for us to strike the right kind of balance between the rapidly growing economy and at the same time, lay more and more emphasis on the declining resources and go in search of ways to revive them. This is not just a challenge to a few set of individuals-it is a massive challenge the whole mankind has to overcome, else survival of our generations to come, will, inevitably be difficult. In this context, the hospitality and the tourism sectors all across the world have a very major role to play. Maintaining cleaner environment not only improves their prosperity and helps them retain their customers, but also creates an awareness which could really create an impact and develop the urge in the customer to preserve the environment, cultural heritage and also other formulated ethics. A brief look at the following instances clearly reiterates the important role the tourism industry has on its shoulders in preserving environment. It also shows how oblivious the sector has been towards public issues, having only profits on the top of their list of priorities. 1) In the Mediterranean, a startling revelation was made regarding the usage of water. The study said that for daily purposes, one tourist used the same amount of water as 8 local people there. 2) A 5-star hotel in Egypt was found to consume as amount of electricity as almost 5000 middle-income households in a certain period of time. 3) In a country like Nepal, which is plagued with issues like de-forestation and has acute shortage of fuel, a trekker can use almost 4-5 kilograms of wood. The above-mentioned cases are just a few illustrations of the impact tourism has on environment. The following issues need an urgent consideration with regards to the tourist industry. Land Erosion Poor Land planning coupled with improper site selection have caused a lot of soil erosion in those areas. This problem is found to be more in low-lying and coastal areas with very fertile lands and vegetation has been adversely affected with these improper constructions of tourism facilities. Hotels are being constructed on the banks of various rivers in the name of better site-views, thus helping in drawing more customers but this has already caused a severe problem to the locals there by causing landslides and consistent flooding. Regular construction of walls and dams is being done to curb this problem but this was often found to exacerbate the whole problem by increasing the intensity. 'Archeological' Pollution Many archeologists and cultural heritage workers in UK have been accusing the various hotel managements of indulging in 'Architectural Pollution', which's destroying the culture at many regions in the country. An eco friendly management should ensure that the following aspects are in place regarding waste reduction/management. Many of the Architects have found that the recent building designs of various hotels in such areas, which have a cultural significance, fail to integrate with the original structures thus causing a concern towards preserving of cultural heritage. Added to this many hotels come up along the coastlines, valleys and scenic routes. They bring with them the problem of traffic congestion, litter and effluent disposal. 'Loss of vegetation' Tourism construction involves many activities like, digging, leveling, and dredging which can destroy the whole of the soil in that area. This can cause problems like soil erosion; fire risks and can also cause blocking out air or light. This can cause imbalance of the eco-systems in the surrounding areas and can also cause instability in the surrounding area by introduction of non-native species. Tourists add on to this problem by littering around and causing nutrient imbalance of soils. No proper regulatory measures by the government have prompted various managements to construct and set up hotels on a large-scale. The tourists are also to blame for the loss of vegetation to a large extent. Activities like camping, traveling can cause loss of cover vegetation leading to soil erosion and soil-blowouts. On flat lands, this is learnt to have minimal effects but on hilly areas, trampling is said to have removed the roots of various species. Tourists have also indulged in large scale plucking of flowers, plants and this can cause changes in the species composition. The tourists also have been found to indulge in deliberate plucking of the young trees to use them as walking sticks. This is a danger to the eco-system and alters the age structure of the plant giving the species only a few trees to mature. (Otto Hutzinger, 2001) The 'Interiors' The management should ensure that the amount of adhesives incinerated should be sent to and made to use as cover material to keep the landfill waste in place thus saving money, and also ensuring that the landfill environment in properly maintained. Proper ventilation system should be in place to eliminate fugitive emission points. Install waterless urinals, which will reduce wastage of water to a significant extent. Install energy efficient light bulbs and appliances. Install low-flow showerheads and sink aerators in all the cabins. Install compact fluorescent bulbs and light sensors in low-traffic areas. As tourism continues to expand to the most remote areas in the UK, it is extremely important for the industry to learn better management of the impacts they cause to the biodiversity existing in the region and try to reverse the effects of change, at least to some extent. Tourism-Effects on Wildlife Viewing, photographing are all-important parts of wildlife tourism. But these activities have made the tourism industry a victim of its own success. As early as 1975 saw many environmentalists express concerns about the growing number of resorts and hotels in the natural wildlife sanctuaries across UK. This issue hasn't just been plaguing UK but has been affecting many other countries as well. Many Wildlife writers have reported numerous instances about the distraction in the wildlife habits of the animals in the woods due to the movement of the tourists, safari vehicles which are usually sponsored by leading hotels, which arrange for the jungle visits. There have been many instances reported about children fatally separated from their mothers due to accidents caused by the off-road traveling of the safari vehicles. These incidents have, many-a-time instilled a sense of fear in the wildlife and hence, we do not get to see wildlife moving around when a safari travels in the woods. (Gunter Murz, 1997) Littering and waste dumps by the tourists and the hospitality lodges attract a huge breed of species. This causes a variation in their feeding patterns, which, in turn, is dangerous to the surrounding eco-system and the breeds, and this can also raise security concerns as we can expect wildlife moving around the lodges for their diet. Hence, the lodges need to have a comprehensive approach in dealing with these issues and have to dump all their wastes at some specific place in the woods, which is inaccessible to a normal tourist.(Gillian Dale, 2005) All these issues collectively affect the growth of wildlife species and are directly responsible for vegetation loss and also contribute directly to the biodiversity loss. Tourism-Water contamination Lodging managements have come up with new ideas of improving tourism and have specifically targeted places like wildlife sanctuaries, coastlines and river bases for their hotel construction. Though Tourism is not just the major source of water contamination, places where water is present are also places where people get to swim, sail and fish. Though this may seem very meager when compared to the kind of water pollution industries indulge in, this is definitely one major source, which the hotel ling industry should sit up and take note of. Of late, resorts have come up near many coastal areas and these have their own share of positive and negative impacts. (P.P.Wong, 2002) The environmental hazards caused by the resorts were commonly found to be these: pollution arising from sewerage discharges changes to the coastal processes, coastal dune changes and vegetation changes etc. Coastal erosion is also one of the side effects of the setting up resorts along the coastal lines (P.P.Wong, 2002) It is a well-known fact that sewage in pure water causes release of pathogens, which is clearly a human health hazard. Sewage in salt water is especially dangerous because the existing salinity causes bacterial breakdown of the waste. Solid wastes and dumps of various industries do not just cause inevitable damage to the aquatic life but also is an unhealthy sight to watch and harmful when they wash up to the shore. Not to forget the oil spills, which cause an irreparable damage to the aquatic life. Unfortunately the hospitality houses across the sea lines and the river bases always indulge in the above said methods and hence, directly contribute to the damage to the aquatic life in rivers and oceans. (Roy.D.Dodson, 2001) It is also worth mentioning that seasonal characteristic of tourist visits cause a sense of lethargy amongst the management of the hospitality houses during months of inaction. Hence, this leads to poor maintenance of the equipment available. Poor maintenance only adds to the environmental concerns. (Stephen.A.Clement, 2001) In the first dissertation, which the author had undertaken there weren't any concrete arguments to prove that the tourism industry affected the environment. Also, there was a clear mention of the hospitality houses reluctant to install environment-friendly devices to avoid spending too much of money, but the latest trends show that the houses are more inclined to spend more on installations of such devices keeping in mind the long term benefits they can acquire. Though the fact still remains that many hotels are still averse to such installations, there has been a significant rise in the number of establishments inclined to the installations. (Gillian Dale, 2005) The UK Department of Environment has come up with the following estimates with respect to the savings of the establishments when it comes to preventions of emission of various levels of gases. The department came up with a really surprising fact that the hospitability houses could save up to as much as 10% if they could install other alternatives. This clearly shows that a hotel can come down on its costs every month if they could focus on getting the installations done in a proper way. Also, as mentioned in the feedback that was received to the first dissertation, we just cannot rely on mere video clippings shown on various TV programs but have to really research on the various aspects of environmental damage. Though TV can provide us with the abstract view of how things look like at a very nascent level, the real problems plaguing today's mankind are many. Hence, getting down to research on various aspects is mandatory as far as this project is concerned and I feel that the above-mentioned aspects could go a long way in addressing them. Methodology and methods used Research methodologies are basically classified as quantitative and qualitative analysis. A brief insight into the two is given below before going into the kind of research methodology used in answering the major research questions. Quantitative analysis- this analysis identifies the crucial factors affecting a particular aspect and tries to analyze them by quantifying them (Wikipedia, 2005). Relative comparison is also done in this regard with the same aspect researched in various organizations and a comprehensive analysis is made in determining the strengths and weaknesses of that aspect. This makes use of mathematical tools like statistics and other methodologies. Qualitative analysis- this analysis deals with answering specific questions with regards to the research work being done and looks out for key answers. Questions related to various aspects will be answered by not taking into consideration the numbers i.e. the objects will not be quantified and the analysis will be done accordingly. Hence, in this dissertation, I have used qualitative analysis and have answered specific questions and not quantified anything. The reason why I embarked on qualitative analysis is that this research demands more reasoning techniques and requires that the researcher be able to comprehend the situations. Clearly quantitative analysis fails in this regard. Mathematical tools play a very minimal role in my research as can be seen from above. (Wikipedia, 2005) For the purpose of researching the various environmental practices taken up by the organizations, I intend to visit different hospitality houses, which are major players in UK and conduct a survey answering the following questions. 1) Why has the management decided to construct the hotel there and not close to some other tourist spot 2) Where is the waste generated out of all the processes in the hotels going into 3) What kind of vegetation is generally cultivated in the surrounding areas of the hospitality establishment 4) What measures has the hotel been taking in order to see to it that less-energy consuming devices are installed 5) What places do tourists generally go to after checking into the hotel and how does the hotel ensure the safety of the species around it 6) What has been the customer retention percentage of the hotel and how many of them are satisfied with the environmental practices undertaken by the management The data can be obtained from a variety of sources like the books and the Internet. The Internet can be a wide resource for all the environmental practices formulated by various hospitality houses in UK. There are hotels in UK, which only confine their environment ideas to a piece of paper and seldom implement them. Hence, a consortium of hotels need s to be formed keeping in mind the long-term benefits of the hotels and also to practically prompt the other hotels to install the equipment and join hands with them to accomplish the mission of zero impact on environment due to the tourism industry in UK. Also, views of various environmentalists will be taken into consideration about the kind of impact the hospitability industry creates on the environment. Conclusion There's much to be done by the UK hospitality industry and it clearly needs to improve on its style of functioning with respect to protecting environment. Many of the efforts of the hotels in that direction drew flak from the environmentalists as many of the efforts were half-hearted. Hence, as mentioned above, the only solution I can conceive is that all the major players should start installing the environment-friendly devices and form a consortium of sorts whose main responsibility will be to see to it that zero-impact on environment is made due to the tourist establishments in various places across the country. A few measures have also been mentioned in the dissertation on how to improve the interiors of the hotels, to not just prevent environmental damage, but also reduce the operating costs and increase their profits in the long run. It is also worth mentioning that many major players in the UK have drawn appreciations from their visitors for good environmental practices being implemented. Thus, it also helps in improving customer retention and also improves the branding image of the establishment when it is associated with eco-friendly certifications and practices. REFERENCES 1) Otto Hutzinger.B (1991), Current environmental hazards, Technology and Arts Publications 2) Roy.D.Dodson (2001), Storm Water pollution control, McGrawHill Professional 3) Clayton.W.Barrows (1999), Hospitality Management Education, Haworth Press 4) Tyya.N.Turner (2005), Vault guide to Hospitality and Tourism Industry, Business, Economics, Finance 5) Stephan.A.Clement (2001), Building Basic Types for Hospitality Industry, John Wiley and Sons 6) Gillian Dale (2005), BTEC National Travel and tourism, Harcourt Heinemann 7) Conrad Lushly (2001), In search of Hospitality-Theatrical perspectives, Elsevier 8) Eric Laws (2004), Improving tourism and hospitability standards, CABI Publishing 9) Pamela.R.Cummings (2001), The role of Hospitability Industry in the lives of Individuals and families 10) Wikipedia (2005), information on quantitative research at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_method 11) Wikipedia (2005), information on qualitative research at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualitative_method 12) Gunthur Murz (2005), Wildlife Resources-A Global account of economic use, Springer 13) P.P.Wong (2002), Tourism and Environment-Economic, Social and policy issues. 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