Dynamics of Hospitality Industry Management - Assignment Example

? Dynamics of Hospitality Industry Management PART I (GENERAL 0 Introduction Sustainable development in the hotel industry can be defined as a holistic concept based on the need for development that is cognizant of the current needs without compromising the capacity or capability of the future generation to have their needs met. Sustainable development must be operationalized, based on profit -making and inclusion of stakeholders and the environment. The main aim of sustainable development in the hotel industry is to secure economic development, environmental protection and social equity. The industry has had major the negative impact on environment. The impacts have revolved around the usage of water, electricity, non-renewable energy and food wastage. Some hotels have been accused of spilling industrial refuse into rivers affecting the aquatic ecosystems. The hotel industry is embarking on training and equipment to ensure that employees make conscious decisions that encourage sustainability. This includes formulation institutional policies that enhance sustainability. The hotel industry hopes to reduce the waste output, energy consumption, water consumption and carbon dioxide emissions through adopting renewable energy. 1.1 Purpose of the report The purpose of the report is to analysis the sustainable development issues that the hospitality industry should focus on to ensure the quality of the future generations is not compromised. The report shall recommend solutions that could positively impact the sustainability management programs and unique additional solutions. PART II (SPECIFIC) 2.0 Westin Hotel Macau The Westin Hotel Macau is part of the Starwood Hotels Group. The Hotel focuses on creating a better world experience by placing special attention to communities and environment. 2.1 Brief Background Westin Hotel Macau is a leading luxury resort located in the Greater China. The 208 room hotel is placed in scenic sites to give the guests lasting experiences. The facility is situated on the south Eastern tip of Coloane Island near the Macau international airport. The facility is part of the 185 Westin hotels and resorts worldwide. The hotel has world class facility that aims at giving guests experiences and not just services. Therefore, the management of the hotel has invested in the qualified manpower and new environmental and financial energy management programs. This is likely to make the hotel globally competitive, high in demand and established. 2.2 Mission statement The Hotel has a mission of helping individuals and communities to attain their maximum potential through strategic perspectives. 2.3 Environmental impact analysis The hotel industry has had a negative impact in the environment. Hotel in the past did not have a comprehensive energy conservation policy leading to the usage of high levels of energy. The equipments used were doubled the energy needs of the hotel. The hotel had little control of the energy consumption and regulation among the employees. This included failure of basic strategies for electricity and water conservation. Most of the energy conservation opportunities were not captured. The negative impacts were seen in the food wastage, unnecessary use of electricity and weak sewerage systems within the entire facility. Most of these negative impacts were propagated by the employees. However, the hotel has developed a comprehensive environmental and energy resource management. This is based on the needs to sustainability. The Westin Hotel managed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by over 3 kilograms in 1998. This happened through performing industry specific energy audits and training hotel staff on the need to conserve energy. The facility uses water from treated sewerage in its main golf course. The employees have been trained to minimize electricity usage i.e. using natural light, eliminating unnecessary usage of the cooling systems and enhancing the efficiency. The hotel is investing in employees to ensure that a minimization of physical wastage. Many hotels are turning to lumber when constructing sustainable hotels (Apostolopoulos et al 2002). The environmental and social responsibility greatly depends on the ownership and management of the facility. Promoting economic, environmental and social longevity is more effective when voluntary measures are taken. 3.0 Environmental sustainability at Westin Hotel- Macau 3.1 Government policy The Macau government is playing a significant role in ensuring sustainability in the industry. This government has brought together major stakeholders with an aim of ensuring energy conservation and sustainability is entrenched. After a government initiative, four hotels adopted hardware and software for water consumption. The government is pushing for installations that ensure swimming pool water is used in flushing toilets (Richards et al 2000). The policy aims at encouraging training and birthing a water-saving society. The water saving measures has been incorporated in the government policy. This has caused a reduction of wastage by 342 million cubits. Certification agencies and associations of the state are expected to play a significant role in sustainability programs and developing positive environmental impact (Singh 2012, 39). The certification agencies are expected to rate hotels based on their commitment to environment. Studies show that the hotel industry creates excessive wastes (Asefa 2005). This includes large amounts of water and electricity. The government is formulating community policies that result in biodiversity preservation and sustainability in the hotel industry (Baker 2006, 40). This is happening through emphasizing on ethical responsibility in resource management and transparency. This has resulted in the launch of pollution preventing and environmental assistance strategies and programs. The government has green certification programs that offer important endorsements for the organizations that promote sustainability in the hotel industry (Sloan et al 2009, 31). 3.2 Water usage; Company environmental initiatives The Westin Hotel and the hotel industry by extension are beginning to identify environmental change through conserving and reusing water. This is manifested through the installation of low-flow appliances within the facilities as part of what the company is doing to achieve objectives. Low-flow showerheads and faucet restrictors are being used to in hotel rooms (Duval 2004, 25). The outcome of the strategy has lowered unnecessary water consumption by 25-30 percentage. The strategy has lowered the sewage costs saving thousands of dollars (Zeppel 2006, 22). The industry is also embracing the mass use of linens and towels. Recycled water can be used in laundry operations within the hotel industry operations (Haggar 2007). Irrigations and grey water capturing systems are increasingly becoming popular in the industry. This promotes sustainability. Grey water is being used in landscaping (Jamieson 2006, 43). The recycled water is used in many operations within the industry. Westin hotel is investing is draught resistance plants. This makes landscaping easy and economically viable. Most hotels are harvesting rainwater for use in their facilities (Kosseva et al 2013, 22). Some of the water conservation initiatives include the installation of automatic shut-off for sinks, the use of hands-free controls and installation of laundry wastewater recovery systems (Liang et al 2010). 3.3 Food wastage Food waste can be defined as organic waste originating from inputs in food production or food. Food waste produced in hotels dining activity can be reused. At the moment, most of the food waste ends up in the landfills (Lockyer 2007). Food wastage is categorized as physical wastage that occurs within the industry. The food wastage in Westin Hotel and other hotels within the industry is based on excessiveness. This arises from reliance on unsustainable sources (Macleod et al 2011, 30). Hotel industry is investing is modern compost systems. The compost systems are known to develop fertile soils which are used for landscaping purposes. The food wastes can also be donated to charities (Middleton et al 2001, 41). Food wastes must be repurposed and in some instances it can form material used in developing biogas fuel (Matias et al 2013, 29). The hotel has a food waste prevention program whose aim is to reduce food waste disposal by half. 4.0 Conclusion Sustainability is increasingly becoming a necessity in the hotel industry. The management of hotels must instigate strategies that preserve competitiveness progressively across generations. This calls for practical measures to reduce overdependence on non-renewable energy. Minimizing food and water wastage is set to create a positive impact in the quest for sustainability. The changes may result in minimization of adverse effects on the environment or the people. Therefore, the management of the hotel is exploring waste recycle, installation of energy efficient technology and alternative energy to ensure sustainability. The strategies being anticipated must involve the use of natural light and renewable energy. The staff needs to be educated on the need for environmental conservation within the hotel. 5.0 Recommendations Just like Mandarin Oriental Hotel, The Four Seasons Macau could consider using geothermal energy or install solar panels. This is likely to reduce overdependence on non-renewable energy. The management of the hotel should supply guests with re-usable water bottles. At the same time, the single sized amenity bottles should be faced out. This can be done through the use of soap dispensers to limit waste. The management must have a practical and sustainable strategy of promoting the local economy. This may include employing from the vicinity of the hotel. This can lead to relationships with local non-profit organizations to can receive unwanted goods. The hotel can source materials from the local community leading to a reduction of transportation. Transportation is the hotel industry is one of the major causes of wastage. The hotel must develop a comprehensive plan for educating the employees and guest of the need for sustainability. Informal meetings with the public can help people to understand the hotel policies which are critical for the success of the program. Conservation and sustainability must become part of the organizational culture. The hotel must invest in energy conservation measures like insulation, eliminate harmful chemicals and preserve trees onsite. The strategic orientation of buildings with sunlight and revamped recycling programs must be implemented through a strict action plan. Bibliography Air & Waste Management Association. 2004. Sustainable Development and the Importance of Chemicals Management in the 21st Century December 7-9, 2004, Westin Hotel, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Pittsburgh, Pa: Air & Waste Management Association. Andreas, Fred. 2011. A Simple Path to Sustainability Green Business Strategies for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger. Apostolopoulos, Yiorgos, and Dennis John Gayle. 2002. Island Tourism and Sustainable Development Caribbean, Pacific, and Mediterranean Experiences. Westport, Conn: Praeger. Asefa, Sisay. 2005. The Economics of Sustainable Development. Kalamazoo, Mich: W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. Baker, Susan. 2006. Sustainable Development. London: Routledge. Baldwin, Cheryl. 2009.Sustainability in the Food Industry. Ames, Iowa: Wiley-Blackwell/IFT Press. Cothran, Helen. 2003. Garbage and Recycling: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego, Calif: Greenhaven Press. Duval, David Timothy. 2004. Tourism in the Caribbean Trends, Development, Prospects. London: Routledge. Haggar, Salah El. 2007. Sustainable Industrial Design and Waste Management. Amsterdam: Elsevier / Academic Press. Jamieson, Walter. 2006. Community Destination Management in Developing Economies. New York: Haworth Hospitality Press. Kosseva, Maria, and Colin Webb. 2013. Food Industry Wastes Assessment and Recuperation of Commodities. Burlington: Elsevier Science. Liang, Zhiman, and Xin Ye. 2010. The Employees' Roles on Service Delivery: Case Study on Haibin Hotel & Westin Hotel in China. Ga?vle: University of Ga?vle. Department of Business Administration and Economics. Lockyer, Timothy L. G. 2007. The International Hotel Industry: Sustainable Management. New York: Haworth Hospitality & Tourism Press. Macleod, Donald V. L., and Steven A. Gillespie. 2011. Sustainable Tourism in Rural Europe. London: Routledge. Matias, Alvaro, Peter Nijkamp, and Manuela Sarmento. 2013. Quantitative Methods in Tourism Economics. Heidelberg: Physica-Verlag. Middleton, Neil, and Philip O'Keefe. 2001. Redefining Sustainable Development. London: Pluto Press. Richards, Greg, and Derek R. Hall. 2000. Tourism and Sustainable Community Development. London: Routledge. Singh, A. 2012. Hotel Sustainable Development: Principles & Best Practices. Lansing, Mich: Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Sloan, Philip, Willy Legrand, and Joseph S. Chen. 2009. Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry: Principles of Sustainable Operations. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann/Elsevier. Zeppel, Heather. 2006. Indigenous Ecotourism Sustainable Development and Management. Wallingford: CABI. Read More