Tourism and Principles of Sustainability - Gambaro Hotel - Case Study Example

Tourism and Principles of Sustainability (Name) (Institution) . Introduction To understand how tourism activities, align with or deviate from principles of sustainability we will analyze Gambaro hotel. Gambaro hotel is located at Caxton St, Petrie Terrace in Brisbane Australia and it offers leisure and luxury services to its customers. The hotel was started in the year 2014 by the Gambaro group and it has a total of 68 rooms where customers spend their time (Timo & Davidson, 2005). The purpose of this essay is to look at the challenges facing the hotel in its operations and the sustainability issues which the hotel must look after so that the future generations will not be affected. The essay will also look at the strengths and weaknesses of the hotel in addressing the sustainability issues. Challenges Facing Gambaro hotel Operation Competition from other Hotels- as the hotel industry continues to change with time the element of competition won’t just go away. Hotel Gambaro is located in a place where we have many similar businesses seeking to catch the same number of visitors. This kind of competition can be bad and it can force the hotel close if it is very stiff. Also, the number of soft-brand hotels offering cheap accommodation are increasing each day and this gives visitors options to choose from. The only way to counter competition from this kind of businesses is to control the quality of service on a daily basis (Jin-zhao & Jing, 2009:). Tightened Labor Conditions- the hotel industry is facing labor-related challenges which include union issues, increased health care, dwindling labor force among others. The slowing population growth rate and a population that is aging provide hotels with fewer people who are in the working-age group. This means that the number of qualified hoteliers is shrinking considering that the number of hotels is increasing. Unions formed by employees in the hotel industry have proven to be a great challenge. This means that employees can strike and no action will be taken against then since they are protected by unions. Hotels are finding it difficult to employ and retain employees for a long period of time because the cost of health and other benefits have increased significantly in recent time. This forces Gambaro hotel to be selective when employing qualified staff. Many hotels like Gambaro rely on workforce from other countries to fill entry-level positions which aim at making foreigners feel welcomed. Since the introduction of temporary working features, hotels have been forced to look for an alternative source of employment. This means that the hotel faces a challenge of relating with foreign visitors who cannot speak more than one language (Davidson at el, 2010). The Growth of Airbnb – Airbnb is a hospitality activity that enables people to rent lodging for a short period of time. These lodgings include apartment’s rentals, homestays, vacation hotels, hotel beds among others. The companies which rent these properties do not own them but they act like brokers and they benefit by getting a commission from both the hosts and the guests for every booking made. The price of every facility is determined by the host and the broker has no say. The dominance and rise of Airbnb is a great challenge to Gambaro hotel because visitors are preferring this kind of accommodation to that one provided by the hotel (Ryan, 2002). Loyalty is Declining – in the past, hotels used to count on customers’ loyalty but in today’s world loyalty is declining fast. A survey carried out recently by global consulting firm Deloitte shows that only 8% of the people interviewed will remain loyal to the same brand. This means that in the new era of hotel industry it is not guaranteed that you will retain the same customers for a long time if you do not provide good services. The online booking systems have also caused a decline in loyalty because they can search and compare prices of different hotels at the comfort of their homes or workplaces. As hotel visitors research on issues of accommodation hotels are feeling the pressure of reinventing loyalty programs. Sustainable Industry A sustainable industry is that which its main objective is to meet the needs of the present generations without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their needs. A sustainable industry is characterized by efficiency in energy use, conserving the natural resources to satisfy the needs of future generations, improved working conditions, reduced waste production, and the use of carbon-free and other materials that do not pollute the environment. For hotel Gambaro to be a sustainable tourism business it must portray the above characteristics (Dresner, 2008). Important sustainability Issues Environment issues- environment conservation is a sustainability issue that hotel Gambaro is facing. It is the responsibility of every organization that is involved in tourism business to conserve the environment so that the future generations will be able to meet their needs. Guests visiting Gambaro hotel produce garbage which is not recyclable and ends up clogging up the environment. There is a major challenge of making sure that this waste that is generated by visitors is disposed well and it does not affect the ecosystem. The cost of conserving the environment is higher in cities and this only magnifies the challenge. Many people from different parts of the world visit tourist’s attraction sites and seek accommodation in hotels like Gambaro. As they travel in large numbers greenhouse gasses from airplanes are emitted and this pollutes the environment. The increased use of natural gas, gasoline, and coal in cooking and in transportation has increased the amount of pollution produced by hotels. Guests who visit Gambaro hotel often leave food in tables and ends up in the trash. This creates a very big problem for the environment for it is demanded to produce more and at the same time, it is polluted. The waste generated after a large number of guests visit the bathroom and toilets is a great danger to the environment keeping in mind that the hotel is situated in the CBD. There is a high probability that this waste may be treated and recycled back for human consumption. This can lead to loss of lives if the process of water purification is not done well. Hotels and other tourism businesses waste a lot of water from long guest showers and huge pools. The machines used by hotels to wash their dishes are not efficient at saving water and this may affect the environment because of the increased demand for the resource (Kang at el, 2012). Economic issue- the idea of green operation is becoming more and more expensive as years’ progress. A recent research shows that hotels a becoming less and less interested in green operation because of the economic impact it has on them. Guests are also not willing to participate as this operation reduces the activities of leisure and luxury. The increased cost of raw materials used by Gambaro and others means that with time they will not be viable economically and they will not be able to sustain themselves for long. Strict economic status compromises sustainable development as the required systems will not be financed. Social and Cultural Issue- tourism destination like Gambaro hotel are not only tasked to preserve the culture of the local communities but also to promote its existence. It is a sustainability issue because future generation behavior is greatly determined by the present culture. Incoming guests from other countries pose a great danger to local culture and social patterns. Foreign cultures have the power to absorb the existing culture for good. Tourists have the tendency to visit a place because of culture and if the culture existence is threatened it means that people will no longer visit and hotels will no longer sustain themselves. Tackling the Issue of Sustainability As discussed earlier, sustainability seeks to develop the current situation without affecting the environment and compromising the ability of the future generations to satisfy their needs. Sustainability focuses on many aspects ranging from the environment, economic issues, social cultural practices, issues of organization management among others. In this essay, we are going to use the Ecotourism Australia ROC and ECO certification criteria to assess how Gambaro hotel addresses sustainability. We will look at three areas that the hotel strongly addresses sustainability and three where it has failed to address (Hobson & Essex, 2001). The Ecotourism Australia ROC and ECO certification criteria assists any kind of business to assess if it is sustainable or not. Tourism depends entirely on the natural environment and social cultural practices of the local communities and for any tourism business to be ECO certified its products and services must be focused on nature. The ECO and ROC certification program has eight sections which are used in this assessment of operation and they are: business management and operational planning, responsible marketing, customer satisfaction, Environmental management, Interpretation and education, working with local communities, cultural respect and sensitivity, contribution to conservation. These eight sections may be seen as strengths and weaknesses of some business since they may address one section more than the other. Weakness of Gambaro Hotel in Sustainable Practices Satisfying its Customers – a situation where products and services offered to customers meet or exceeds their expectations it is said that they are satisfied. The best way for any organization to know if it is satisfying its customers is by evaluating the feedback from customers. Hotel Gambaro has received very bad reviews from customers who have visited the place. This indicates that the hotel services and products are not in any way satisfying their customers. One customer wrote on their website that they do not have enough parking space and customers are forced to park their cars elsewhere and then head to the hotel. Business Management and Operational Planning- every organization in any organization in Australia is required to observe and comply with statutory laws and regulations, to have a working insurance that even covers its employees, to have an existing business plan that seeks to promote ecotourism business, to have a healthy marketing plan, to have effective management policies for its employees and a working customer service that leads to customer satisfaction. Gambaro hotel has failed to comply with some of these requirements and it has faced lawsuits with both the workers and the government. The employees of this organization have not been provided with a good health care scheme which is a requirement made by the government. It has no good systems that aim at satisfying their customers who end up complaining about it on their website (Kuei & Lu, 2013). Responsible Marketing- hotels are required to provide their visitors with information about their location, the environment around them and the kind of people that live near the hotel. The case where visitors come to find out that the hotel does not have enough parking space proves that the hotel never provides accurate information to its customers. They do not tell the customers the truth that they miss parking slots and this is not responsible marketing. The information provided to customers about the place and services offered should paint a true picture of what to expect when they actually visit the premises. Strengths of Gambaro Hotel in Sustainable Practices Environmental Management – tourism business like hotel Gambaro are required to be responsible in matters concerning the environment. The activities of any hotel organization are supposed to be coordinated in such a way that they protect and preserve the surrounding environment. Gambaro hotel has put in place good mechanisms that ensure the surrounding environment is well preserved. Currently, all wasted from the swimming pools, bathrooms, and the kitchen is purified on site and recycled to be used in other activities like washing the compound and watering flowers. Also, it is encouraging its customers to use free carbon products that do not pollute the air around (Graci & Dodds, 2008)). Cultural Respect and Sensitivity- the natural values of a local or country encourages people to visit and witness for themselves. The cultural values of where any organization like hotel Gambaro must be conserved as they determine if people will visit or not. The local community is to be consulted first before any tourists’ activities are carried out in the area. The organization and the local community must agree that there will be good and bad outcomes if the activities are carried out. Hotel Gambaro has ensured that the culture of the local community is respected by ensuring visitors are taught the values of the place and advised to respect their way of life. Working with Local Communities – the local community forms an integral part in ecotourism business like Gambaro hotel. The local community and the Gambaro hotel must enjoy the benefits of tourism business together. The main benefits that come with ecotourism are employment of tour guides from the local community and the use of local facilities. Gambaro has done well in this section as most of its employees come from the surrounding local community. The main supplier of raw materials to Gambaro hotel is the local community and this helps them in getting a ready market for their produce. Recommendations to Hotel Gambaro It is a right of every customer to be provided with sensitive information that concerns him/her before visiting any tourist destination. Gambaro hotel has done very little to ensure their customers have enough information about parking facilities. I would recommend Gambaro hotel to build more parking facilities or give their customers an alternative parking facility near the premises. Gambaro hotel should have the courtesy of providing detailed information about their parking facilities so that customers are able to plan their visits. Employees determine if an organization will be profitable or not and therefore they must be motivated to work for the greater good. Gambaro hotel is not supposed to deny its employees the right to good medical care as their performance in a competitive market depends on them. Therefore, I would recommend that Gambaro hotel puts in place systems that will improve the working conditions of its employees. Gambaro hotel has failed to acquire legal requirements that every tourism business must have and it has been taken to court by the government. This in long run will affect Gambaro hotel daily operations and it may result to loses. Therefore, I recommend hotel Gambaro to get the required legal documents to operate as an ecotourism business. References Dresner, S. (2008). The principles of sustainability. Earthscan. Kang, K. H., Stein, L., Heo, C. Y., & Lee, S. (2012). Consumers’ willingness to pay for green initiatives of the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(2), 564-572. Hobson, K., & Essex, S. (2001). Sustainable tourism: A view from accommodation businesses. Service industries journal, 21(4), 133-146. Kuei, C. H., & Lu, M. H. (2013). Integrating quality management principles into sustainability management. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 24(1-2), 62-78. Graci, S., & Dodds, R. (2008). Why go green? The business case for environmental commitment in the Canadian hotel industry. Anatolia, 19(2), 251-270. Davidson, M. C., Timo, N., & Wang, Y. (2010). 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