STATUS AND ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES OF

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRIES IN LAGUNA

A Thesis
Presented to the faculty of the
College of Hospitality Management and Tourism
Laguna State Polytechnic University
Siniloan, Laguna

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirement for the degree
Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Managemet

CLARRISSE ANN LATOZA FANTILAGA

2019
 CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEMS AND ITS BACKGROUND

I. INTRODUCTION

According to Wei Min (2011) to attain noticeable improvement, the managers

and operators of the hospitality industry must be eager to perform in an

environmentally liable manner. They should assert enough intelligence to the

environmental issues applicable to their activities, and enough funds to apply

state-of-the-art environmentally good practices. Tourism is a lot viewed as the

availability of an unsoiled physical environment without the pollution as the

industry, but the hospitality industry, due to its very specific function, in use

characteristics and services provided, consumes ample quantities of energy,

water and non-durable products. The consequential environmental impacts of

hospitality facilities are in consequence naturally bigger than individuals caused

by other type’s buildings.

The hospitality industry is a major sector of the tourism industry, it is also

acting a most important job in contributing to environmental sustainability, and

there is an inherent danger that we might harm the very basis on which

hospitality is built. According to the annual research of World Travel and Tourism

Council (2010), the tourism industry generated more than 235 million jobs and

contribute over 9% of the global gross domestic product-a level of production that

has had a considerable impact on economic, social, and environmental

conditional globally. Naik says, that tourism is a profitable cost-effective making it

an conically enticing industry for countless countries, however, the benefits of it

are a lot accompanied by loads of destructive environmental and public impacts,

includes; revenue leakage from the community, air noise, and water pollution,

degradation and depletion of natural resources, biodiversity loss, labor issues,

encroachment and overbuilding, also it consumes valuable raw materials such as

energy, water, food, wood and plastics.

Hospitality industry is a fascinating state of affairs for the reason that it

exposes several of the conflicts which arises in implementing environmental

policies (Kirk). Hospitality industry forms a large part of the tourism industry,

hotels and other type of accommodation contribution 2% of the 5% global CO2

emission by the tourism sector. It has been estimated that 75% of hotels

environmental impacts can be directly related to excessive consumption of

resources and it creates unnecessary operational costs.

The operators of a hotel require water, heating, cooling, lightning, a laundry

system, and appliances, all of which have a significant impact on the

environment. On the other hand, hotels, especially resort hotels, rely upon the

natural environment to attract tourist and to increase their profits (Hassan, 2000;

Kasima, 2006; Wahab & Pigram, 1997). According to Bohdanowicz, he identified

that hotels resource intensive and that waste generation is one of the most

visible effects on the environment. Actually, an average hotel produces in excess

of one kilogram of waste guest per day.

 The hotels, as a core sector of the hospitality industry, according to

Mungai and Irungu have benefited from environmental initiatives through

civilizing corporate image and mounting source and energy efficiency and

Sumedha Naik said that the requisite to adopt environmental tribulations has

grown to be an of the essence argument of interest of the hoteliers and

managers throughout the world, manufacture a contribution to solving these

harms is repeatedly referred to as “greening”. The forever escalating

environmental lots generated in/by the built environment and their developing

diversity arrange for supplementary actual dealings designed at dipping the

ecological hoof mark of buildings. In the tourism industry (hospitality), hotels tab

for a sizeable quantity of the largely pollution generated by this sector. The

capability of implementing added sustainable practices in the hotel sector

requires the availability of steadfast tools for assessment and benchmarking of

hotels environmental performance. A quantity of such tools takes part in

international environmental organizations, turn associations and constant hotel

operations.

II. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Mungai and Irungu says, that in the hotel sector, there are special practices

connected with environmentally friendly concerns and they scale from pollution

prevention to environmental education. This research defines green practices as

internal efforts or actions of a hotel to apply environmentally pleasant practices

with the intended of seemly green hotel. Hotels are at present determined to
embrace green practices even though there is no universally agreed upon

definition of a green hotel.

Green Engineering expects any design to incorporate “environmentally

conscious attitudes, values, and principles, combined with science, technology,

and engineering practice, all directed toward improving local and global

environmental quality’(Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2008).

However, the design must also be feasible and must adhere to the first canon of

engineering practice; holding paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the

public (Vallero, 2018). The Slogan “think globally, act locally” has been around in

green politics for a long time but it is still very relevant. Problems are created at a

local level through the business, leisure and domestic activities of individuals.

According to Ishmael Mensah, the environmental management has become a

critical issue for the hospitality industry in the wake of calls for sustainable

tourism development and growing environmental awareness among tourist,

governments and associations consequently, the green movement and eco-

tourism have become trends in the tourism industry, and as a new trend,

environmental management has been vigorously pursued especially by

multinational hotels, resort and restaurants and has given birth to international

and regional initiatives, certification schemes and the awarding of eco-labels.

For the most part managers (60.5%) were concerned of having environmental

statements in their hotels whereas 39.5% of them were not aware. In

substantiate of these findings NEMA reported that a small number of Hotels

Company had participated in the green initiatives and adopted a pro

environmental plan (Mangui & Irungu). Kirk (2008) renowned that management

dedication and aid the essence to support managerial dreams about

environment. He added hearsay that the support of senior management is not

only critical in ensuring conformity with environmental procedure but in addition

resolving conflicting objectives in hotel operations. After environmental policies

are approved upon objectives obligations are reputable and the basic capital

provided to get them. The objectives must direct to undecided programmed of

changes which be supposed to be communicated to individuals complete mixed-

up. Ishmael Mensah noted that environmental management practices maintain

habitually been geared towards discount outlay on energy and water. Nearby

control been diverse initiatives by hotels, initiatives international organizations,

NGOs and trade associations in the arrangement of eco labeling, certification,

publications and awards. These have shaped larger awareness of environmental

management in Hotels. It is so imperative for hotels which comprise not to

embrace the theory to believe a second gaze since environmental job does not

simply safeguard the environment on which hotels depend but additionally fill

them from official tussles, save costs, promotes consumer fidelity and enhances

the reputation of hotels. They should assert enough intelligence to the

environmental issues applicable to their activities, and enough funds to apply

state-of-the-art environmentally good practices. Healthy ecosystems and

environments provide necessary supplies and services to humans and other

living organism. In the twenty-first century, we are witnessing a rising populace

and rising levels of use for each capita. Human inability to take their actions into

an outline that conserves the environment and save energy is essentially altering

the planetary system. Such patterns as distinctly as rising energy use are

depleting raw means and degrading the environment.

III. LITERATURE REVIEW

From a customer‘s perspective, McDaniel and Rylander (1993), the hospitality

product consist of main attributes, which bring in its functional accomplishment

and non-essential attributes that delivers derivative benefits, which includes it

environmental performance. It is difficult to find a hospitality product that is 100%

environmentally-friendly. Products are defined as “environmentally-friendly”. If in

some way they aim at reducing a products negative environmental impact.

(Hindle etal, 1993, Pujan and Wright, 1996, 1999). Many environmentalists trace

the “green” lifestyles to the moment when the space program gave us the first

view of the earth from space. Some conclude that it was at this point and were

fully aware of the fragility of the planet. With the passage of time the knowledge

of the individuals enhanced, which made them more aware that life on this planet

was special and worthy of its being conserved. In the last two decades the

concern for environment has raised spreading awareness among all. This is the

result of terms like “Ozone depletion, “greenhouse effect” and “Acid rain”, coming

to surface and the increase in the level of awareness all over (Walker, 2000).

Worcester reports that environmental management, which emerged in the 1980s,

is the new and important aspect of management and will be adopted by an

increasing adaptation of environmental management in hotel firms seems to

have been sparked off by growing concerns over the impacts of tourism on the

environment (Ishmael Mensah).

According to the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and

Development, by installing visible eco-friendly technology (such as solar panels,

low flow showerheads, recycling bins, etc), hotels can lower their environmental

impact while also gaining attention for conservation from travelers. Due to

hospitality’s high visibility around the world, the industry has not only the potential

to save millions by “going green” for social change (Ryan 2002). And Mensah

noted that the service sector businesses like hotels, resorts and restaurants have

some inherent characteristics which exacerbate their impacts on the environment

namely; time perishable capacity, heterogeneity, labor intensity and customer

involvement in the production process. An attempt was thus made here to study

the level of environmental knowledge and awareness of hospitality industry

manager. The prevalence of ecological initiatives in daily operations was

examined to evaluate the potential impact on the operations of individual

establishment of national sustainability policies and the general level of

environmental awareness in the country. According to Miriam Mbaseral et al,

(2016) that in many parts of the world reveals that accommodation-based dirt

and unwanted resources are dumped absolutely into lakes, rivers and seas

without any compassionate of giving out beforehand, in this manner creating

health hazards and an aesthetically objectionable environment. As element of

tourism, the generosity sector has played a crucial part in ecological

deterioration, even though its impacts include not been as profound as folks of

automobiles, airlines and cruise ships. However, a better burden of dense waste

away is a further source environmental blow of hotel operations. Therefore, it

would be characteristic of good quality ecological stewardship for hotels to

appropriate action in this consider in the quest to green the physical environment.

Furthermore, a hotel, as a primary accommodation, plays a major role in

hospitality and they apply a major economical, ecological and community effect

on the environment. For the reason, that hotels exercise an unenthusiastic

environmental impact, it is imperative that the management of hotels lead action

to diminish their collision on the environment. A considerable number of studies

have focused on environmental actions in hotels in categorize to efficiently split

with environmental issues arising from their operations.

In these studies, management actions were developed to efficiently deal with

environmental issues that hotels can use, for instance, recycling waste and

supplying clean air as well as energy and water conservation, environmental

education for staff and customers (Hsieh 2012:98). A hotel operation requires

and uses energy on an everyday source for 24 hours, irrespective of seasonality,

amount of guest and its location (Kasim, 2007). Hotels may have high water

consumption depending on every hotel’s accommodation capacity, types and

sort of amenities and services provided (Bohdanowicz, 2008). The quantity of

water consumed by hotels is further than the typical household consumption;

along these lines is the larger consumption means a bigger measure of

contaminated water released in the environment, like so polluting the water

bodies and harming the environment (Kirk, 2008; Kasim 2007). According to

Alexander (2008), there is variety of waste produced by a hotel and it consists of

paper, food, numerous metals, plastics, aluminum and glass. Kasim (2007)

estimates that hotel liters consist of 46% of foodstuff waste, 25.3% of paper,

11.7% of cardboard, 6.7% of plastics, 5.6% of glass and 4.5% of metal waste.

Voluntary approaches state been measured of the essential initiatives since

the 1990’s to rally the environmental execution of industries that take part in

focus or indirect possessions on the environment from their operations. The

voluntary approaches are able to take part in two significant roles in

environmental procedure area. (1) it preserve second hand asa halfway

guidelines instrument for the hotels to make the launch of a new or extra

stringent regulation, as efficient as to advance leadership and innovation. Such

bring in exterior relationships as anyhow as executive system and control. (2)

Voluntary method capacity been old as like machinery to speak nearly of the

limitations of the corporate cost benefit assessments. Voluntary environmental

proceedings are inevitable to develop the effect of sphere operations on the

environment but this well provides other reimbursement to the participating

determined by civilizing detriment effectiveness, civilizing flexibility and promoting

technology innovation (Margaret Mungai & Robert Irungu).

 IV. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Hospitality industry and tourism organizations and even hospitality companies

are developing environmental guidelines, training programs and publishing best

practice case studies (Zhang, 2008). Pro-ecological initiatives are in keeping

increasingly popular among hoteliers worldwide. The weight for enhanced

environmental deed inside hospitality industry consequently is seen as obsessed

by: the need to maintain the local environment, the chance to lower the service

costs, the enforcement by establishment of environmental set of laws and a

growing demand for environmentally sociable hospitality industry from

customers. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, environmental pressures hold

approach to shape a wider variety of industries until currently most industries are

affected. At the same time, the effect has at this point be a lot broader, involving

not merely to outputs of the operation but the whole system, as well as inputs

and processes.

There was not all that much a great deal of interest in environmental

management in the hospitality management until the development of the

International Hotels Environment Initiative, which was launched by the Prince of

Wales. At this time, 11 main global hotel chains fixed to come off together. The

original applied outcome was the development of a handbook on environmental

management for hotels. Furthermore, the Hotel Catering & Institutional

Management Association (HCIMA) and the World Travel and Tourism Council

come up with an initiative on environmental management. The programmed,

known as “Green Globe”, has as its main objective is to provide affordable

concrete and low-cost capital by which hospitality companies can:

 Commit themselves to undertaking environmental improvements , based on

global guidelines;

 Collect knowledgeable benefit in environmental management techniques,

based on international best practice; and,

 Show their devotion through an in public standard green globe logo.

Restaurants, hotels, especially resort hotels, rely on the natural environment to

attract tourist as a way to make profits. The ecosystem is the lifeblood of the

hotel business. Thus, the hospitality industry has every reason to preserve the

local environment and contribute to the local community. Present attitudes

necessary to need to realize that the very environment that attracts visitors is at

danger if industry does not save from harm the very resources it promotes.

Studies conducted by the International Hotels Environment Initiative (HEI) and

Accor revealed that 90% of hotels of hotel guests preferred to stay in a hotel that

cared for the environment. In 1994, the Hotel and Catering Institute Management

Association participated in Green Globe, an environmental management

awareness program initiated by the WTTC. Today, individual hotels Accor,

Ramada Renaissance Hotel, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts among others are

aggressively pursuing environmental initiatives. Today, various types of

environmental initiatives exist. However, there are no common standards for

hotels, so these initiatives are being carried out by the hotels themselves, NGOs,

International Organizations and government agencies. Such initiatives have been

in the form of publications, certification, awards, eco labels and codes of conduct

(Ishmael Mensah).

V. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

This study was conceptualized based on the model presented in Figure 1

illustrating the independent and dependent variables. It contains the independent

variables that show the Hospitality Industries, while on the right box is the

dependent variable is consist with the Environmental Initiative on Green Initiative

of Hospitality Industry.

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Hospitality Industries Environmental

Initiative or Green
- Hotels Initiative of Hospitality
- Resorts Industries
- Restaurants

Figure 1: A conceptual framework determining the Status and Assessment of

Environmental Initiatives of resort hotel and restaurants in Laguna.

VI. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Status and Assessment of Environmental Initiatives of Hospitality

Management: A Descriptive Study

1. What are the best practices of environment initiatives of Hospitality Industry in

Laguna?
2. What is the extent of implementation of environmental initiatives or green

initiatives of the following hospitality industries?

1.1 Hotels

1.2 Resorts

1.3 Restaurants

3. Is there a significant difference on the extent of implementation of

environmental initiatives or green initiatives of different hospitality industries?

VII. HYPOTHESIS

There is a significant difference on the extent of implementation of

environmental initiatives or green initiatives of different hospitality industries.

VIII. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study can help boost the understanding of the guest, resort and hotel

management to which pro-environmental policies are being implement in the

hospitality industry. It will beneficent the community around the facility of the

establishment and identify the best of these practices as a reference for hotels,

resorts management and guest that are lagging behind in fulfilling their

environmental responsibilities and most of hoteliers and encourage more

researched on the development of pro-environmental practices in the hospitality

industry. It will motivate the hoteliers and guest to be more aware of the cause

and effect to the environment and this study will contribute to the sustainable

environment.
 IX. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

This study will focus on the Status and Assessment of Environmental

Initiatives of Hospitality Industry in Laguna. It also involves the independent

variable on Hospitality Industries and dependent variable on Environmental

Initiatives or Green Initiatives of Hospitality Industry.

The coverage of this study are limited only with the DOT (Department of

Tourism) Accredited hotel, resorts and restaurants management and the number

of guests of the resort, hotel and restaurants in Laguna.

Hotel was eliminated because when the researcher is conducting, the hotel

did not responded.

X. DEFINITION OF TERMS

Environmental - the aggregate of social and cultural conditions that influence

the life of an individual or community. (www.Merriamwebster.com )

Initiatives - an introductory step // took the initiative in attempting to settle the

issue. (www.Merriamwebster.com )

Status - the condition of a person or thing in the eyes of the law. .

(www.Merriamwebster.com )

Assessment - the action or an instance of making a judgment about

something: the act of assessing something. (www.Merriamwebster.com )

Hospitality Industry - The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields

within the service industry that includes lodging, food and drink service, event
planning, theme parks, transportation, cruise line, traveling and additional
fields within the tourism industry. (https//en.wikepedia.org)
 CHAPTER 2

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The research is focusing on status and assessment of environmental initiative of

hospitality industry in Laguna. This study is a quantitative in nature by using

survey method to examine the relationship between independent and dependent

variables.

Descriptive research is the collection of data describing some phenomenon that

is may or may not be quantifiable such as close-ended scales, open-ended

survey questions, observation, and interviews. The purpose of the research is to

evaluate or measure the results against some known or hypothesized standards.

Subject of the Study and Sampling Technique

The subjects of the study were the hotels, resorts and restaurants that is DOT

(Department of Tourism) Accredited in Laguna were in the researcher use the

simple random sampling technique. Simple random sampling was used in every

element has an equal chance of getting selected to be the part sample it is used

when we don’t have any prior information about the target population.

Respondent of the Study

The researcher respondents for this were the number of guest of the hotel, resort

and restaurants and Hospitality Industries that is DOT (Department of Tourism)

Accredited in Laguna. The researcher made a survey in respondents from the

resort and hotel management and number of guest in resort and hotel in Laguna.

Research Procedure

The researcher followed the standard procedure in conducting this study which

includes title defense, colloquium, validation of questionnaires, data gathering,

accomplishment of thesis manuscript and final oral defense. The researcher

constructed a questionnaire as the main instrument to this study after gathering

all the information in completed questionnaire from the respondents in resort and

hotel management and number of guest in hotel and resort in Laguna, the total

response for each item was obtained and tabulated.

Research Instrument

The researcher used the instruments questionnaire in conducting the study

pertaining the environmental initiatives of hospitality industry in Laguna. The

survey questionnaire was used as the main data gathering instrument to this

study. The draft of the questionnaire was drawn out based on the researcher

observation, readings, published and unpublished relevant to the study. To

ensure the research is conducted effectively and efficiency, the details of the

procedures of obtaining information is needed in conducting the study in order to

solve the problem. The descriptive evaluative research (quantitative method)

which was primarily used to obtain the information need for the purpose of the

study. The questionnaire was divided into two tables, four and three sections to

study the characteristics of the important variables in identifying the relationship

between status and assessment of hospitality industries and environmental

initiatives or green initiatives of hospitality industry in Laguna.

Table 1: Layout of Questionnaire in Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants

Management Status

Section Items

A  Green Management Initiative or 38

Environmental Initiative
B  Hotel, Resort and Restaurants Operation 9

Table 1.2: Layout of Questionnaire in Guest Satisfaction Assessment

Section Items

A  Green Management Initiative or 27

Environmental Initiative
B  Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants Operation 7

Table 1, Section A and B of the questionnaire comprised of the demographical

background of the respondents and the industry. It consists of name, position

assigned, gender, age and years of work experience, and year of operation,

number of employees, type of industry, company address. Whereas, section C

and D of the questionnaire are parts of the instrument that were aimed to test the

variables constructed, section C seeks to measure the Status and Assessment of

Green Management Initiatives or Environmental Initiatives while section D seeks

to measure the of the Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants Operation of the

respondents. Table 1.1, Section A of the questionnaire comprised of the

demographical background of the guest respondents. It consists of Gender, age

and status. Whereas, section B measures the knowledge of the guest in the

Status and Assessment of Green Management or Environmental Initiatives while

Section C seeks to measure the awareness of the guest in Hotel and resort

operation of the respondents of the hotel, resort and restaurants management.

Table 1.3: Measurements of Items

Variables Total No. of Items Scales

Green Management or 38 Four Point Likert Scale (1-4)

Environmental Initiative
27 Five Point Likert Scale (1-5)
Hotel, Resort and 9 Four Point Likert Scale (1-4)

Restaurants Operation
7 Five Point Likert Scale (1-5)

Statistical Treatment of Data

Table 1.4: Rating scale

Excellent Satisfactory Above Average Poor

average
5 4 3 2 1

In this study, data was collected using a structured questionnaire which consisted

of 81 items. The permission from head of department was set before distributing

the questionnaires. The questions are written in English. The questionnaires

were distributed to employee and the researcher explains to the participants their

roles in evaluating the status and assessing the environmental initiatives of

hospitality industry and guest satisfaction to the question in the questionnaires.

The respondents are given one day to answer and return the questionnaires to

the researcher by hand at the location on the day after. On average, it took 5

minutes to answer the questionnaires.