Sustainable Practices In Indian Hotel Restaurants an Exploratory Study of the Northern Region of India

Abstract

Sustainability and conservation of the environment are two rising concerns in the world. The effects of degradation of environment can be seen through climate changes and the increasing landfills. Hotel industry has been claimed to have a part to play in the destruction and pollution of the environment. With the tourism initiatives being introduced in India, the pressure to provide accommodation and food will be on the Hotels. The environment is further expected to degrade if hotels continue to use non sustainable resources. The need in India is to implement sustainable practices in the Hotel industry. The role of Government and consumers also play an important part in determining whether the changes will be implemented by the Hotels in India. It was found through the literature in the study that the Hotels need to change to sustainable practices in order to have a positive impact on economical, social and environmental factors. In terms of the economical factors, it was seen that the business would benefit from the sustainable changes as there will be substantial reduction in the daily operations cost of Hotels. Further, hotels would be able to create a brand image and attract consumers. The social impacts would be seen on reduced impact on the locals of the harmful activities undertaken by the hotels in the form of releasing gases in the air through chimneys, waste disposal issues and water consumption pattern. The government needs a firm ground in implementing the existing schemes and policies along with better monitoring of Hotels on implementing the sustainable practices. The consumers on the other hand need to be aware of such practices and develop a positive attitude regarding hotel restaurants following sustainable practices. Awareness and attitude of consumers will impact their choice of staying in the green hotels even when they have to pay extra than the non sustainable hotels. newline