1. Sustainable Building Systems, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Attitudes Towards Environmental Responsibility among Swedish, Polish and Croatian Hoteliers
Paulina Bohdanowicz, Vlasta Zanki-Alujevic, Ivo Martinac
Sustainable Building Systems
Dept. of Energy Technology
Royal Institute of Technology
July 1, 2004

2. Tourism and the Environment
Sustainable Building Systems, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Tourism and the Environment
Growing awareness of negative impacts
Increased environmental responsibility
Not much information on environmental performance of tourism and hotels
Need for changes, education and training
essence of tourism is based on the availability of a clean natural environment
Many of the services provided to hotel guests are highly resource intensive.
consumption of energy, water, food and non-durable goods.
hotels have been found to have the highest negative impact on the environment of all commercial/service buildings, with the exception of hospitals and food service.
obvious and encouraging signs that the t & t industry, one of the largest industries in the world, has begun to be aware of its substantial negative impacts on the environment, and is stepping up its efforts to embark on a more sustainable path.
a number of documents aiming at incorporating environmental and socio-cultural responsibility into tourism business practice have been published.
The mere existence of such documents, cannot bring about the significant changes that will need to occur in the travel industry on the way towards more eco-friendly practice.
The successful implementation of more sustainable practices in the hotel industry is highly dependent on the active support and cooperation of all stakeholders involved.
The willingness and ability of hotel management to advocate and implement state-of-the-art environmentally responsible behaviour and practices is thus crucial.
Competent professionals will need to produce the necessary changes.
While there is very little data on the exact level of environmental awareness in the industry, it is already obvious that a significant amount of education and training will be required to empower all stakeholders with the knowledge required.
July 1, 2004

3. Why European hotels? Hotel industry – v. important sector of T&T
Sustainable Building Systems, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Why European hotels?
Hotel industry – v. important sector of T&T
European hotel market ( facilities) – half of the global market
Hotels – highly resource intensive, and low resource use efficiency
Sweden, Poland and Croatia – interesting case studies from perspective of environmental attitudes
Almost 400 million international tourists visited Europe in 2002, comprising a share of 56.9% of global arrivals
In 2002 Poland ranked nine on the list of major European tourist destinations, followed by Croatia on the 15th place. Sweden was outside of the top-twenty ranking
major hotel market accounting for 55.6% of all world hotels and 40% of all hotel beds in 1997
majority of European hotels are independently owned and managed, with only 20–29% representing some type of chain affiliation
It is thus of crucial importance to evaluate the current situation in this sector.
The Western hotel market is relatively developed. As a consequence, the most attractive locations are already occupied. Markets in the Northern and Southern parts of Europe are conjointly expanding, however Central and Eastern Europe still attract the major attention of international hospitality enterprises. Among the primary advantages of investing in these markets are geographical factors, such as the proximity to major European markets, vast areas of relatively untouched and unspoiled countryside, and cultural diversity
July 1, 2004

4. SWEDEN 44 million nights at commercial accommodation in 2003
1976 hotels in 2002, average occupancy 46%
Mainly independent facilities
71 Nordic Swan labelled hotels since 1999
SWEDEN
Swedish Tourism Authority (STA), the number of nights spent by tourists in commercial accommodation facilities amounted to over 44 million in the year 2003 (approximately 9.7 million were foreign visitors
2002 approximately 1976 hotels were in operation in Sweden offering a total of beds in rooms
A total of 21.1 million overnight stays were recorded in hotels in 2003, at an average occupancy rate of 46%
dominated by independently owned and managed facilities, with only some 570 – 580 affiliated hotels
Environmental issues have always been among the top priorities in Scandinavia. In 1999 SIS Miljömärkning introduced a Nordic Swan eco-label for hotel businesses, and since then a large number of hotels have received this award, attributing to the allocation of a total of 71 certificates, as of May 18, 2004

5. POLAND 13.7 million overnight tourists in 2003
1070 hotels in 2002, average occupancy 36%
Mainly independent facilities
Modernisation, compliance with EU regulation, environmental issues
POLAND
the largest among the ten new EU-member countries
2003, the number of foreign tourists (visitors who stayed in Poland for at least one night) was equal to 13.7 million
By the end of July 2002, 1070 hotels were operating in Poland, offering a total of rooms and beds, average occupancy 36%
2002, nineteen international and national hotel corporations were operating on the market
hotel market in Poland is still relatively undeveloped compared to Western Europe (modernisation, budget hotels)
Environment-related issues have additionally become a growing concern in the hotel industry

6. CROATIA 9 million tourists in 2003, mainly at the coast
Annual tourism growth 8.4%
Mainly independent facilities
Refurbishment and modernisation of facilities
CROATIA
a prime tourism destination in the Mediterranean region
one of the countries with the highest growth rates in terms of international tourist arrivals (8.4% as compared with annual growth rate for Mediterranean of 3%)
2003 almost 9 million tourists visited Croatia
Approximately 90% of all tourist arrivals and 96% of overnight stays were concentrated in 7 coastal counties
According to the data given by Ministry of Tourism, in 2001 approximately 14  guestnights were recorded in rooms of 132 (3, 4 and 5-star) hotels in 7 of the coastal counties (MINT 2002). In the year 2002 Croatia had a total of beds, 12.8% of which were located in hotels, 25.6% in camps, 39.1% in private accommodation and 6.9% in marinas
the major effort is put on the refurbishment and modernisation of hotel facilities in order to respond to the growing interest of tourists. This could also be the best time to incorporate environmentally sound technologies and practices into the hotel market.

7. Methodology 3 countries: Sweden, Poland, Croatia
Sustainable Building Systems, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Methodology
3 countries: Sweden, Poland, Croatia
based survey, personal interviews in Croatia
Questionnaire: 22 multiple-choice questions, and few open-ended follow up comments
Timeline: Autumn 2002 and Spring/Summer 2003
Hotel addresses for Sweden and Poland were obtained from the Internet and commercially available hotel directories, while in case of Croatia a list was provided by the Institute of Tourism
ample size for target populations (Sweden, and Croatia) was relatively small and presumably biased, and may not fully reflect the populations at large
in the Croatian sample one person was responsible for 4 facilities (out of 30 participating
format of the questionnaire may have rendered the potential respondents from answering it
The distribution of the questionnaire by may have additionally limited the respondents’ willingness to reply
July 1, 2004

8. Methodology 1923 hotels targeted, 379 correct answers
Sustainable Building Systems, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Methodology
1923 hotels targeted, 379 correct answers
based surveys: 10.5 – 30.7% response rate
Number of hotels targeted
% of total existing hotels
Completed answers
Effective response rate
Sweden
946
61.0
225
25.51
Poland
942
97.5
124
16.51
Croatia 35
27.1 30
85.71
July 1, 2004

9. Environment-related information
Sustainable Building Systems, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Environment-related information
Dual relationship : tourism – environment
“smokeless” industry
Environmental protection – essential for the performance and further development of the tourism industry (85.1% – PL, 82.7% – SE, 100% -HR)
Aware of negative environmental impacts of hotels
75% of impacts due to excessive use of resources & emissions
The natural attractivity/exclusivity of a destination is typically its main tourism-related asset, at the same time as it also is the feature most directly threatened by potential over-exploitation.
Although environmental responsibility and sustainability are concepts that have only recently come to bear explicitely on the development of tourism, the enforcement of these values has always been essential for the continued attractivity and marketability of any location
Ironically, for many years the industry claimed to be absolutely free of any negative impacts. Indeed, as compared to other industries, the tourism industry does not always offer easily identifiable point sources of pollution. However, the cumulative and long-term effects of large numbers of "small polluters" can be as environmentally harmful as those caused by smaller numbers of more easily identified "heavy polluters".
Recognizing the problem is a necessary first step towards remediation and more responsible behaviour.
July 1, 2004

10. Resource use in European hotels
Sustainable Building Systems, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Resource use in European hotels
Energy:
72 – 519 kWh/m2, total 39TWh/year, – 380 kWh/m2 (Accor), aver 301 kWh/m2 (Radisson SAS),
Up to 160 kg CO2/m2/year, 10 tonnes CO2/bedroom/yr
Water:
170 – 360 litres water/guestnight, but… – 230 l/guestnight (Scandic) l/guestnight (Radisson SAS)
Waste:
1kg waste/guestnight, but… 3.1, (Scandinavia – Radisson SAS), and kg/guestnight (Scandic) – UNSORTED WASTE
Depending on the source of energy (hydro-, wind-, nuclear-, oil-, or coal-based) hotels can be responsible for the annual generation of up to 160 kg of carbon dioxide per square meter of area, which is equivalent to 10 tons of CO2 per bedroom [21].
July 1, 2004

11. Magnitude of environmental impacts
Sustainable Building Systems, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Magnitude of environmental impacts
However, among the comments received from the respondents were also those questioning the negative impact of hotels on the environment, and doubting the need for hotels to be eco-friendly at all. Fortunately the number of such statements was very small.
Parallel to its significant impact on the environment, the hotel industry, due to its size and global presence, at the same time has a substantial potential for promoting and supporting corporate responsibility. This potential should be wisely used, since the future of the travel and tourism industry highly depends on the continued availability of attractive and marketable environments. It is therefore encouraging that the predominant majority of hoteliers expressed serious concern for the environment
Serious concern for the environment: 82.3% PL – 94.7% SE – 100% HR
July 1, 2004

12. Corporate responsibility
Sustainable Building Systems, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Corporate responsibility
Possession of environment-related information
Sweden – 66.2%
Croatia – 63.3%
Poland – 56.6%
“Green hotels”
Cost aspects
Marketing and promotion
many respondents raised the issue of the cost of becoming “green” and environmentally responsible.
Many hoteliers fear that the road to environmental sustainability may be prohibitively expensive, especially in view of the current market fluctuations and international political turmoil.
One respondent highlighted the need for a more adequate promotion of environmentally certified establishments. Information about eco-certificates owned by the hotel should be displayed in hotel catalogues/directories, city guides as well as booking and travel agencies.
Such information could be especially valuable in view of only 1% of European accommodation facilities currently being eco-labelled [3].
There exists a great need of relevant environmental education and increased awareness among the general public.
July 1, 2004

13. Environmental activities
Sustainable Building Systems, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Environmental activities
50% HR, 84.7% PL, and 93.3% SE
Despite these limitations, the majority of hoteliers declared to be involved in some kind of environment-oriented activities
As up to 75% of the environmental impacts caused by the lodging industry are estimated to arise from the excessive consumption of non-durable goods (and consequent waste generation), as well as from the use of energy and water [3], these areas are those most frequently targeted by environmental measures.
The type of environmental activities reported by the hoteliers varied significantly, regionally, as well as with facility size and standard.
It is likely that those differences were partly the result of differences in local legislation and regulations, as well as local conditions.
The types of measures were further significantly influenced by corporate policy, the level of environmental awareness manifested by management, and the financial state of the establishment.
July 1, 2004

14. Sustainable Building Systems, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Incentives
Likert scale in the questionnaires - 1- describing the most important incentive, 7 – the least important and 0 – no ranking provided.
For the purpose of analysis the scale was reversed and average calculated
The possibility of reducing operational costs was by far the strongest incentive for Polish hoteliers. This was slightly less true in the Swedish and Croatian cases (operational cost savings ranked an average of 5.8 in Poland, as compared to 5.1 in Croatia and 5.04 in Sweden). This corresponds well with the findings of the Guernsey study (Stabler & Goodall 1997), where the prospect of reduced costs was equally found to be most important. Croatian hoteliers ranked the potential of improving the hotel image as most important. Customer expectations ranked second in the Polish and Swedish samples. Croatian hotels, ranked the goal of decreased environmental impacts as third, and customer expectations as fourth. Swedish hoteliers also placed the decreased environmental impacts as third priority followed by improved hotel image, while for Polish hoteliers hotel image ranked third before additional marketing asset.
July 1, 2004

15. Sustainable Building Systems, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Marketing strategies
Environmental concerns are believed to be increasingly influencing consumer choices in Europe
Due to low customer demand, hoteliers are currently giving eco-friendliness low priority in their marketing efforts (see Figure 6). Low customer demand obviously decreases the marketing value of corporate environmental responsibility. However, the low demand need not necessarily point to a low environmental consciousness, per se, among travellers. It may equally, or rather be the result of a lack of awareness among travellers of the ways and the extent to which hotel facilities may affect the environment negatively. Due to the current lack of data, more research is needed to investigate customer consciousness, expectations and behaviour. Also, unless specifically trained, the average traveller cannot be expected to be aware of, or to know how to use the complex environmental metrics needed for evaluating the environmental performance of hotel facilities. The scarceness of environmentally responsible role-model facilities makes it additionally difficult for travellers to distinguish “good” from “bad” facilities (and choices).
July 1, 2004

16. Conclusions Swedish hoteliers Polish hoteliers Croatian hoteliers
Sustainable Building Systems, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Conclusions
Swedish hoteliers
Have a high environmental awareness, comprehensive knowledge relevant to environmental protection, and well-established pro-ecological programs and initiatives
Polish hoteliers
At the stage of recognizing the importance of the environment and initiating various activities
Most actions undertaken - aimed at achieving immediate economic benefits, or those required by law
Incentives are primarily economically motivated, while any environmental benefits achieved are seen as a bonus
Croatian hoteliers
Seem to have a high level of environmental knowledge and concern for environmental issues
Concrete pro-ecological initiatives - least likely to be implemented
Very recent revival of the Croatian tourism industry
The situation in Croatia may improve as the industry continues to regain momentum
July 1, 2004

17. Conclusions Major driving forces A great need for Opportunities
Sustainable Building Systems, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
Conclusions
Major driving forces
The prospect of significant cost savings
Customer demand
A great need for
Increased environmental knowledge and awareness among hoteliers and the general public.
Investigation of the mechanisms of customer demand and choice
Opportunities
Influence on the travellers, suppliers and inter-related industries
July 1, 2004

18. Thank You