ABSTRACT

Environmental management has become an important concept among the hotel sector globally following the negative impacts of its operations on the natural environment. In this regard, hotels have embarked on a course of implementing environmental management practices to mitigate their negative impacts on the environment. This study therefore was aimed at identifying environmental management practices that have been implemented by hotels in Kenya. Parameters of concern were on waste management, energy and water conservation practices. A cross-sectional census survey research design was used to gather data using structured questionnaire administered via email to managers from a total of 70 hotels classified as three-to-five-star properties in Kenya. 42 hotels responded to the questionnaire representing 60% response rate considered adequate for the study. Mean score ranking and percentages revealed that the highly implemented environmental management practices are; reviewing and monitoring of energy bills by 71.42% and ensuring taps are not opened unnecessarily by 85.70%. However, the least implemented were using renewable energy sources by 31.42% and composting organic and food waste by 36.18%. Based on the findings, hotels have majorly implemented more of those practices that either involves “low cost” or “no cost” of implementation and less of those practices that require high upfront cost. The study therefore recommended increased awareness among hotel operators and employees on the various environmental management practices which can be achieved through environmental training programs. Hotels should also be supported by government in subsidizing the cost of environmental management practices that require high installation fee.

摘要

在其经营活动对自然环境产生负面影响之后，环境管理已成为全球酒店业的重要概念。在这方面，酒店已着手实施环境管理实践以减轻其对环境的负面影响。因此，本研究旨在确定肯尼亚饭店已实施的环境管理措施。关注的参数涉及废物管理，能源和节水实践。一项横断面人口普查研究设计用于通过结构化问卷收集数据，该问卷通过电子邮件发送给管理人员，该管理人员来自肯尼亚总共70家被评为三星级至五星级酒店的酒店。有42家酒店回答了调查问卷，代表60％的回答率被认为足以满足研究要求。平均分数排名和百分比表明高度实施的环境管理实践是；审查和监控能源账单的比例为71.42％，确保没有不必要地打开水龙头的比例为85.70％。但是，执行得最少的是使用可再生能源的占31.42％，有机和食物垃圾的堆肥占36.18％。根据调查结果，酒店主要实施了更多涉及“低成本”或“无成本”实施的实践，而较少实施需要高额前期成本的实践。因此，该研究建议提高酒店经营者和雇员对通过环境培训计划可以实现的各种环境管理实践的认识。