Combining luxury and sustainability in the hospitality sector

Key finding of the study

Results indicate that luxury hotels have been switching to sustainable tourism recognizing the sustainable tourism trend, increasing guests' awareness and purchasing behaviour towards sustainable products, cost-effectiveness, and green marketing as perceived by managerial-level staff.

Authors

K.A.S.N. Sathsarani, University College Batangala Sri Lanka

R.S.S.W. Arachchi, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

Summary

Sustainable tourism emerged to mitigate the negative impacts of tourism development, ensuring equal benefits meet everyone engaged in tourism, whereas luxury tourism is built on addressing unique, more comfortable, and personalized experiences pursued by high-end travellers. This study aimed to examine the managerial perception of sustainable tourism practices in luxury hotels and how they have compromised luxury and sustainability in their hotels. Results demonstrate current sustainability practices of luxury hotels under themes of environmental, Economic, and Socio-cultural. Findings amalgamate that luxury hotels have focused on managing air quality, waste, water, environment & biodiversity conservation for enhancing guest satisfaction, chemical pollution control, and zero plastic mission. For economic sustainability, they try to ensure cost effectiveness through energy conservation and enhancing self-sufficiency, benefit the community and hotel employees, and guest satisfaction for long-term customer relationships management. The analysis evokes that there is great potential to develop sustainable luxury tourism in the Sri Lankan hotel sector. More government support, a well-developed sustainability grading system for hotels, more actions for coastal & marine conservation, more renewable energy sources, a green tax for tourists, a sustainable tourism fund, and introducing and increasing awareness of sustainable tourism products are recommended to further sustainable hospitality and tourism management in Sri Lanka

Published in

Felicitation Volume of Mr H.G. Piyasiri, Faculty of Management Studies, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka

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