What (or who) helps hospitality companies improve faster? Consumer-led campaigns on plastic straws have pushed many hospitality companies to consider alternatives or simply ban single-use plastics. So far, however, the vast majority of guests still choose their hotels mainly by location and price. Using levers such as taxation or legislation, governments are also increasing the pressure. Recent examples include the European Union's ban on a series of single-use plastics such as cutlery, straws, and stirrers by 2021. Many states across the US are implementing similar bans. Beyond plastics, carbon pricing initiatives are in place or planned in more than 45 countries. The EU's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires all new buildings to be nearly zero-energy (NZEB) by the end of 2020 and existing buildings to transition towards NZEB by 2050. Finally, the hospitality industry's self-regulation and voluntary codes of conduct are considered popular approaches in dealing with sustainability challenges, but at times with limited success. Facing mounting environmental issues, are all three parties (government, consumer, industry) playing an equally important role? Do consumers have the foresight to act as a useful lever of change? Taxes and legislation are in the pipeline across the globe, so what needs to be done today to minimize the risk of getting hit? And how about driving consumer behavior change through inspiring guest experiences?

Gabriel C. M. Laeis
Gabriel C. M. Laeis
Lecturer at IUBH International University

Pushing for a more sustainable development in hospitality is undoubtedly a challenge that – in an ideal world – should be addressed by consumers, the industry and governments equally. In our Western neo-liberal economies, however, it is mostly left up to consumer choices and companies in pursue of profits to solve such issues. I do not subscribe to this trust in the 'invisible hand'. Consumers want satisfaction. This may be altered by education, resulting in consumers seeking what one might want to term 'educated satisfaction'. Yet, the rate at which we see consumers on a (needed!) large scale change their consumer choices is slow.

Education is a long-term investment and cannot be expected to translate into behavioral changes within short time periods. Companies, by their nature, will continue to seek profits among all else. Government stepping in with banning single-use plastic is a lovely first step but in no way a sufficient reaction to the current mega-challenges of global species decline and the climate crisis. We are tinkering around the edges. Carbon taxation, however, could be a much more powerful lever. This will need, of course, a global agreement amongst governments and a much faster implementation rate, if we decide to hold on to the 1.5°c goal. With respect to our tourism and hospitality industry, however, I wonder how we will cope with the fact that we are an industry that strives on customers with high disposable income. It is the growing wealth in, for instance, the BRICS countries that have caused a significant amount of our later GHG emissions. We will need to come to terms with the fact that traveling is a luxury and – from how many consumers define luxury today – is, in essence, blowing large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Should we ever get serious about sustainable development, governments need to lead the way and perhaps even take unpopular decisions. At the same time, the industry would be well-advised by thinking about the essence of hospitality and how we can create inspiring services outside of the current 'luxury = CO2' paradigm.

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