European Hoteliers’ Environmental Attitudes

Although many hotels rely on the natural environment to attract guests, a survey of European hoteliers finds that environmental stewardship has taken a backseat to other operational concerns in many cases. Nevertheless, the surveyed hoteliers recognized that the hotel industry would do well to be more environmentally conscious. Managers in chain-affiliated hotels were generally more likely to pay attention to environmental issues than were independent operators, many of whom run small properties. The respondents noted that few hotel guests demand that hotels maintain environmental programs.