Towards a Wider Adoption of Environmental Responsibility in the Hotel Sector

ABSTRACT Hotels are an important sector in tourism. Though generally perceived as a smokeless sector, hotels actually interact with the environment particularly in terms of resource consumption. This article establishes a clearer link between the sector and sustainable development. It reveals the increasingly popular initiative to include environmental considerations in the operation of elite hotel chains and the barriers that may hamper a more prevalent practice of environmental responsibility among the small and medium size hotels. However, as hotel environmental responsibility ultimately contributes to the protection of natural beauty of destinations, therefore this article assumes an optimistic view believed essential when dealing with the issue. Several recommendations are made to encourage more Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) participation in environmental responsibility.