Hotels involvement in sustainable tourism practices in Klang Valley, Malaysia

The hotel sector has been described as an industry of which activities constitute a great impact on the environment. Hotels consume vast amount of energy, water and non-durable goods, and has been reported to discharge huge amount of raw and solid waste in different quantities. Serious impacts on the environment were highlighted, calling for greater hotel’s participation in sustainable tourism practices by committing to environmental management system (EMS). Comprehensive studies among hotels in Malaysia on their contributing efforts in curbing environmental degradation have been inadequate. Hence, a current study was conducted and this paper presents findings on sustainable tourism practices most commonly adopted by Malaysian hotels within Klang Valley. The main findings indicate the use of occupancy sensor/key card control system as energy saving measures, as well as the use of energy-efficient equipments and products. This result, therefore, confirms a number of preliminary studies which indicates widespread adoption of energy management among hotels. Adopting these practices has enabled Malaysian hotels to benefit from improved image to the guests and the local communities as well as the enhancement of a safe and healthy environment for hotel guests and employees

Assessment of environmental management practices in the hotel industry towards sustainable tourism in Malaysia

The, primary aim of this study is to investigate hotel industry participation in environmental management practices in Kuala Lumpur and the state of Selangor, Malaysia. The study attempts to achieve three main objectives: (1) to identify the current environmental management practices been implemented by hotel organisations; (2) to examine the factors related to the implementation of sustainable tourism initiatives; and, (3) to identify the perceived benefits in adopting sustainable tourism programs. Therefore, this study provides a focused academic analysis of these issues within the context of the hotel industry. This study employs a quantitative approach in which data are collected by distributing questionnaires as the primary data collection method. In line with the first objective, descriptive statistics were used to determine the level of sustainable tourism practices among the sample hotels. The findings revealed that, generally, 68% of the environmental practices investigated (which consists of energy, water and waste management), in the study has been widely adopted by the hotels. Therefore environmental management system (EMS) that supports sustainable management has been widely practiced. The second objective focuses on examining the factors influencing hotels’ participation in sustainable tourism initiatives. The Spearman rho correlation analysis was performed to conduct the hypothesis testing on the factors related to the implementation of Sustainable Tourism Practices (STP). The correlation results confirmed that there were significant positive relationship between training and STP (rs=. 504, p= .000); and between policy and STP (rs= .362, p= .005). Similarly, results of correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between knowledge and STP (rs= .400, p= .002), also, the study found a significant positive correlation between incentive and STP (rs= .530, p= .000). Therefore, the results have found new evidences that training, policy, knowledge, and incentives are related to STP. As for the third objective, this study found that most of the hotel managers indicated the benefit of improved image as their major reason for implementing sustainable tourism practices. This study has made contributions to both academic and industry practices. Based on the study findings, it is suggested that government and other stakeholders in tourism development should intensify efforts to educate hoteliers on the importance of implementing STP in their hotels. It is therefore expected that hotel managers in Malaysia will utilise the findings of this study to improve on environmental management practices in their hotels

Factors influencing environmental management practices among hotels in Malaysia.

This paper attempts to investigate the factors that influence hotel managers’ attitudes towards sustainable tourism practices (STP) in Kuala Lumpur and the state of Selangor in Malaysia. The study distributes 104 questionnaires to hotels ranging from one star to five-star categories including budget hotels. Out of this figure, 60 copies of the questionnaires were returned and analyzed. The finding revealed that of all the seven factors investigated, only the variables measuring incentives and knowledge have significantly influenced sustainable tourism practices in the country. Therefore, government and other green bodies within the country should continue to provide hotels with incentives for sound technologies. Moreover, the government agencies should continue to educate hoteliers on the relevance of environmental protection for the successful implementation of sustainable tourism practices