Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies & Management 9 (2): 235 – 244, 2016. ISSN:1998-0507 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ejesm.v9i2.11 Submitted: December 16, 2015 Accepted: April 08, 2016 ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL RESPONSIBLE PRACTICES OF HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY: THE CASE OF FIRST LEVEL HOTELS AND LODGES IN GONDAR CITY, ETHIOPIA TESFAYE FENTAW Bule Hora University, Ethiopia Email: [email protected] Abstract As a means of sustainability achievement and balanced assessment of positive and negative impact of tourism and hospitality industry, taking responsibility towards the silent stakeholder (environment) emerged as a new phenomenon in the late 1980s. The main concern of this paper is to identify the environmental responsible practices of the hospitality industry in the special focus of first level hotels and lodges in Gondar city, Ethiopia. All the ten first level hotels and lodges were used as research target areas. Data for the study was obtained from the hotel employees (through questionnaire) and from the managers (through semi-structured interview). The study found that, the hotels and lodges engaged more in saving water activity in all area, management of waste and Conserve energy/example light usage, use of energy efficient equipments. Relatively, they engaged in the less extent level in the issues of involving in environmental issues in the city and giving environmental information on its services and activities to the stakeholders. In addition to these the establishments involve in specific internal environmental practices like reusing, design of the construction for compatible waste and water saving and FIFO(First In First Out) and externally, sponsoring environmental concerned nongovernmental and governmental organization practices. Very few establishments practice the environmental concerned guideline of HACCAP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point). Based on the finding of the study, the researcher recommend scholarly recommendations including the establishments engage more in the external environmental practices besides the internal environmental good practices. Key Words: Environment, Social Responsibility, Hotels and Lodges, Sustainability, Gondar Introduction sustainable tourism (Economic, social and Globally tourism is a major economic environmental areas) it has also an adverse sector with increasing growth potential negative impact on them unless we take (World Tourism Organization report, responsibility (Swarebrook, 1999) 2013). According to United Nation World Under the tourism industry hospitality Tourism Organization (UNWTO) report of sector is also multibillion-dollar industry, 2014 the number of international tourist’s serving millions of people globally, and is arrival reached in 1.14 billion. Besides its expected to grow significantly within the positive impact on the three pillars of next few years (Mattera and Melgarejo, 235 Environmental Social R esponsible Practices of Hospitality Industry ................ TESFAYE FENTAW 2012). The global hotel industry is formed social and environmental concern in their by various types of lodging structures and business operation and in their interaction accommodation services from luxury with their stakeholders on a voluntarily hotels to bed and breakfast operations, basis. Being socially responsible means not inns. These establishments may be owned only meet legal obligations to which no and/or managed by independent operators, doubt every enterprise has to meet, but go multinational chains, insurance companies, beyond this performance by investing on pension funds, governments and other human capital, environment and caring investors. These businesses have relationships with agents of interest considerable impact on social, economic, (Commission of the European and environmental conditions around every Communities, 2002). While the destination in the world, and enterprises in government provide a regulatory frame this sector had the potential to substantially work governing issues such as contribute to sustainable development environmental protection/law, employment (International Labor Organization, 2010). right, fair operating practices; however SR Responsible tourism and Social goes beyond the compliance of these Responsibility are not longer a luxury but a legislative issues and create a shared value necessity in the global marketplace in collaboration with all stakeholders. (Menente, 2013). The concept of When creating a tourism product, hotel responsible tourism and sustainability push companies should be environmentally the hotel industry to be socially responsible sensitive, have a deeper sense for the concept and development. Thus, social community, and respect their culture. responsibility gains a considerable (Golja and Niži ć, 2010). business strategy in the world. Most of the The long-term success of tourism time social responsibility term used as companies depends on the ability to corporate Social Responsibility whiles the address the needs of those affected by the term associated with the large company operations of a tourism company. To but, there is a notion that the concept is the alleviate poverty, to guide the tourism and practice of all business enterprises not only hospitality in the sustainable way the large multinational companies practicing social responsibility practices is applicable business concept (Visser, 2010). play one of the wing of sustainable tourism For this matter the researcher wants to development(Marinela and Nižic, 2010; prefer to use the word social responsibility Forsyth, 1997; Kasim and Scarlat, 2007). throughout this paper. Rodriguez and Cruz (2007) shows the Taking responsibility towards the hotel industry use of SR in its corporate environment related with the concept of strategy and daily practice is imperative sustainability movement emerged in the due to symbiotic nature of its relationship late 1980s and 1990s in tourism industry with the surrounding natural, economical, (Swarbrook, 1999). Social responsibility social and cultural environment. forum of Taiwan define SR as open and Social responsibility and the transparent business practice that are based environment are interrelated. This is on ethical values and respect for because; human beings do not only employees, communities and the assimilate with their surroundings but environment. Social responsibility (SR) is actively adjust them according to their a concept where by a company’s integrate needs (Polasek, 2010). They interact with 236 Ethiopian Journal of Environmental Studies and Management Vol. 9 no.2 2016 their environment and live together. The objective of this study is describe the responsibility towards this ‘silent’/ ‘mute’ environmental practices of the first level stakeholder (environment) is imperative hotels and lodges in Gondar city. (Capron, as cited in Branco and Rodriguez). Traditionally the responsible Research Methodology body for the environment is the The researcher followed a descriptive government sector thought regulation and type of research. This descriptive type of creating a healthy environment. But the research was studied in cross sectional problem of environmental change because the information was collected increased in alarming rate the private from the sample only once (Kothri, 2004). business sector involved and the public Study Area Description sector also call the business sector to take Geographically, Gondar city is located responsibility for the environmental in Semein Gondar Zone of Amhara region. conservation. This paradigm shift from the It has a latitude and longitude of government responsibility to partnership 12°36 ′N 37°28 ′E with an elevation of 2200 responsibility over the environment meters above sea level (Amhara culture, reached in the highest level due to the tourism and park development bureau, emergence of sustainable development in 2011). 1970s (Ryan and Page, 2000; Swarbrooke, The climatic feature of Gondar city lies 1999; Wahab and Pigram, 2005; Polasek, on the subtropical high land region and the 2010). average temperature varies from 22 degree Since the concept of SR practice is new centigrade up to 29.5 degree centigrade. in business sector especially in the hotel Gondar city get a rain fall during summer industry (Kasim and Scarlat, 2007; from June to September. Topographically, Bohdanowicz and Zientara, 2008; the city is rugged plateau of ups and down. Velentzas and Bron, 2010), it is not Agriculture is one of the dominant considered as a large company and lacked economic sectors in Gondar town. The an extensive research works (Golja and main crops are barley, teff, wheat, maize Niži ć, 2010). But it has a good position to beans and potato. The main livestock are practice socially responsible whatever the sheep, cow, oxen, goat, hen, beehive and sizes it has (Garay and Font, 2011). equines. Trade is the other major economic As indicated earlier the modern hotel activity in Gondar. Both wholesale and industry in Ethiopia increased in an retail businesses are a huge part of the alarming rate. In Gondar city the history of economy. There are also small-scale modern sense of hotel industry emerged enterprises that are part of the during the Italian occupation. The first entrepreneurship efforts. The small-scale hotels in Gondar city were Ethiopia hotel, enterprises are categorized as food Goha hotel, Fogera hotel, Terara hotel and production, urban agriculture, and textile, Qwara hotel (Sewunet, 2013). According building construction, wood and to Gondar city administration culture