Encouraging Best Environmental Management Practices In the Hotels & Inns of Puerto Rico An Interactive Qualifying Project Report submitted to the faculty of WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science Sponsored by: Compañía de Tourismo de Puerto Rico Submitted by: Kathryn Bomba Nathan Griggs Ross Hudon Jennifer Thompson Project Advisors: Professor Dominic Golding Professor John Zeugner Project Liaisons: Angel La Fontaine-Madera Ana Leticia Vélez Santiago This project report is submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions or opinions of Compañía de Tourismo de Puerto Rico or Worcester Polytechnic Institute. This report is the product of an education program, and is intended to serve as partial documentation for the evaluation of academic achievement. The report should not be construed as a working document by the reader. -May 1, 2008- Abstract This project, sponsored by the Compañía de Tourismo de Puerto Rico focused on expanding Best Environmental Practices in the small inns and hotels of Puerto Rico. The project included interviews with CTPR staff, outside experts, audit visits to eight inns, and extensive background research. The project concludes with several recommendations with appropriate initial suggestions to CTPR for BEMP expansion including: a webpage for small inns and hotels with extensive BEMP information, a brochure explaining BEMPs, and a student involvement program. ii Executive Summary The goal of this project is to address the issue of communication between the Compañía de Tourismo de Puerto Rico (CTPR) and small hotels and inns in Puerto Rico regarding the use of best environmental management practices (BEMPs). The tourism industry in Puerto Rico has expanded rapidly in the last decade and is expected to continue growing quickly. While the growth in the tourism industry is vital to Puerto Rico’s economy, steps must be taken to limit the detrimental effects of mass tourism on the environment. The Puerto Rico tourism industry depends on the island’s healthy, pristine environment which draws millions of visitors each year. If the environment is neglected and abused the main attraction for Puerto Rico is endangered. Water and energy conservation as well as pollution and waste generation are major areas of concern. Although major chain hotels have the capital and human resources to implement BEMPs, many smaller businesses do not have adequate resources or knowledge to alter operations in order to reduce negative impacts on the environment. CTPR has recognized the increasing gap of the use of BEMPs between chain hotels and small privately owned establishments on the island and created the Initiative Toward Sustainability and Excellence to confront the issue. The project team worked with CTPR to assess the awareness and implementation of BEMPs in small inns as well as the perceptions of the owners and/or managers. The team held interviews with the inn owners/managers and CTPR staff and conducted on site inspections of eight sample hotels. The team assessed the extent of BEMPs in the hotels and identified several barriers to the implementation of further BEMPs. The project team concluded that increased and alternative communication is required between CTPR and small inns and hotels of Puerto Rico. The most common and prevalent obstacle to the implementation of BEMPs in small hotels and inns is a lack of communication and information. Based on the data gathered, the group was able to produce a list of recommendations for CTPR in order to produce better communication between themselves and the inn/hotels on the island: 1. Create a web page to serve as a central hub for information on BEMPs for hotel and inn owners throughout the island. iii 2. Develop in incentive program to promote and encourage BEMP implementation throughout hotels and inns. 3. Create and distribute a brochure as well as the creation of a website that will provide hotel owners with information on BEMPs. 4. Create a hotel and inn information distribution list. 5. Initiate communication and promote the webpage through a mass email distribution. 6. Create a student involvement program with schools in Puerto Rico as a means to encourage BEMPs with students. The website takes priority over all other recommendations as the project team believes it is the greatest resource to increase the communication and knowledge associated with BEMPs and small hotel and inns. It should describe BEMPs, why they are necessary, how to implement them, how they provide benefits both economically and ecologically, as well as inform hotel owners of incentives and programs available to them. It will provide several links to related websites, and also a way to contact CTPR to answer any questions. All of the recommendations produced by the project team will in some way produce better communication between CTPR and the small hotel and inns in Puerto Rico. iv Acknowledgements We would like to thank the Compañía de Tourísmo de Puerto Rico for allowing us the opportunity to come to Puerto Rico and assist them in their efforts to implement Best Environmental Management practices in small inns and hotels. In the department of Quality we would like to thank Angel La Fontaine-Madera, Ana Leticia Vélez Santiago, Benny R. Santiago, and the many others who offered us a comfortable and memorable work experience. We would like to extend a special thank you to the members of the ―Dream Team‖ for allowing us to accompany them to the hotels and inns in order to collect data, as well as Ana, Luz La Fontaine, and Daliza Cruz Queeman for providing our transportation. A special thank you goes out to Ana, Angel, Luz, Alida Ortiz , and Benny R. Santiago, who shared their expertise and friendship in and outside the office, and to whom our appreciation and gratitude is greatly extended. We would like to acknowledge Alida Ortiz, Ada Torres, and Fernando Abruñas for sharing their time and knowledge on Best Environmental Management Practices, and for making themselves available to us without question. A special thanks to Eddie Perez as well for guiding our efforts to create a webpage proposal. We would also like to thank all of the owners of the eight inns that were visited. We appreciate your generosity and thank you for being so accommodating. In addition we thank the following individuals who took the time to escort us around the properties and answer our interview questions: Sherri Fisher of Luquillo Sunrise Beach; Elsie Herger of the Hostería del Mar; Edwin Jaime of El Guajataca; Nelson Santos of the Pineapple Inn; and, Juan López of the Palmas de Lucía. Finally, we would like to thank our advisors, John Zeugner and Dominic Golding, for their guidance and attention throughout the entire IQP process. v Authorship Page All four team members contributed to and reviewed all sections of this report and therefore we jointly accept responsibility for the project as a whole and decline the option of individual authorships. vi Table of Contents Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... ii Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgements .....................................................................................................................v Authorship Page ........................................................................................................................ vi Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................x List of Tables: ......................................................................................................................... xiii 1.0 Introduction .........................................................................................................................1 2.0 Background .........................................................................................................................5 2.1 Tourism in Puerto Rico ......................................................................................................5 2.1.1 Hotel Industry Growth and Tourist Activity ................................................................7 2.1.2 Economic Impact ...................................................................................................... 10 2.2 Tourism Industry and the Environment ............................................................................ 12 2.2.1 Negative Impacts of Tourism on the Environment .................................................... 12 2.2.2 Energy Use in Hotels ................................................................................................ 14 2.2.3 Specific BEMP Practices .......................................................................................... 15 2.3 Promotional Programs ..................................................................................................... 20 2.3.1 LEED ......................................................................................................................