Evaluating the environmental sustainability strategies of the housekeeping department: the case of an international hotel chain in Hong Kong

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2021

Keywords

Hong Kong; Hotel; Environmental sustainability strategies; Housekeeping department

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1108/TRC-01-2021-0001

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to use the case of an international luxury hotel chain in Hong Kong to present the general environmentally-friendly practices in housekeeping. Six in-depth interviews were conducted with the housekeeping department staff to evaluate the effectiveness of the Hotel’s environmental sustainability practices by analysing their benefits and limitations. Results reveal that all informants acknowledged the environmental sustainability strategies adopted by the Hotel, which can benefit stakeholders. Despite multiple green practices in hotel housekeeping, several strategies may not be as significant as expected with misaligned expectations from the management and the actual practices may create excessive workload for frontline room attendants with a lack of policy enforcement and supportive policies. Therefore, hotels should keep a mutual communication between the management and frontline employees prior to conducting environmentally- and employee-friendly practices. Given the labour-intensive nature of the hotel industry, the housekeeping department should ensure employment equality policy is in place with adequate environmentally friendly support for employees.

Source Publication

Tourism Critiques

ISSN

2633-1225

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