Open access peer-reviewed chapter

Environmental Sustainability Practices Implemented by South Africa’s Leading Accommodation Establishments

Written By

Rasethuntsa Boitumelo Caroline and George Maeti

Submitted: 28 August 2023 Reviewed: 17 September 2024 Published: 27 May 2025

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.115532

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Abstract

The hotel industry contributes towards job creation, poverty alleviation and heightens the global economy. Nevertheless, some of its activities yield greenhouse gases, consume natural resources, and generate solid and liquid waste, degrading the environment. The study aims at identifying the strategies that five selected accommodation establishments in South Africa embark on, to ensure environmental sustainability. Secondary data method of qualitative research was used to generate information therein, and the collected data was classified under five headings: water conservation practices, wastewater management, energy conservation, solid waste management, and air pollution and management. The study findings highlight that the majority of establishments do not have formal green policies; however, they apply numerous mechanisms to curb environmental degradation. Approximately 27.5% of the establishments have water conservation practices in place, 15% have green wastewater management practices, 22.5% conserve energy, and solid waste is managed by 10%, and another 10% have acceptable outdoor air quality control practices. The study contributes towards awareness of green practices that can be utilised by lodging facilities. Furthermore, lodging establishments whose mandate is environmental protection have the ability to improve economic development since there is mounting global concern in the conservation of natural resources, safety, and human and ecosystem health.

Keywords

  • environment
  • sustainability
  • accommodation establishments
  • South Africa
  • strategies

1. Introduction

Ecologically conscious tourism is a growing trend in the travel industry, with ‘woke’ global travellers choosing accommodations and services that support green issues, fair trade, and local community-based initiatives; hence, today’s eco-tourists are choosing solar power, dry toilet systems, and creating local employment opportunities over free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, television, and mini-fridges [1]. Goeldner and Ritchie [2] explained tourism as processes, activities, and outcomes arising from the relationships and interaction among tourists, tourism suppliers, host governments, host communities, and surrounding environments that are involved in attracting and hosting visitors. Van der Zee and Vanneste [3] also described tourism as a momentary interaction concerning visitors and a hosting destination made up of unified stakeholders, partially or fully related to tourism. Many stakeholders, inclusive of public and private organisations, are involved in tourism, providing services, infrastructure, and information, and primary and secondary tourist products that are vital for a successful tourism destination.

Ever since the Brundtland Report release in 1987, sustainable tourism has appeared as a dominant pattern in tourism development [4]. Despite the infancy of sustainable tourism (as it only emerged in the late 1980s), the sector has moved quickly from its original focus, which was fundamentally economic benefits, to a position of recognising its wider sustainability obligations [5]. According to the Centre for Responsible Travel [6], sustainable tourism can be described as tourism that motivates good practices of managing resources in a manner that economic, social, and aesthetic needs are fulfilled while still upholding cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity, and life support systems. Sustainable tourism includes the managerial and developmental practices of tourism that preserve natural, economic, and social integrity and ensure the maintenance of natural and cultural resources [7].

As noted by Edgell [8], consumers of tourism across the world currently demand improved tourism services coupled with destination uniqueness and flexibility in tourism offerings, but above this, tourism consumers are also expecting a clean environment and tourism packages that include culture, heritage, and history. Growth relating to a more sustainable tourism sector at organisational levels has not been fast, regardless of many studies that have published and established a variety of sustainable tourism indicators. Again, organisations have been exposed to a wide range of choices, which sometimes lead to an inability to act, poor decision-making, or not knowing the easier option [9]. For example, environmental issues in the tourism and hospitality businesses include corporate strategy, which comprises new green businesses and implications of the environmental issues on the attractiveness of traditional tourism activities; a competitive business strategy, which focuses on differentiation and reduction of costs through environmental management; a functional strategy, which looks into eco-labels, certifications, and environmental management systems, green marketing, responsible supply chain and training [10].

In terms of accommodation establishments, some of today’s scholars have expanded knowledge in this area by classifying sustainability issues in lodging facilities into five categories namely, energy and environment, sustainable and local procurement, social and culture, people, and risk and resilience management. Table 1 provides details of the five categories.

Sustainability categories
A. Energy and environmentSustainable energy and environment management practices to deliver resolutions for sustainable energy, water and waste management, environment protection, and carbon management.
B. Sustainable and local procurementSustainable purchasing practices that provide preference to home-grown and environmentally friendly goods.
C. Social and cultureProgrammes to elevate social and cultural heritage through the tourism industry.
D. PeopleInstruments directed towards the empowerment of workers in the tourism industry.
E. Risk and resilience managementProgrammes directed towards the identification and management of the risks related to the accommodation establishments in the tourism industry.

Table 1.

The five sustainability categories in the hotel industry.

Adapted from: Department of Culture and Tourism [11].

Table 1 provides information relating to activities that the hospitality sector managers can engage in to drive towards sustainable operations rooted in the three pillars of sustainable development and also highly aligned with the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3, SDG 6, SDG 7, SDG 8, SDG 11, SDG 12, SDG 13, SDG 14, and SDG 15) [12]. Table 2 specifically identified these SDGs:

SDG goals
Goal 3Good health and wellbeing
Goal 6Clean water and sanitation
Goal 7Affordable and clean energy
Goal 8Decent work and economic growth
Goal 11Sustainable cities and communities
Goal 12Responsible consumption and production
Goal 13Global action
Goal 14Life below water
Goal 15Life on land

Table 2.

Sustainable development goals.

Adapted from: [12].

It can be observed that Table 2 tapped into a wide range of goals, and this is because tourism sustainability is determined by the perspective of all stakeholders building up the industry, and these include tourists, domestic residents, industries, government, and non-governmental organisations [13]. Tourism sustainability could be appraised in terms of the undertakings of humans and the biological diversity of the environment, thus, the World Tourism Organisation [14] recommends that countries should:

  • Identify better ways how to make use of natural resources that are regarded essential in tourism development; making use of better and improved ecological processes, and maintaining the conservation of biodiversity;

  • Protect the social and cultural authenticity of local people while conserving their constructions, cultural heritage, and traditional values, and

  • Ensure sustainable economic activities, facilitating a fair distribution of socio-economic benefits at all levels in the general public, maintenance of reliable employment and revenue, and social services to the population, and persuading poverty eradication.

If planned well in collaboration with all the stakeholders and sustainable development principles, tourism can be instrumental by providing jobs and economic opportunities, promoting social integration, raising awareness of cultural and environmental values, helping to put together strategies for managing protected areas, and preserving biological diversity [15]. Again, development of sustainable tourism requires strong collaborations with multiple stakeholders, including connected parties, involving all societal aspects, stakeholders, tourism actors, and the government, to increase security and comfort of tourists [16].

According to Morelli [17], the definition of environmental sustainability starts with the connection between human needs and ecosystem services; meeting human needs without compromising the health of the ecosystems. Over the past years, there has been a growing public and government concern for the environment and increasing pressure on organisations to lessen environmental impact in their escalating operations [18]. Even today, businesses are still under government and clientele pressure to conform and invest in friendly environmental sustainability practices, hence, pushing some businesses to set ambitious targets to display their strong commitment to addressing climate change challenges [19].

When explaining the connection between the environment and tourism, it is important to note the difference between environment-sensitive tourism and environment-dependent tourism. Environment-sensitive tourism refers to the activity of reducing the environmental impacts of tourism, while environment-dependent tourism refers to the use of the environment as a resource base for tourism [20]. Sustainable environmental tourism is sometimes termed ‘eco-tourism’ or ‘green tourism’ [20]. A study by Tien-Ming and Homer [21] has shown that today’s tourists are attracted to environmentally sustainable locations and that tourist’s behaviour towards environmental sustainability is stronger in such locations. For example, there has been an increasing concern emanating from the lodging facilities clientele which demonstrates a growing inclination towards seeking sustainable tourism experiences and advocating for the adoption of sustainable operations and procedures within lodging facilities [22].

It is evident according to the literature that, for the tourism industry to thrive, it must be environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable; meaning there should be a balance between these three key elements. Sustainability remains one of the most common issues of discussion within the hotel industry [23], and, to expand this body of knowledge, the aim of this study therefore is to identify the strategies (similar and unique) implemented by some accommodation establishments to promote environmental sustainability. The results of this study shall serve as a guiding tool for accommodation establishments aspiring to become environmentally sustainable, especially those based in developing countries. Five South African-based accommodation establishments shall play as key informants in this study. The reason behind using South Africa’s establishments lies in the fact that South Africa receives a higher number of tourists across the world and has been ranked as one of Africa’s leading countries in tourism competitiveness since 2007 to date [24, 25, 26, 27].

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2. Methodology

A literature review approach was adopted in this study through the analysis of secondary data. As noted by Snyder [28], a literature review approach can be adopted to determine new information and guide policy formulation and implementation. The study adopted a systematic literature review approach to provide meaningful findings. The aim of a systematic review is to uncover a set of empirical evidence that matches the pre-established standards to answer the set research question, and this technique can lower bias and provide reliable findings [29]. For the purpose of the study, empirical data was collected mainly through websites and reports as these appeared to be the only sources of information regarding eco-friendly practices, and their execution was not validated through observations. To enable identification of the main themes, the data were analysed to determine the common strategies used by the accommodation establishments and also to identify the unique strategies that these businesses are practicing to promote environmental sustainability.

It is acknowledged that some important information in relation to the topic under investigation could have been omitted due to the fact that the study mainly relied on hotel websites as the main source of information, and thus, could have provided limited information to draw well-informed findings. The government of South Africa’s official websites and reports, however, do not report individual hotels progress relating to environmentally sustainable initiatives; hence the study relied on information from the hotels’ websites and reports.

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3. Sustainable practices in South Africa

Accommodation establishments offer a base from which tourists engage in the process of staying at a location [30]. It is important for lodging facilities to adopt environmentally sustainable practices [31]; therefore, pressuring leading global accommodation organisations are positioned well to provide a leadership role in upscaling sustainability [32]. According to Olya et al. [33], environmental dimensions play a key role in visitors’ satisfaction and loyalty, hence, environmental sustainability remains one of the priority subjects commonly discussed within the accommodation industry [23].

South Africa, with its diverse environment and cultures, is ahead of the global pack in many ways. Hotels (both luxury and budget), nature reserves, and short-term urban accommodations are all putting their best, and greener, foot forward in offering quality, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly service [1]. Therefore, the five of the best South African green hotels, rated by local and international tourists on websites such as TripAdvisor, CNN Travel, and Facebook are Teniqua Treetops (Table 3), Bulungula Lodge (Table 4) Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape, The Peech (Table 5) in Gauteng Johannesburg, iKhayalamafu (Table 6) in the Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal, Oyster Box Hotel (Table 7) in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and Garden Route in the Western Cape [1]. Three of the assessed hotels are 5-star hotels and the rest are 3- and 2-star resort and lodge, respectively.

GenericUtilisation of septic tanks and soak-away pits for all suits.
All household and laundry detergents used are biodegradable and eco-friendly. The biodegradable detergents are filtered through soak-aways and swales nourishing the forest systems.
The guests’ amenities are offered in glass and alternatively, the resort only uses multiuse recycled plastic.
WaterRainwater harvesting is practiced and approximately 800 L is collected per 1 mm of rainfall.
Toilet and irrigation: water is drawn directly from the Karata River, and has gone through several eco-friendly filtration systems.
Eco-friendly detergents are used for laundry, and the wastewater is filtered through a wetland from where it joins the tilapia dam.
Wastewater from toilets is directed to septic tanks, where it undergoes biological decomposition prior to discharge into soak-away pits that are not in the proximity of freshwater resources.
Laundry: Rainwater is harvested and pumped into separate holding tanks to facilitate the laundry facility.
Fire control: Water supply- reservoirs are in place and hold excess rainwater that is linked to the fire control pipeline.
EnergyA combination of gas, solar and electricity as sources of energy, are utilised. However, the establishment has invested in expanding the solar systems and reducing gas usage.
Currently, the establishment generates 11 Kw through solar panels using an AC coupling system which feeds the establishment grid. The aim is to run the entire establishment on solar within the next five years.

Table 3.

Teniqua Treetops. A 3-star rated resort.

Source: [34].

GenericIn 2009, the Bulungula management protected the primary dune forest by erecting a fence that excluded animals such as goats and other domestic animals, thus protecting it from destruction. Removal of invasive plants also contributed to forest recovery.
Recyclers at the dump ensure the recycling of plastic and glass.
Trees that act as carbon sinks have been planted in order to absorb the CO2.
WaterGroundwater is pumped via solar panels for all the lodge’s needs.
Dry, non-flushing compost toilets are used, and save water that would otherwise be utilised for toilet flushing. Water-conserving showers at the facility save about 190 L of water per day per person, as opposed to global consumption of about 250 L/person/day).
The banana circle behind the showers enhances the recycling of water recycling. The detergents from showers are nutrients for banana and papaya trees. A 3-pond filtration system removes oils, fats and food particles from dishwater, and is also recycled for the tree irrigation.
EnergySince 2004, all of Bulungula’s electricity has been supplied by solar panels. These panels are used to run the lights, music, satellite phones, computers, water pumps, and various battery chargers.
Solar energy is utilised for all appliances at the establishment. ‘The entire establishment uses in 24 hours the same amount of energy as a toaster or a kettle would use in 2 hours’.

Table 4.

Bulungula Lodge. A 2-star lodge.

Source: [35].

GenericWaste reduction waste is managed using a Bokashi wet waste facility, garden composting, and through paper, glass, tin, and plastic recycling.
The hotel’s probiotic waste is processed and recycled into fertiliser, which is then used in the hotel’s gardens. An on-site water bottling facility provides drinking water for the bistro and rooms, and reduces utilisation of plastic bottles, while also minimising transportation of water to the hotel.
A sustainability policy is in place.
The hotel uses eco-friendly detergents for cleaning and laundry.
WaterGrey-water recycling is practiced in the gardens. This reduces water bills and avoids introduction of chemicals in vegetables (when treated water is used).
The hotel has water-efficient dual-flush toilets that conserve water.
Watering takes place in the early morning or late evening, thus reducing water loss through evaporation.
EnergyPump water systems are installed, reducing energy consumption.
All the rooms have double-layer insulation in walls to reduce entry of heat in summer and trap heat indoors in winter.

Table 5.

Case of The Peech, Johannesburg, Gauteng. A 5- star hotel.

Source: [36].

GenericThe establishment eradicated all alien species (wattle, cotoneaster, bugweed, and gum) from its property.
Fire is managed on a cyclical and controlled basis.
WaterWater comes from fresh mountain streams.
Sewage is handled in a sustainable way with septic tanks and soak-pits.
EnergyThe establishment sources electricity from both solar and hydro-generation, and hence is not connected to the national grid. There is enough power to run all lights, inclusive of fridges, microwave oven, and electric blankets. The electricity ‘load-shedding’ in South Africa does not affect the establishment’s operations.
Solar geysers are used for heating water, and gas geysers are the alternate means. A gas hob is mainly utilised for cooking.

Table 6.

iKhayalamafu, Drakensberg, KwaZulu-Natal. A 5-star hotel.

Source: [37].

GenericSince 2007, sustainability has become a central pillar of the hotel’s operations.
Establishing guest-facing programmes that encourage environmental awareness and conservation.
Sustainability efforts are currently focused on phasing out all single-use plastics.
Partners with technological companies to reduce food wastage.
Development of a sustainability policy that focuses on issues of conservation and ensuring that the hotel protects invaluable landscapes and natural resources.
The policy also focuses on improving wildlife, thus, ensuring the highest standard of ethical wildlife experiences.
The hotel operates a ‘fill-a-bucket’ programme to assist in combating the scourge of ocean plastics. For every beach-bucket, of rubbish collected from Umhlanga beach by hotel guests, the hotel offers a complimentary drink in the hotel bar.
WaterTo minimise water usage, the hotel has combined the plants with a dynamic water irrigation system that stores collected rainfall and distributes it evenly across the wall.
Installed aerators, of flow regulators into the shower systems to minimise excessive water use.
Invested in a water-saving countertop dishwasher that uses just half a gallon per cycle.
EnergyThe hotel invested in architectural innovations that maximise energy efficiency to app-based platforms that help to reduce individual impact.
The hotel planted over 10,000 plants which in turn helps with regulating indoor temperature throughout the hotel. In the summer season, the green blanket absorbs the sun’s rays, cooling interiors by up to 30 degrees, while in winter, the plants trap in the warmth, reducing the energy wasted on heating.
The hotel also switched to LED lighting to drastically shrink its global footprint.
Air pollutionThe hotel installed low carbon-emitting heaters to reduce the hotels’ carbon footprint.

Table 7.

Oyster Box Hotel. Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal. A 5-star hotel.

Source: [38].

3.1 Case of Teniqua Treetops resort

The establishment adopted the vision of a cleaner world for all and is as eco-friendly as possible while providing modern facilities [34].

3.2 Case of Bulungula Lodge

Bulungula lodge observes integrates sustainable strategies with eco-friendly practices. Carbon footprint is thus reduced through the engagement of appropriate technologies and water conservation and waste management, among others [35].

3.3 Case of the Peech Hotel

The Peech Hotel is Johannesburg’s eco-chic boutique hotel with 16 bedrooms, a bistro restaurant, and a conference facility. The hotel blends chic design with a strong sustainability policy and has been described as “Contemporary, edgy, and Afrocentric” by Condé Nast Traveller. It has been nominated as South Africa’s leading Boutique hotel for the last five consecutive years and holds a Fair Trade Tourism certification [39].

3.4 Case of iKhayalamafu

IKhayalamafu is an eco-state that forms a border with the World Heritage Site and conforms to wildlife and conservation practices. The establishment practises sustainable energy consumption and water conservation practices [37].

3.5 Case of Oyster Box Hotel

The Oyster partners with local charities in sustainability practices that include water and energy conservation. They have a vision in impacting positively onto the environment, while striving towards eco-tourism that conserves nature [38].

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4. Results and discussion

The study findings are presented in this section, and are organised into water conservation practices, wastewater management, energy conservation and solid waste management (Table 8).

Water conservation (%)
Rainwater harvestingn = 2 (20)
Grey-water recyclingn = 2 (20)
Low-flow shower headsn = 3 (60)
Dual flush toiletsn = 1 (10)
Average(27.5)
Wastewater management (%)
Soak-away pitsn = 2 (20)
Eco-friendly detergentsn = 1 (10)
Average(15)
Energy conservation (%)
Solar panelsn = 3 (60)
Double-layer insulation in wallsn = 1 (10)
Hydropower generationn = 1 (10)
Gas for cookingn = 1 (10)
Average(22.5)
Solid waste management (%)
Waste recyclingn = 2 (20)
Compost from biodegradable wasten = 1 (10)
Fill-a-bucket waste incentiven = 1 (10)
Average(10)

Table 8.

Water conservation, wastewater management, energy conservation, solid waste management, and air pollution control by hotels.

4.1 Water conservation

At least two hotels (20%) practice rainwater harvesting (Table 8), and the water is used for laundry and firefighting. One hotel uses water from the stream for irrigation and toilet flushing. Approximately three hotels (60%) use low-flow shower heads in guest bathrooms, while another 10% use dual-flush toilets, thus reducing water consumption in these amenities. The other means of water conservation is grey water recycling for garden irrigation, and this is practiced by 20% (n = 2) of the hotels. Of these two hotels, the other one utilises the grey water for fruit tree plantations. These hotels are conserving the available water resources, and thus addressing SDG 6, on sustainable management of water.

Studies have shown that similar strategies have yielded positive results in Egypt, however, Egyptian hotels implemented more mechanisms inclusive of monitoring the water consumption in each department at least once a month [40, 41]. Further, a study conducted in Arrabida Natural Park hotel in Portugal also identified similar strategies as those implemented by the selected lodging facilities in South Africa, though, herein, the Arrabida Natural Park hotel further attains all the hot water it requires by exclusively using thermodynamic solar panels. This system produces hot water up to 55°C without sun exposure and even during the night [42]. Further, the benefits of water conservation and management have been identified as assisting in reducing the number of wastes, which benefits the hotel industry and its stakeholders. Also, green hotel practices can help reduce water consumption, thereby benefitting the environment [43].

Similar findings were also obtained in studies by Peng & Chen [44]; and Kassim [45]. Other authors emphasise significance of environmental sustainability practices by hotels [46], on the contrary, water conservation is least practiced by hotels in Kampala due to the inability of such hotels to recycle water [47]. Water conservation does not only reduce water bills and treatment costs, and overall operational costs but reduces energy consumption for raw water treatment [48].

4.2 Wastewater management

The study identified that two (20%) of the establishments had to soak-away pits (Table 8), and 10% utilised eco-friendly detergents for laundry and dish-washing, thus lowering nutrients that might escape into the environment. Eco-friendly detergents reduce the eutrophication of surface water bodies, and this is extended by utilisation of soak-away pits. Soak-away pits also reduce volumes of other inorganic impurities which would seep into groundwater bodies, rendering such water sources unusable as alternative water bodies [49]. Reduction of waste into the environment gears towards achieving SDGs 11, 12, 13, and 14. Furthermore, public health can be improved through pre-treatment of water, as is the case with the establishments that utilise on-site treatment facilities. In this manner, SDG 3 is being achieved.

4.3 Energy conservation

Approximately 60% of the establishments have installed solar panels for day-to-day running like water pumping from boreholes, lights, music for guests, computers, and charging batteries. Of these, 10% also used hydropower and supplemented this with gas for cooking during periods when there is no sufficient solar power. Hydropower is yet another renewable form of energy, and does not emit any green house gases (GHGs). Not only is this an environment-friendly approach, but it is also perceived as a prognostic water-economy balance (WEB). Solar power is recently considered as a long-term efficient environmental approach [42, 49].

Furthermore, it was also established that at least 10% of the hotels increased energy efficiency through construction of walls with double-layer insulation that reduces energy loss in winter. The insulation also inhibits the entrance of warm air into buildings in summer and hence minimising the need for utilisation of cooling systems like air-conditioners during the hot season. These hotels are participating in the reduction of GHG emission, thus combating effects of global climate change [50]. By utilising clean energy, the hotels are striving towards achievement of SDG 7 that accounts for affordable and clean energy. Increasing energy efficiency plays a key role in saving energy and therefore reducing energy expenses [51], and globally, there exists a discourse to mitigate impacts of global warming, especially for those industries that rely profoundly on fossil fuels [52]. Although there are high similarities in the mechanism adopted by the selected South African hotels and strategies noted from an Egyptian hotels study in conserving energy, it was identified that hotels in Egypt further monitor the energy use at least once a month for each department [41].

4.4 Solid waste management

Waste recycling was practiced by at least 20% of the hotels as shown in Table 8. Compost production from biodegradable food waste was practiced by 10% of the hotels, whereas another 10% had a fill-a-bucket incentive from food waste for its guests. The same hotel ensured multiple uses of plastics within the premises. Solid waste management is an approach that reduces adverse impacts that waste would have onto human health and the environment. This is in support of SDG 12 (12.3; 12.4; 12.5), SDG 14 (14.1), and SDG 15 (15.3; 15.5). The findings concur with those of Mbasera et al. [49]. Similarly, only 14.5% of five-star hotels in Kampala practiced waste management [47]. Waste recycling drastically reduces volumes of unwanted materials from the environment, improving its quality [53].

4.5 Air quality

Only 10% of the hotels planted vegetation and trees resolutely for carbon sequestration. This shows that air quality and its management is not yet considered an imperative means of environmental protection, yet the tourism industry is believed to emit a larger component of GHGs [54]. Activities that pollute air include utilisation of cleaning detergents, fossil fuel, and transportation. Some studies have demonstrated that, if the emission rate is not curbed, then the impact of tourism is likely to increase four times [55]. Green practices have been classified into water saving, waste management, energy saving and general practices in support of green tourism [56], whereas Kim [57] classified them into solid waste, water saving, energy, and biodiversity. Gil-Soto et al. [58] propose that pertinent items are water, energy, waste, purchasing, innovation, and environmental education. Interestingly, all these researchers have omitted biodiversity and management of air quality some of the practices that ensure safe and clean environments. On the other hand, other strategies that have been employed by hotels in other countries to reduce carbon emissions also include the development of partnerships between the hotel and other stakeholders such as the hotel establishing partnerships with companies that promote bike tours, in which the tourist chooses the route in the host location by bicycle or horseback riding, and stays in the hotels that have joined this modality [42].

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5. Conclusion

The study has established that the reviewed South African accommodation establishments utilise four major areas of sustainability, water conservation, wastewater management, energy conservation, and solid waste management. The areas that are least reported and deemed to be less practiced are air pollution abatement (both indoor and outdoor), enrichment of biodiversity, sustainable means of transportation, operational changes, and environmental education to employees. Furthermore, all accommodation establishments herein do not have sustainability policies in place, and for those that might have them, they are not well-articulated on their websites in order to attract guests to clean, safe and healthy environments. All these practices concur with the views that in hotel facilities, environmental sustainability could be attained through sustainable energy and environment management practices that deliver resolutions for sustainable energy, water and waste management, environment protection, and carbon management [11].

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6. Recommendations

The study recommends that the hotels revise their environmental sustainability strategies, so as to incorporate air pollution control and biodiversity in their expedition to practice sustainable tourism. This is owing to realisation that their operations are emitters of GHGs that drastically degrade the environment [59]. Adopting eco-friendly practices in the accommodation sector could offer benefits such as a reduction in utility-maintenance, and tax bills. Further, adoption of eco-friendly practices could enhance the brand image as well as the reputation of establishments, attract a higher number of green customers, earn eco-friendly incentives, and also lead to a reduction in operational costs [60]. Through a qualitative research method, future research could engage hotel managers to identify their attitudes towards eco-friendly practices as a literature review approach method in this regard could provide insufficient data to draw appropriate conclusions therein. Future research on perspectives of guests could also be a key area to explore in order to establish guests’ expectations on sustainable practices that could be implemented by the accommodation establishments. A study in this area could provide more knowledge on better eco-friendly practices to improve client satisfaction and to become guests’ first choice accommodation establishment. Finally, views from establishments’ employees could also be included in future research since they could be facing challenges in implementing sustainability policies and might therefore need some education on eco-tourism, and how they could be engaged to ensure proper implementation of all aspects of sustainable tourism.

The limitations of the study were identified to be limited information relating to the sustainable environmental strategies employed by identified accommodation establishments due to limited data sources and the verification of collected data from the establishments’ reports and websites.

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Written By

Rasethuntsa Boitumelo Caroline and George Maeti

Submitted: 28 August 2023 Reviewed: 17 September 2024 Published: 27 May 2025