Pressure group accuses hotel chain of false claims of responsible development
On 25 July, tourism watchdog Tourism Concern accused Hilton Hotels
Corporation and Hilton International of short changing local communities and
habitat destruction, despite its claims to be clean and green. The claims have
been disputed by Hilton, but the war of words brings CSR (corporate social
responsibility) in the tourism industry back into the news, with questions as to
whether efforts of the industry to protect the environment and behave
responsibly are real, or simply corporate 'greenwashing'.
Too often, argues Tourism Concern, CSR is used as an opportunity for
companies operating in tourism to make shareholders and the public believe that
the companies operate ethically and with integrity. Tourism Concern's CEO Tricia
Barnett, in a speech to a conference on CSR and tourism held in Singapore, used
Hilton's activities in the Maldives to claim that the the global hotel chain was
not interested in implementing "socially and environmentally responsible
business practices."
Tourism Concern accuses Hilton of uprooting many palm and mangrove trees from
Mandhoo island to the Hilton resort complex on Rangali and Rangalifinolhu
islands. They also suggest that Hilton Hotels have exaggerated their community
work on Mandhoo, and that claims by the company of sponsoring a teacher on the
island and offering long-term support after the tsunami are false.
Hilton's Chief Executive Ian Carter, however, has accused Tourism Concern of
spreading "false and defamatory" allegations against Hilton Maldives.
"I am extremely disappointed with the nature of this sensationalist
campaign," he angrily said in an open letter. The claims and counter-claims
have continued, echoing previous exchanges detailed
in the Dhivehi Observer in the Maldives earlier this year.
Tourism companies push environmental credentials
In Europe, where a segment of consumers are beginning to be interested in
sustainable tourism and concerned about the impacts of their lifestyles on the
environment, some big tour operators such as Kuoni and TUI have issued
guidelines advising customers how to save water, be economical with
air-conditioning, avoid unnecessary use of plastic bags, clear up rubbish and
care for flora and fauna by shunning activities such as 'swimming with dolphins'
or 'motorbiking in deserts'.
Kuoni Switzerland has extended its good citizenship to incorporate suppliers
too, offering its own Green Planet Award to beach resort hotels that meet
specified ecological standards and flagging them up in brochures.
"We intend to make substantial demands on our partners in particular to
live up to our high environmental expectations, to help meet a growing and
spreading customer demand," explains CEO Thomas Stirnimann.
In addition, Kuoni's own research revealed sales staff actively 'pushed'
resorts with Green Planet accreditation, although this statistic was not matched
by sales, with just 15% of customers citing environmental concerns when making
their travel purchases.
TUI too operates an Environmental Management department and annual reports
from representatives in each region in which it operates help in monitoring and,
eventually, preparing consumer information for use in brochures. This
environmental reporting covers all areas, from bathing water quality and beach
quality, to waste water and energy management, traffic and other noise
irritants, local developments, regional conservation and environmental
strategies.
In the Middle East, an example of just what can be achieved is Le Royal
Meridien Beach Resort & Spa, winner of several DEPA and MENA awards for the
environment as well as a member of Kuoni's Green Planet network.
Spearheading the 25-strong green task force is business development director,
Siggi von Brandt, who says the hotel was the only one in the Middle East to be
audited for its environmental credentials by TUV Rhineland, winning a 93.5%
rating.
Acknowledging that a green policy is not a particular 'sell' at the moment,
von Brandt says it was a combination of good management and education for the
staff that drove the measures.
Initiated by the hotel's chief engineer who came up with the idea of a water
treatment plant, the resort now runs a variety of schemes; steam from the
laundry is used to heat the swimming pool water, waste water is recycled and
used for the landscaped gardens, and paper, printer cartridges, bottles,
plastic, cans and oil are all recycled.
According to Guido de Wilde, regional director of operations for Starwood in
the Middle East, the protection and enhancement of the environment is a
fundamental and critical pre-condition for healthy and long-lasting tourism
growth.
"For tourism to deliver the economic and social returns expected, the
industry has to pay more attention to the triple bottom line, ensuring the
balance between the social, economic and environmental," he says.
There are a number of certification schemes that promote 'green' tourism,
such as the UN-backed Green Globe
scheme. Research on ways to define and measure sustainable tourism, and the
effects of tourism on the environment, can be found on the Leisuretourism.com
database. Costantino and Tudinni (2005) discuss the development of an accounting
framework for ecologically sustainable tourism, combining an economic model for
tourism development with an environmental module. James (2004) discussed the
issues and principles of sustainability and the need for local sustainable
tourism indicators. Allin et al. (2004) presented a list of 27 national
indicators of sustainable tourism for the UK, while Hunter and Shaw (2005)
present an analysis of 'ecological footprint' as a means of assessing the impact
of different international ecotourism scenarios.
External link
Tourism Concern