Sustainability and hotels

It was revealed recently that Sri Lanka had ranked second in the Sustainable Development Index (SDI), which at present has collated data up until 2019.

The SDI measures the ecological efficiency of human development, recognising that development must be achieved within planetary boundaries. The SDI starts with each nation’s human development score (life expectancy, education and income), and divides it by their ecological overshoot: the extent to which consumption-based CO2 emissions and material footprint exceed fair shares of planetary boundaries. Countries that achieve relatively high human development while remaining within or near planetary boundaries rise to the top.

On the face of it, it’s impressive for a country like Sri Lanka to be ranked so high, but on the other hand, the lived-in reality makes it quite clear that the numbers only tell part of the story.

Tourism has been a boom industry in post-war Sri Lanka, recording double-digit growth and providing jobs to thousands of people in rural areas. Given the absence of other inclusive industries tourism has become a livelihood lifeline and a key factor in reducing poverty, at least to some extent, in rural areas.

While this has stalled since the pandemic, it’s clear that Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is slowly working its way back. But when it does, the hotel industry in particular, needs to take a hard look at itself.

Studies in the past have shown that environmental management has not received the attention that it deserves in the case of the hotel industry in Sri Lanka although sustainable growth in the industry requires consideration of such practices.

The hotel industry is extremely callous of focusing on energy, water, solid waste and wastewater management. The study, which is based on data from 78 registered hotels in the Western Province of Sri Lanka, showed that the highest number of practices, 3.7 on average, adopted by hotels is in energy management, largely because of high tariffs. 

However, the average number of water management practices is just 2.6. Majority of hotels, which obtain ground water, do not maintain water consumption data, which in the long-term can take a huge toll on the water table of the region. Low adoption rates are observed for wastewater and solid waste management practices. The study also showed adoption of good practices are more likely by large hotels, chain-affiliated hotels and classified hotels rather than smaller or informal hotels.

Analysis of electricity consumption shows that the occupancy rate and involvement of the hotels in environment management projects lead to a reduction in electricity consumption. From a policy perspective, small hotels, independent hotels, and unclassified hotels need to be motivated to adopt good environmental management practices through training, capacity building and financial support.

These are precisely the sort of policies that are severely lacking in Sri Lanka. A severe gap exists in the data available of hotel practices and other sustainable measures that can lead to improved policy making at a practical level so that they can actually be implemented. Even hotels that may be willing to make changes often find that they get no recognition or even less support for their efforts and are entirely dependent on their clients for motivation.

Sri Lanka needs to understand how to do things differently and better. It is the only way to make tourism truly sustainable.