GREEN TRANSFORMATION IN THE TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY: GLOBAL TRENDS AND CHALLENGES
Maia Azmaiparashvili
E-mail: maiaazmaiparashvili@gmail.com
Associate Professor, Gori State University
Gori, Georgia
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7868-5463
Abstract: Sustainability is no longer an optional consideration for the hospitality industry – it has become a must-have for the tourism business. The call for sustainable practices has never been louder than it is today. The UN report “Towards a Green Economy” notes that tourism is one of the most powerful drivers of sustainable growth in the global economy. Tourism can play a significant role in the fight against climate change, as part of its broader commitment to sustainable development. On one side of the tourism and hospitality phenomenon, there is a strong need to generate income and jobs, while on the other side, it is important to minimize the negative environmental impacts. Green practices create a competitive advantage for the tourism and hospitality business in terms of cost optimization, innovative service offerings, operational management efficiency, the introduction of smart technologies, customer attraction and many other processes. The subject of the research of the paper is the integration of sustainability into business models, the introduction of circular practices in the hotel business. The paper presents real examples of green practices in the field of hospitality, which highlight the trends and strategies of transformation. The challenges of the ecological economy facing the hospitality industry, complex problems of negative environmental impact were identified. We discussed the green skills of sustainable use of environmental resources, the determinants of sustainability, and new market opportunities. Recommendations are presented to strengthen green economic development, which will help the hospitality industry to occupy a position of a reliable player in the era of digital technologies in global and local markets. Research shows that hotels in Georgia are increasingly considering the issues of implementing green practices in their business models and strategies, although from a practical point of view the industry is not clearly oriented towards a sustainable trend.
Keywords: Green transformation, sustainable, hospitality industry.
JEL classification: Z32, Q01, Q56.
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