Abstracts Category : Other

Business sustainability through environmental and operational management in five-star hotels in Amman, Jordan

by Haitham Abdelrazaq

Tourism is one of Jordans major sources of foreign currency. Jordan attracts tourists from all around the world due to its political stability, religious toleration, high quality of life, better healthcare and education compared with surrounding areas. The exquisite cuisine, friendly and welcoming people, together with a reasonably liberal social and economic environment also enhance its destination image. In Jordan, the hospitality and tourism (H&T) industry makes a substantial contribution to the Jordanian economy. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the total contribution of Travel & Tourism to GDP was 23.0% of GDP in 2014 (WTTC 2015). Employment in the tourism cluster, including direct and indirect employment, was estimated at around 130,000 (11% of the workforce). The Jordanian government, noticing a crucial role of tourism expansion in economic development, is eager to promote tourism internationally. The economic pressures on Jordans economy caused by the influx of Syrian refugees are substantial. As of October 2015, the total number of Syrian refugees in Jordan is 630,000. While it may be too early to determine the full impact of this influx on long-run macroeconomic outcomes, a number of socio-economic indicators already provide a grim picture. This includes demands on already limited water and natural energy resources in addition to food and housing supply. Moreover, environmental protection and conservation have become important to the hotel industry from the perspective of government, consumers and the industry itself. Rapid economic development has caused environmental pollution and destruction. As a result, the government, industry, and consumers are highly concerned about environmental conservation. The hospitality industry is one such example, having faced significant concerns about managing the performance towards the environment and the need to adopt sustainable practices. The sustainable performance of business activities is highly essential for businesses whether in the manufacturing or services industry. This focus on sustainability is particularly significant in developing tourism and hospitality destinations. Developed and Developing economies have adopted environmental and operational management as a key focus of their hospitality and tourism enterprises. Thus, the purpose of this research is to investigate sustainable environmental performance in five-star hotels in Amman, Jordan. The study involved respondents from all 13 five star hotels in Amman, Jordan. The respondents were managers, senior executives, supervisors, and employees from five different operational departments including Maintenance and Security (MS), Food and Beverage (F&B), Kitchens (K), Purchasing (P) and Housekeeping (H). A total of 65 surveys and 13 interviews were conducted for the purpose of this study. The primary objective of the study is to determine the impact of business and operational practices of five-star hotels in Amman, on Environmental and Operational Sustainability. Moreover, there isAdvisors/Committee Members: Western Sydney University. School of Business (Host institution).