Diet 1 Assesment

Diet 1 Assesment

Executive Summary

According to the United Nations-Food and Agriculture Organisation, a third of total food produced globally is through production, distribution, and by consumers themselves. Therefore, for an organization in the hospitality and tourism industry to be efficient, then sustainability processes should be carried out. In addition to food wastage in the hospitality industry, its environmental impact is enormous and has many adverse effects that have to be mitigated.

Organizations use three spheres of sustainability in hospitality and tourism, namely social, economic, and environmental pillars of sustainability.  Each of these spheres is equally important to the organization in the industry. Social sustainability involves mitigating different social-cultural factors that the tourism destination brings into society. Economic sustainability consists of managing the money and financial impact of the organizations in hospitality and tourism to the community. Environmental sustainability includes mitigating the environmental impact of the organization on the surrounding.

Manila Marriott, Makati Shangri-La, and Cathay pacific are three organizations in the hospitality and tourism industry that have undertaken practices to promote social, economic, and environmental sustainability. These organizations have coined programs and strategies that promote sustainability in all three spheres. However, in the implementation of each area, then there are issues and challenges that the organization faces, including the responsibility of balancing between making money and ethically engaging with the society. Besides the problem, there are also several critical advantages of sustainability in these organizations to the hospitality and tourism industry. Different theories, such as corporate social responsibility, stakeholder theory, and corporate sustainability, have been used to describe sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Introduction/Background

The hospitality and tourism industry involves the tourism and hospitality businesses, with tourism being considered as part of hospitality since it includes service to customers. In the sustainability of tourism and hospitality, three pillars that are social, environmental, and economic spheres are considered to be the drivers of sustainable tourism and hospitality industry. This report analyzes these three spheres of sustainability concerning three hospitality organizations. The organizations include Manila Marriott hotel, Makati Shangri-La hotel, and Cathay Pacific Airlines. Manila Marriot hotel is a five-star hotel located in the Philippines that offers world-class accommodation and hotel services to all its guests. Makati Shangri-La is also a five-star luxury hotel located in Manila in the Philipines, while Cathay Pacific Airline is the flag carrier of Hong Kong. In the context of the three pillars of sustainability and the three hospitality and tourism organizations selected, the paper will evaluate the predominant focus on any of the spheres and the impact of this on the other spheres. It will also analyze the sustainable issues/challenges in place relating to these spheres, the critical impact these have on the hospitality and tourism industry. The report will also evaluate the importance of sustainable processes in hospitality ad tourism and the sustainable management practices that could be applied to the organizations for future improvements.

Contextualization

Manila Marriott

The social sustainability sphere of hospitality and tourism involves the social and cultural impact of tourism on the society surrounding the destination. In this case, the social field includes the social and cultural implications of the Manila Marriott on the community surrounding the location of the hotel. The environmental field involves the ecological effects of tourism, while the economic field includes the money impact of tourism on the organization. “Manila Marriott being one of the largest hotels in the Philippines, is considered as a pioneer of sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry” (Tatler, 2019). The social sphere in the hotel includes the relationship of the community with the hospitality organization. It is expected that a tourism destination such as Manila Marriot will bring changes associated with the district. For instance, the community around may witness overcrowding, increased crime rates, congestion, an influx of immigrant workers being employed, the introduction of new languages and values. Therefore, for a hospitality organization to achieve social sustainability, then the organization has to work on minimizing the negative impacts and promoting the positing implications of the tourist organization to the community.

Social sustainability in Manila Marriott is achieved by the hotel making collaborations with the community that ensures that the community around is not only negatively impacted by the organization but also positively. Manila Marriott has a program of food donation to the underprivileged people, especially children and pregnant women in the city. The food donations given out are not leftovers from the hotel bu carefully prepared food by the culinary team aimed for assisting the needy in the society. The beneficiaries of the food are identified by the Redcross organization, meaning that the hotel is trying its best to impact the community.

The environmental sphere in the hospitality industry involves the ecological impact of the organization. Manila Marriott’s environmental sustainability is achieved by the organization driving environment related practices to conserve and manage the situation. “Manila Marriott focuses on more greener food choices in the menu such that their preparation and waste management will have the least carbon footprint”(Marriott, 2019). The hotel has focused on choosing the food ingredients from local growers of fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables. A few years ago, the hotel partnered with people from Batangas to promote organic farming, thus promoting healthier food choices and conservation of the environment.

The hotel CEO also announced the elimination of 500 million small toiletries from the hotel’s plastic usage amenity. In the venture of sustainability of the hotel industry in the world, Manila Marriott has joined in the movement and innovations on ways to reduce plastic waste. In collaboration with Envirotech Waste Recycling INC, Manila Marriott has recycled thousands of plastic bottles to make chairs and benches that were donated to the Philippines School of the Deaf. Still in the environment conservation drive, the hotel uses the monthly food donation drive as a means of reducing food wastage. The hotel has also partnered with other hotels and education institutions to formulate new and responsible methods for waste management sourcing.

Economic sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry means that financial gains are beneficial to society. Manila Marriott is promoting sustainability economically by supporting projects that enrich the members of the community. The organization is using the partnership with Environtech Recycling to give back to society. “Through sustainable eco-management, eco-efficiency, and the overall management of the organization, economic stability is achieved” (Jayawardena, 2008). When the organization manages waste appropriately, preserves the environment, and promotes healthy living among the people in the society, it is fostering economic stability by preventing diseases and infections among people, among many other things.

Makati Shangri-La Hotel

Shangri-La hotel has unified its sustainability in five key components that are the environment, health, and safety, employees, stakeholders. Under social sustainability, the hotel has a program referred to as Embrace Shangri-La’s care for people project that is involved in community linkages. The activities of the program include infrastructure support, fundraising, life skill training, and hotel apprecentiship. Makati Shangri-La hotel uses this program to link with the community, be involved in activities that benefit the society in one way or another. The organization is focused on people such that they cultivate values and practices that bring community members closer to the organization. Through taking care of children with severe conditions and illnesses, the Makati Shangri-La hotel fosters the relationship between the organization and the community.

In environmental sustainability, the organization has a program dabbed as Sanctuary care for nature project that was initiated in 2010 with efforts aimed at providing biodiversity conservation and habitat protection. Through this project, the hotel makes collaborations with local organizations with the knowledge to promote eco-diversity conservation. The hotel also participates in the annual world food day that commemorates the founding of the United Nations-Food and Agriculture Organisation. This day aims at addressing the issues worldwide on ending global hunger by addressing food production, distribution, and sustainability, and this so far is top on the list of the organization in environmental sustainability.

In economic sustainability, the programs both in social and environmental sustainability are also aimed at impacting the lives of the community members. Under the Embrace program, the hotel is supporting nine children diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Non-rhabdomyosarcoma, or Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It is also helping children undergoing chemotherapy and skin grafting after severe burns. These activities are coined at supporting society members economically while at the same time providing links in which society relates to society. The hotel’s environmental and social events, combined with collaborations with locals in support of the community services, foster the economic sustainability of the company.

Cathay Pacific Airline

As opposed to both Manila Marriott and Makati Shangri-La hotels, Cathay Pacific is a travel institution that is equally as important in the hospitality and tourism industry. Cathay pacific is also governed by the three pillars of sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry that is social, environmental, and economic spheres. In social sustainability, the organization supports the community they serve, respecting their culture, and enhancing the overall quality of life. The organization also ensures that its suppliers respect their employees, provide them with safety and a healthy environment. The organization also promotes community investment into the organization and therefore developing a good working relationship with the organization, also promoting staff volunteering in community activities. Through different methods such as interviews and questionnaires, the organization can establish what the community wants and work towards achieving it.

In environmental sustainability, the organization supports the community in projects that supports biodiversity and promotes conservation of natural resources. They ensure the reduction of consumption of natural resources, reduces waste, and improves recycling and reuse and leads the industry in contributing to global efforts to reduce aviation impact on climate change. The organization is also implementing new technologies and trying out new fuels that ensure the efficiency of fuel. Therefore, this new technology and fuel are aimed at reducing the amount of carbon emitted to the air and thus reducing pollution and climate change. Also, the organization is working on minimizing single-use plastic in the flight, and through this, the organization stopped serving plastic straws to passengers on trips. They also recycle in-flight plastic bottles to make blankets used in the economy class.

“Cathay pacific achieves economic sustainability through customer safety, governance, disclosure and transparency” (Cathay Pacific Airways, 2018). The organization puts the safety of employees at the core of their activities, provides a healthy environment for all customers, employees, and stakeholders. The company also fosters a diverse and inclusive culture that ensures there is no discrimination in employment or in attending to customers and stakeholders. These activities are aimed to impact the society surrounding Cathay pacific economically. The organization has ensured that it has developed strategies and activities for the sustainable development of the organization.

Analysis

In the evaluation of the three pillars of sustainability in the three organizations (Manila Marriot, Makati Shangri-La, and Cathy pacific), some issues were identified that would have an impact on the organizations and the hospitality and tourism industry at large. In Manilla Marriot, one sphere is predominant over the others in sustainability practices. The organization seems to emphasize the environmental sustainability of the organization. “The connection between tourism and hospitality industry with both physical and social environment together with the strong past growth of the industry implies that the industry has far more negative impacts on the environment that has to be mitigated” (Kasim, 2008). For this reason, most institutions in the hospitality and tourism industry are working to mitigate these adverse effects and thus channeling all their efforts to environmental activities that would have an impact on other spheres.

It is quite clear that the main objective of Manila Marriott is to ensure that they conserve and manage the environment, from the collaborations they make to charity activities. For instance, besides food donation being a social activity aimed at helping the needy in society, they also do it to reduce food wastage, and this is part of environmental management. “It is perceived that environment conservation in the hospitality and tourism industry is not only good for the environment but also essential for the sustainability of the industry itself” (Kassim, 2008). Therefore, organizations in this industry have based their sustainability on their ability to conserve the environment. Environmental conservation is right, and every organization should ensure that its activities do not negatively affect the natural environment. However, social and economic impacts of the organizations in the society are also equally important. The environmental sustainability reliance in Manila Marriott is the most substantial economic impact on the community, and the organization is not making a significant impact on society in many other areas.

The same situation applies to Makati Shangri-La, where the organization has focused so much on social sustainability. However, the organization’s actions in social sustainability are also improving the well being of society economically. Shangri-La seems to have struck a balance in sustainable development in all spheres such that the programs developed interrelated, and each affects the other, meaning that if one is over-relied on, then others will have to suffer. “The image of an organization to the community matters and therefore organizations in hospitality and tourism has to work towards achieving the best image of the company” ( Ergul, Mehmet; Johnson, Colin, 2011). Social responsibility of being an organization involves treating the community around them with respect and dignity, ensuring that their actions do not affect the communities’ reasonable livelihood negatively.

Cathay Pacific is one of the largest airlines in Asia, and it has managed to develop sustainable development strategies that ensure there is a balance in the three spheres of sustainability. Cathay pacific airline has developed a social sustainability strategy that incorporates every individual affected by the existence of the airline from customers, employees, stakeholders, and the world at large. The company undertakes the environment conservation measures also doubles up to serve as the economic and social responsibility of the organization in the community. ”

However, in organizations working to ensure sustainability in different spheres in the hospitality and tourism industry, they face various issues and challenges in implementing these three pillars. “On a global perspective, the tourism industry is still unseemingly affected by the recent economic turbulences” (Hendricks, 2018). However, even if the organization is not directly affected by changes in the economy, its surroundings are, and this brings about challenges. For instance, while implementing social sustainability programs, the organization has to consider the economic standing of members of society. When the surrounding community to a hotel is poor, the organization has to bridge the gap and be involved in activities that make the lives of community members economically better.

With resilience in the hospitality and tourism industry comes great responsibility that the organizations have to take to remain resilient. The organizations should continue attracting foreigners to the tourism sites, but at the same time, maintain the social-cultural values of the society and conserve the natural environment surrounding them. Another big challenge in the hospitality and tourism industry is waste management, where hotels have to develop suitable means of waste management that is not economically, socially, or environmentally non-viable. “A third of all food produced in the world is wasted during production and wastage from consumers” (D’ Ambrosi, 2019).  Therefore these organizations involved have to ensure that they save food and minimize wastage as much as possible.

Sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry is essential in different aspects. Sustainability i hospitality and tourism industry is vital since it saves money by reducing spending and wastage. Sustainability also promotes a healthy environment and gives the industry a public relations advantage over other industries that are not environmental conservation conscious. According to a global investor report in 2017, “companies must deliver goods and services that ensure social and environmental responsibility or their future growth is at risk” (Credit Suise, 2017). Sustainability in the three spheres is, therefore, important in ensuring the future growth of the hospitality and tourism industry. For a hospitality or tourism organization in this era to survive and grow with others, then they must engage in sustainability activities to promote their brand and corporate image, to save on the cost to achieve optimum guest satisfaction. Millennials in this era are driving the decisions made by different organizations, and therefore the industry has to come up with measures to attract Millenials. Most Millenials will be invited to sustainable ventures such as eco-friendly hotels, and thus another importance of sustainability is to attract the new trends towards their favor.

Theories of Sustainability

Different approaches can be used to explain sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry. One of those theories that are most applicable in the sector is corporate social responsibility. “Corporate social responsibility defines a corporate organization that holds the responsibility to make money and to interact ethically with the surrounding” (Chang, 2017). For instance, this theory applies in organizations such as Manila Marriot such that the organization has the responsibility to make monetary returns and at the same time, interacts with the community around them by promoting community activities.

Stakeholders’ theory is another theory applicable to sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry. Stakeholders’ theory suggests that the stakeholder’s ecosystem involves the shareholders’ ad everyone else involved and invested in the organization such as environmentalists and employees. For instance, the stakeholders in Makati Shangri-La include the employees, the community, the management, customers, stakeholders, and everybody else involved in the company who work in bringing the well being of the business.

Corporate sustainability is a new and evolving theory that combines social development, corporate social responsibility, accountability, and stakeholder theory. “This theory suggests that for maximum profitability of an organization, the organization has to combine social development, corporate social responsibility, accountability, and stakeholders” (Wilson, 2003). For instance, according to corporate sustainability, the success of Cathay Pacific is reliant on all the factors combined from social responsibility to accountability and stakeholders of the organization.

Conclusion

Sustainability is one of the critical issues globally, with the hospitality industry relying heavily on sustainability on their growth and development. Therefore, the social, economic, and environmental sustainability of organizations in the hospitality industry is critical to the tourism and hospitality industry. This industry has, in the past, had an ecological impact through energy and water consumption. Social sustainability includes the ability of a hospitality and tourism organization to sustain the social-cultural needs of the community surrounding the organization. The organization manages and maintains the social impact of the organization to the community. Economic sustainability includes balancing the money aspect of the organization, ensuring that the organization has a real impact on the members of society. Environmental sustainability involves providing that the environment surrounding the organization. Sustainability is essential to the hospitality and tourism industry since it benefits everyone involved from the community members, employees, stakeholders, and the organization itself. However, in implementing sustainability measures, organizations face different issues and challenges that include taking the responsibility to balance the prosperity of the business and ensuring the social, economic, and environmental factors are taken care of.

Recommendations

The organizations under consideration in this paper have worked to ensure social, economic, and environmental sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry. However, they are still policies and practices that can be used to improve their efficiency. During the analysis of the three organizations (Manila Marriott, Makati Shangri-La, and Cathay Pacific Airline), an observation made involved having one pillar of sustainability being predominant over the others. Therefore, in addressing this, the organizations should learn and introduce measures that ensure balancing among the three pillars of sustainability. Environment sustainability seems to be the primary focus of many organizations, and this is understandable since many organizations are going green, and the hospitality industry has to follow suit.

Institutions can adopt more effective measures in energy conservation, recycling to reduce waste management. The organization can use environmentally friendly cleaning products, reduce plastic usage in the hotels. Organizations were observed to be using a lot of effort to recycle plastics. Still, instead, they can focus on using fewer plastics, thus reducing the amount of money they spend on recycling of the plastic with waste formed every day.

Hotels use a lot of water, and therefore they can observe measures to save on water such as recycling of used water to be used in other activities such as cleaning and washing. These organizations should also focus more on the use of fresh and organic produce. Organizations in tourism and hospitality should focus on having the management and ownership of locals such that the money made from the organizations benefits locals.