Factors Influencing Implementation of Environmental Management Practices among Hotels in Tanzania

Abstract

This study aimed to identify factors that influence implementation of environmental management practices among hotels in Tanzania. Basing on previous studies, five factors that were vital in the implementation of the hotel Environmental Management Practices (EMPs) were acknowledged as management commitment, business competitiveness, governmental regulation, employees training and hospitality industry awareness. The study wasconducted in two cities Arusha and Dar es Salaam whereby structured questionnaire with likert scale range from 1 to 5 was used to collect information from the sample size of 400 managers and supervisors of hotels. SPSS software was used for data entry and AMOS software version 23 was used to analyze multivariate analysis and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses. The findings indicated that, management commitment affects positively implementation of EMPs in hotel, with significance p<0.05; likewise business competitiveness effects positively the implementation of EMPs in hotel with significance p<0.05. In addition, employees training on EMPs has significant positive effects on the implementation of EMPs in the hotel at p< 0.001; also, implementation of hotel EMPs hassignificant positive effects on hotel business sustainability at p< 0.001. Therefore, the implications to industry managers and expertise are: first, hotel managers’ commitment is vital for the successful EMPs implementation. Second, training of employees on implementation of EMPs is crucial in achieving business sustainability. Third, there is relationship between business competiveness and implementation of EMPs. Fourth implementing EMPs is crucial for sustainability of hotel business. This contributes to body of knowledge by coming with guiding framework on how the hotel could implement EMPs.The main limitation of this is lack of generalizability of the finding in TanzaniaThe study recommends future research in game parks and beaches, as these are visitors’ main attraction in Tanzania.