Managers’ Perception of Voluntary Approaches to Green Practices at Four and Five Star Hotels in the Kenyan Coast

Abstract

Kenya’s Vision 2030 economic pillar recognizes the important role of natural resource-based sectors. The promotion of these has a direct link with the protection and enhancement of the environment and its resources. Whereas Kenya stands to gain enormously from tourism by the year 2030, policies and strategies must be put in place to mitigate unintended adverse outcomes such as environmental degradation. Managerial influence on environmental management is rarely investigated. In Kenya greening in hotels is a recent concept that managers are yearning to embrace. This study sought to determine managers’ perception of the green practices at 4 and 5 star hotels in the Kenyan Coast. An exploratory descriptive study design was adopted. Using a structured questionnaire, data was collected from the managers of a convenience sample of 11 hotels that were randomly picked. A descriptive analysis of the data revealed that the majority of the hotel managers at the Kenyan Coast had a positive perception of the voluntary approaches to green practices adopted by their hotels. The study further outlines the managerial implications of the findings and suggests future research areas.