Environmental Management Systems for Caribbean Hotels and Resorts

Abstract

Hotels and resorts around the world are now adopting environmental management systems as a means of improving resource use efficiency, reducing operating costs, increasing staff involvement and guest awareness, and obtaining international recognition in the travel and tourism marketplace. This article examines the cost savings and performance improvements at five hotel properties in Jamaica that were among the first in the Caribbean to adopt an environmental management system (EMS). The five hotels evaluated in the case study, Sandals Negril, Couples Ocho Rios, Negril Cabins, Swept Away, and Sea Splash have achieved remarkable improvements in environmental performance, and accompanying cost savings, since implementing environmental management systems (EMS).¹ These results are outlined below and serve as direct evidence of environmental performance improvements that result from proactive environmental management.² Total cost savings for the five properties is estimated to be $615,500, or $910 per room. The properties had a cumulative water savings of 41.4 million Imperial Gallons (IG) achieved; total electricity savings of 1.67 million kWh; total diesel savings of 169,000 liters; and total Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) savings of 259,000 liters. Expressing overall energy use in terms of kWh,³ the total energy savings is 5.67 million kWh.