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Barbados Casuarina Beach Resort - A model for the use of cleaner technologies
in the hotel sector?

Conference Paper · December 2005

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 Barbados Casuarina Beach Resort - A model for the use of cleaner
technologies in the hotel sector?

C. Jönsson ¹

Abstract
This paper undertakes the case study methodology to explore and understand how
Casuarina Beach Resort in Barbados has incorporated the use of cleaner technologies in
an environmental management system and made it a successful part of their operations.
The case study analysis indicates the need for other accommodation businesses to use
Casuarina as a benchmark and facilitate the widest use of cleaner technologies in their
business operations, which can ultimately play a vast and optimistic role in enhancing the
sustainability of the tourism industry by generating positive environmental and
economical impacts for Barbados as a destination. Considering that Barbados is a country
heavily dependent on tourism for its economic development, the evidence thus suggest
that, cleaner technologies in an environmental management system is being used to
enhance and sustain Casuarinas’ hotel operations, in terms of the recognition of cost
savings and the marketing benefits, should be of primary interest to other hospitality
accommodation businesses and to a larger extent, other tourism industry players and
policymakers, which can move the move towards its aim at achieving sustainable
development.

Keywords: hotel, Barbados, case study, sustainability, cleaner technologies

1. Introduction
The tourism industry has often been used as a vehicle for regional development as a
result of the industry requiring the development of physical, economic, and socio-cultural
infrastructure. It is one of the largest industries in the world and also one of the fastest
growing economic sectors. For the development and existence of tourist destinations and
attractions tourism relies on various cultural, historical, human and natural resources. As
a result of the rapid expansion of the tourism industry, traditional and emerging tourism
destinations are facing increasing pressure on their cultural, socio-economic and natural
environments. Due to the industry’s negative impacts on the environment it has realised
the importance and its ability to enhance the environment and protect the resources it
depends on. In developing countries, tourism has proven to be a more sustainable
development option than intensive agriculture, extractive mining, forestry or any other
activity. Consequently the industry has stepped up its efforts to more sustainable
practices.

_____________________________
¹ Department of Management Studies, University of the West Indies – Cave Hill, Barbados, West Indies. E-
mail: cjonsson@uwichill.edu.bb

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 As a result of the globally increasing environmental degradation, the need for
more effective measures of environmental protection in all branches of tourism has been
publicly presented. Even though the tourism industry has, for many years, claimed to be
a “smokeless industry”, it has only recently become aware of the substantially negative
impacts that the industry has on the environment. Hotels interact with the environment at
every stage of their life cycle and this influence is often negative (Holden, 2000). They
are often developed in pristine and fragile ecosystems and often little or no consideration
is taken for the natural or cultural surroundings.
Throughout the years a number of documents such as “Agenda 21 for The Travel
and Tourism Industry: Towards Eco-friendly Sustainable Development” launched in
1996, and the 1995 “Lanzarote Charter for Sustainable Tourism” were published, mainly
aiming to incorporate environmental and socio-cultural responsibilities into tourism
business practices. These documents as such will not make any changes towards the
development of more sustainable practices. Competent professionals will need to perform
the necessary changes.
A limited amount of research has been undertaken on the level of environmental
awareness in the tourism industry and due to this it has been argued that a significant
amount of education and training is needed to empower all stakeholders with the
knowledge required (Bohdanowicz & Martinac, 2003).
The Casuarina Beach Resort (from now on referred to as Casuarina) was targeted
in this study first because of its successful environmental management practices.
Secondly as a result of its world presence Casuarina has the potential of influencing
behaviour and practice in the tourism sector. This paper provides an overview of the
environmental pro-activeness and work that has been carried out within Casuarina over
the past twenty four years making it a very successful and recognised green hotel. The
study evaluates how environmental responsibility can become a top corporate priority
and lead to significantly decreased environmental impacts, outstanding economic
performance and a considerably upgraded environmental image.
An analysis of Casuarina’s comprehensive environmental management practice
has been undertaken for the purpose of this study. The analysis was performed through
the use of in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted among managers and staff at the
Casuarina. Major findings are used as the basis of the discussion on Casuarina being
used as a model for other hotel accommodation businesses to adopt and use as a
benchmark. Relevant recommendations and conclusions have been made in relation to
other accommodation businesses, suppliers, government and other industry businesses all
in light of sustainable tourism practices.

2. Literature

2.1 Sustainable tourism development

Since the 1980s the world has become more aware of the uncertainty and risk in relation
to the effect of a range of human activities on global environments. This led to the
development of the concept of sustainable development which was given further impetus
in 1987, by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED or
Brundtland Commission) in a report entitled, “Our Common Future”, also known as the
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Brundtland Report. This report defined sustainable development as “development that
meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations
to meet their own needs” (WCED, 1987). This statement generated significant
discussions on how the terms “sustainable’ and “development” really interrelated with
each other. In essence, two different ideologies have emerged; one arguing for economic
sustainability as the dominant characteristic and the other arguing ecological
sustainability as the dominant feature. If sustainability is considered in the context of a
long-term strategy both ecological and economic considerations are needed, however true
sustainability cannot be achieved by addressing both concerns (Mckercher, 1993).
Another implication of this view is that sustainable development is a part of a process in
which people are involved as conscious citizens in that “sustainability will be achieved, if
at all, not by engineers, agronomists, economist, and bio-technicians but by citizens”
(Prugh, Constanza & Daly, 2000, p.5). This then should enable persons in their deliberate
judgment of the facts available to them to fashion sustainable businesses, communities,
nations, and by summation, a sustainable planet.

2.2 Environmental sustainability

Today, there is much justifiable concern expressed about development of any type,
including tourism, being sustainable. The right type of planning can ensure that the
natural and cultural resources for tourism are indefinitely maintained and not destroyed or
degraded in the process of development.

The “growing concern for environmental sustainability is an issue which should

be studied more carefully within the conceptual framework of innovation theory.
Only in this way will it be possible not only to observe the threats posed to the
tourism industry, but also to identify the opportunities and innovations provoked
by environmental awareness” (Hjalager, 1994, p.221).

In other words the need for environmental sustainability should lead to innovations in the
industry to enable it to be profitable while not destroying the environmental base needed
for survival.
In some Caribbean countries where tourism is an important economic activity,
people understand that for the long-term survival of the tourism industry maximum linear
growth in terms of rooms and attractions without any consideration of environmental
impacts will not hold (Williams, 1992). This is a reflection of the dialectic tension
between preserving the assets that make for a quality tourism product over the long term
and uncontrolled expansion which maximises short-terms returns, with the result of a
deteriorated product and declining returns in the medium to long term. Blommestein
(1995) concludes that global competition will force the region to become more
environmentally conscious or find itself marginalised in the global tourism market
(Henderson, 2000). Some already refer to the region as a “tired destination” (Percival
2002, p.73). One of the consequences of modern economic activities, and improved
standards of living is the generation of increasing quantities of waste from household,
tourism, industrial, agricultural and other activities. Waste generation patterns are linked
to standards of living and production systems. Management of waste reflects concerns

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about the ecosystem and ranges along a continuum from unconcern, to proactive
measures to reduce/eliminate waste. It is now understood that the environmentally sound
management of the disposal of wastes is an important generator of demand for the
adoption of cleaner technology. This is especially so for the tourism industry where
perceptions of visitors play a major role in the marketing of tourist destinations. This
argument echoes the earlier conclusions of the Tourism Stream Action Committee of the
Globe ’90 conference on sustainable development held in Vancouver, Canada, where the
management of solid waste was included as one of the action areas for ensuring that
tourism contributes to a sustainable development process (GLOBE ´90, 1990). A
strategically planned tourism sector will not only be environmentally sound, but also
possess a competitive advantage in the marketplace, as increasingly tourists are becoming
more discriminating in their choices (Poon, 1993; Swarbrooke & Horner, 1999). In an
increasingly competitive tourism world the most successful tourist destinations will be
those where tourism development is planned from the standpoints of both achieving high
tourist satisfaction levels and bringing substantial benefits, with minimal disruptions, to
the local economy, environment, and society (Inskeep, 1991). Coccosis (1996) supports
this point and argues that the overall quality of environmental assets and resources at
tourist destinations has become key determinants of holiday choices. In the Caribbean the
Green Globe program is used as the regional approach to environmentally sound policies
with regard to development of the tourism sector.

2.3 Hotels and the environment

The hotel industry, as part of a larger tourism industry, has a dual relationship with the
environment. Nature (often a fragile and unique environment) is one of the main assets
of the tourism industry, but is also negatively affected by tourism activities. Although
most travellers do not clearly refer to the issues of the environment and sustainability,
these aspects performed among European travellers in 1995, issues concerning the
environment were included in the top criteria for destination choice of approximately
50% of all holiday visitors (Middleton & Hawkins, 1998). Uncorrupted, clean
environments where nature can be enjoyed, offering sun, fresh air and water as well as
relaxation opportunities, were most commonly mentioned as preferred destinations.

2.4 Greening the hotel industry

The hospitality industry is a resource-intensive business and as previously mentioned the
“greening” of the industry has been an issue of increasing importance since the 1980s.
This concern has now become much broader and according to Elkington & Hailes (1992)
it relates not only to outputs of the operation but to the whole system, including inputs
and processes. He adds that the service industry, although probably being less visible in
their environmental impacts, will find them under scrutiny because it is increasingly
being recognized that they too have a responsibility to reduce what impact they do have.
Therefore the hospitality industry will no longer be able to ignore its environmental
responsibilities as it will have to respond to a number of pressures. Nevertheless, the
tourism industry has taken many positive steps to become more environmentally and
socially responsible. This change was in part a response to growing consumer pressure

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for more environmentally friendly tourism products (Mastny, 2001). A 1997 study by the
Travel Industry Association of American reports that some eighty three percent of the
public supported green travel services, and that people were willing to spend six percent
more on average for travel services and products provided by environmentally
responsible companies. In a similar survey in the United Kingdom, more than half the
interviewers said that when planning vacations, or business trips, they would find it
important to deal with a company that takes s environmental issues into account (Mastny,
2001).

2.5 Environmental management

In response to the growing concerns for sustainable tourism products, environmental
management has become an important issue in with a number of hotels adopting sound
environmental management practices. Hotels are at the hub of the tourism industry and it
is one sector of the tourism industry in which activities such as construction of buildings
and landscaping, cooking and disposal of waste, use of water and energy tend to
affect the environment adversely if not properly managed. Service sector businesses
like hotels, resorts and restaurants have some inherent characteristics which exacerbate
their impacts on the environment namely; time perishable capacity, heterogeneity, labour
intensity and customer involvement in the production process. The size of hotel facility
also influences the environmental impact. For instance the impact of a hundred room
limited service hotel will be different from a six-hundred room full service hotel
(Middleton & Hawkins, 1998)

2.6 Cleaner technologies

Cleaner technologies in tourism involves “sustainable use of resources, which includes
increasing efficiency of resource use, minimization of waste and reduction of over
consumption, the substitution of environmentally-benign inputs and equipment wherever
possible, and the safe disposal of waste where the latter is unavoidable…” (Goodall,
1995, p.31). Cleaner technologies are technologies that allow production with little or no
waste through total recycling of by-products. Consequently, by employing cleaner
technologies, economic processes will eventually become much cleaner. Generally there
is a growing demand for the adoption of cleaner technologies within the hotel sector, due
to the fact that there is a need for environmentally sound management of the disposal of
wastes, because of the growing consumer demand for more environmentally sound
accommodation and vacation experiences, the fact that the perceptions of visitors play a
major role in the marketing of tourist destinations and more importantly as tour operators
respond to the needs of the their clients for more environmentally sound vacations they
will pressure hotels and resorts with regards to unnecessary waste, and energy and water
consumption. The underlying tenet of the use of cleaner technology is improved overall
energy and resource-use efficiency by minimizing or eliminating wastes at source or by
using them as inputs into other processes (Clayton, Graham & Robin, 1999). Thus
cleaner technology seeks to reduce the environmental impact of human economic
activities by eliminating rather than minimising or cleaning up waste streams. The
approach to economic activity that incorporates cleaner technology reduces the human

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footprint on the earth’s ecosystem. In this view the use of cleaner technology is one of the
criteria for a sustainable economy. This is so given that it is accepted that there are limits
to the capacity of the earth to act as a sink for the output from human activity (Clayton et.
al. 1999)
Addirionally, by reducing or eliminating waste streams, another powerful effect
of utilizing cleaner technology is that it reduces costs. An example of this is the use of
solar power for heating water. After the initial investment for the components of the solar
water heating system heating of water does not have the energy component that is present
when water is heated by electricity or gas. (Headley & Moseley, 2002) The adoption of
cleaner technology also can enable firms to generate revenues from what were previously
classified as waste streams, by diverting these ‘waste’ streams to other firms/sectors,
where the supplying sector’s ‘waste’ is the receiving firm/sector’s input. This scenario,
which reduces environmental impact of economic activities system wide, can be regarded
as win-win, and has been concretely argued by Porter & Van Der Linde (1995); Arnst.
Reed, McWilliams & Weimer (1997); and Boyle (1999). The win-win situation referred
here is linked to the fact that companies can adjust their processes to become more
environmentally friendly, or in some cases meet legally mandated environmental
standards. In so doing they may also reduce costs or make money where what were
previously seen as waste streams “could be effectively marketed to surrounding
companies rather than being discarded” (Boyle 1999, p.84). As expressed by Porter and
Van Der Linde (1995, p.98) “by stimulating innovation, strict environmental regulations
can actually enhance competitiveness”.

2.7 Practical measures of cleaner technologies

The translations of these high ideals into effective practical measures often remains
clouded and confused, but have commonly been interpreted as schemes attempting to
encourage energy efficient lighting and heating, water conservation, recycling and local
purchasing. The benefits of sustainable tourism are not solely in terms of environmental
gains. There can also be benefits for the business in terms of reductions in the cost-base
through savings, enhanced reputation, greater appeal to more affluent customers, a
favourable impression to investors, improved job satisfaction for staff an enjoyable
experience for visitors and benefits for the local community (Swarbrooke, 1999).
Therefore the ambition behind the development of cleaner technologies can be seen as
the progression towards a sustainable industrial culture. The effects of modern
development have forced us to think ‘integrated’. Sustainable development principles
require that environment management policies and practices are not good by themselves
but should also integrate with all other environmental objectives, and with social and
economic development objectives. This can be attained leaving the conventional
approach to environmental protection and using instead its sustainable development
(Adamczyk, 2001). Shortly, we will recall what Sustainable Development means. It
consists of continuous economic growth whilst at same time keeping the integrity of the
triad: economy-society-environment. Sustainable Development is significant mainly at
macroeconomic level (e.g. national or regional). To implement Sustainable Development
at a company level, it is necessary to understand the enterprise as a system and to

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integrate it as a unit whilst also developing environmental management (Adamczyk,
2001).

2.8 Barriers to promoting greener hotels

One of the greatest barriers preventing hoteliers from promoting “greener” establishments
is a widespread (and equally misleading) belief that environmental measures are
prohibitively expensive. This attitude has been encountered by several authors in
numerous interviews with hotel industry players (Bohdanowich, 2003). While the
necessary modifications in technology may require substantial investments, behavioural
and operational changes can of tern be achieved at no or minimal costs. Moreover, it has
been previously shown that environmentally responsible behaviour can be profitable in
the long run (Enz & Siguaw, 1999; Martinac, Murman & Lind af Hageby, 2001).
Experiences from ecologically and economically successful facilities should be made
available to all segments of the hotel industry.

3. Methodology
The primary aim of this study is to explore the reasons behind Casuarina’s adoption of
environmental practices through the use of cleaner technologies and participation in an
environmental accreditation scheme at Casuarina and also to highlight the essential
benefits that can be achieved. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were carried out
during March 2005, to gain an understanding of the motivational, decisional and
beneficial factors involved in undertaking such a program at Casuarina. The interviews
included the process of going green; reasons for involvement in environmental activities
and participation in the scheme; perceived benefits and drawback and the outcomes of
such decisions.
The case study specifically analysed Casuarina based on the fact it is the first
hotel in Barbados to actually pioneer in undertaking an environmental program, without
any assistance or additional funding, and to date has achieved the highest awards and
accreditation including being the number one green hotel in the Caribbean. It is therefore
thought that a hotel of its nature and size could ideally be used as a prime example for
others to follow and be encouraged to sow their seeds in an effort at contributing to the
environmental sustainability of the tourism industry, the very industry the Caribbean
relies on for its survival. Finally, this paper also aims to use Casuarina as a model to
define best practices for a sustainable tourism product and consequently sustainable
development.

4. Case Study

4.1 Case setting

Barbados is a mature Caribbean tourism destination and it is one of the leading island
destinations in the Southern Caribbean (see Figure 1), for North American and British
tourists.

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 Figure 1 Map of the Caribbean

Source: www.islands.com/barbados

There has been an accelerating trend towards tour operators seeking a certificate
of sound environmental management from destination resorts. The accepted standard in
this respect is the Green Globe certification (Trade Policy and International
Environments in Barbados). The tourism product in Barbados is diverse and includes
varied accommodation (Barbados Tourism Investment, 2004). In Barbados, hotels
generate by far the largest share of capital investment, visitor expenditure, jobs,
contribution to GDP and Balance of Payments. Over 70% of the country's foreign
exchange is earned by the tourism sector. By the end of 2003, the island had hosted over
1 million tourists, of whom 531 211 were stay-over visitors and 559 000 were cruise ship
visitors. Accommodation for tourists is targeted to increase from approximately 7,250
rooms in 2003 to approximately 9,500 rooms by 2010 (Caribbean Tourism Organization,
2003).
The broad policy objective of the Barbados Tourism Sector Plan is "To pursue
sustainable tourism development through improvement and optimal use of human
resources and services, and through the conservation and managed use of our cultural,
built and natural heritage, in order to ensure a product of the highest quality whilst
improving the life and economic development of the people of Barbados" (Barbados
Ministry of Tourism, 2001). Policy attention was required in Barbados because their
growing dependence on tourism has placed their fragile ecosystems at risk and due to
serious problems in terms of a total lack of clean water resources and high energy
consumption.

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 The tourism sector, the main driver for economic growth in the region, has,
together with the Caribbean Association for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), introduced
Green Globe 21 standards in Barbados.

4.1.2 Barbados hospitality industry

The hospitality industry in Barbados exposes many of the conflicts which arise when
implementing environmental policies. First, many hotels and restaurants are primarily
situated in the tourism zones which are usually areas of outstanding natural beauty, in
historic sites and in areas with a delicate ecological balance. The addition of new
hospitality facilities may attract visitors to areas which already suffer from too much
tourism. Second, many of the customers who seek hospitality services do so expecting to
be pampered, with hot water, high pressured showers, freshly laundered linen, and ample
supply of towels, copious supplies of food and drink, the availability of swimming pools
and limousines to take them to the airport. Clearly whatever is done to reduce waste can
only be done either with the consent of the customers or in such a way that they don’t
notice any deterioration of service, because this can have serious effects on the tourist’s
perception. Thirdly, the customer visits the location of the hospitality operation, which is
fixed by customers’ needs and therefore cannot always, be sited where there will be
minimized effect from traffic, cooking smells and the noise of the disco. If the impacts of
all the individual operations involved in this industry are accumulated, the hospitality
industry will have significant effects on global resources (Kirk, 1995). How then can
hotel accommodations and other businesses be persuaded to be involved in this industry,
in which environmental management needs to be taken seriously?

4.2 Casuarina Beach Club

The Casuarina Beach Club in Barbados is the first hotel in the Caribbean region with
Green Globe 21 certification and is active in the implementation of Caribbean Blue Flag
standards at its beaches. Casuarina, built in 1981, is a 167 room hotel located on the south
coast of the island of Barbados (see Figure 2). The hotel is set in a heavily forested area
known as Dover Woods. In an ecosystem of its own, the hotel’s nine acres of property
was built in the original woods, causing minimal disturbance to the existing habitat and
wildlife there. There is still a portion of it that remains untouched. The hotel was
constructed hurricane ready, with flat roofs, hurricane shutters and it is built away from
the beach boundary so as to avoid untimely sea surges due to climatic changes, storms or
volcanic action in the region. Also, in an effort to preserve the hawksbill turtle nesting
habitat and the general marine ecosystem, the sand dunes and beach vegetation has been
left untouched. Because of the vegetation coverage Casuarina is actually a carbon sink
and therefore does not contribute CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. Preservation of this
ecosystem is of primary importance and all forms of wildlife are both protected and
encouraged.

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 Figure 2 Map of Barbados

Source: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/bb.html

4.2.1 Environmental process

Casuarina is an environmentally friendly award winning hotel that initiated its
environmental process with the launch of their environmental programme in 1998. The
programme has proven to be very effective and has led to a reduction in chemical
emissions, energy and water consumption has occurred as well as an improvement in
their image and market position. Casuarina has undertaken joint activities with suppliers
and the local community which have lead to new business volumes. The hotel’s policy is
to continue to maximize the opportunities to minimize environmental risks for the
betterment of Barbados and for all those who live on the island.
At the corporate level, Casuarina has organised an environmental department,
with an environmental manager, which is responsible for the environmental program. It
has been found essential to make the environmental program a learning process, therefore
in the same year that the programme was launched Casuarina started with one of the first
initiatives, which was to conduct staff seminar and training sessions which were and still
is provided in all aspects of environmental management. This includes training in the
correct use of cleaning products, water saving techniques, environmentally friendly
purchasing, health and safety issues, organic alternatives to cleaning agents and
pesticides etc. Upon completion and during training seminars staff are encouraged to
also implement environmental efforts in their private lives to save both money and act in
a more environmental manner, this was used as their main strategy to influence staff
members’ mindsets on environmentally friendly practices. The hotel has created the

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`Casuarina Green Team` of twenty one members that meet monthly to consolidate
environmental implementations and to establish new procedures on how to deal with
further environmental needs.

4.2.2 Driving forces

According to Casuarina’s environmental manager, the main driving force behind
implementing the environmental management policies and practices were in an effort at
preserving the environment and largely contribute to achieving sustainable tourism. “It is
all about humanity and improving the environment for the sake of the people and the
creatures that live here”. Secondly and obviously “when an environmental management
system is implemented in your hotel, you end up with a much more efficient organization
because you are preventing and not wasting precious and scarce resources such as water
and energy; the use of harmful chemicals, pesticides, insecticides and encouraging the
use and production of more organic foods”. The main motivation therefore is to do their
part in maintaining the environmental integrity and evidently to reduce organisational
costs.

4.2.3 Strategic alignments with environmental policy

The use of cleaner or environmentally friendly technology at Casuarina, relates to a
conceptualisation and organisation of operations that understand the importance of
environmentally friendly business. In implementing cleaner technology strategies both
staff and guests are seen as stakeholders as they play a pivotal role in these achievements.
An environmental management system manual from the hotel was not available in the
process of this study.
The management philosophy that informs the use of cleaner technology shows
that apart from the hotel’s management philosophy, a driver of the green environmental
policy was in compliance with international environmental criteria set by organisations
such as Green Globe 21. The primary policy is Rethink, Reuse, Reduce and Recycle with
the intention of always trying to identify alternative, more environmentally friendly ways
of doing things. The hotel also has an environmentally friendly purchasing policy, which
states that everything and all packaging that they purchase must be contained in either
recyclable or degradable containers. As a result of this the supplier of their bottled water
has changed their bottle material from PVC plastic to PET in order to accommodate the
requirements for recyclable products.

4.2.4 Investments in environmental program

The most important and challenging aspect of implementing environmentally friendly
(cleaner) operations has been in-house training of staff, and guests, (as implementers) to
become more environmentally minded.
Casuarina believes that the process should be gradual in that it should start with
reduction, then reuse, then recycling and also rethinking their strategies and processes
seeking improvements. Implementation was phased in by first seeking to save on use of
resources with existing technologies, that is, the efficient use of current technology were

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explored first. This involved all the ‘free’ things that were done initially, for example,
looking for and stopping water leaks if any, turning off of lights and air conditioning
units when not in use, setting refrigerators to their lowest setting, encouraging guest, by
educating them on reasons why they should turn off taps instead of leaving them running
(i.e. those who come from places where water is not a scarce resource and this is a
custom) among others. After doing these small things, costs savings are were evident.
With the extra resources that were being saved, the addition of new technology was then
sought and implemented. The biggest line item in terms of investment in cleaner
technology was for solar heating. Other investments in newer technologies would
Casuarina also invested in a composting site, which practically cost them little or nothing
to establish and literally, with the cost savings that were derived, in terms of not having to
purchase top soil, fertilizers, and reduced waste skip landfill trips, they were able to pay
additional staff members that were added to the team to manage this resourceful
investment.

4.2.5 Impacts and benefits of cleaner technology at Casuarina

The property gets useful by-products from the use of cleaner technology. Treated
wastewater is used for irrigation of the hotel’s green areas and washing down of the
lobby area. Waste has been reduced by 50% over the past six years. More than 95% of all
yard waste is composted on sight thereby reducing the need to purchase topsoil and
reducing the number of waste skip trips to the landfill, this lead to a saving of up to
BDS$3000 per month. Compost can be produced with-in six to eight weeks and is used
throughout the resort’s gardens and the herb garden. Composting of some elements of
kitchen waste is done on sight as well and cooking oils are recycled for the production of
animal feed.
In terms of the impact of the usage of cleaner technology, a reduction in energy
consumption of between 41 to 60% to bring their consumption levels to 11kWh per guest
night was also reported. The overall water consumption at Casuarina has been reduced
from 126 to 99 gallons per guest night since the start of their environmental programme.
These actions has resulted in large cost savings for the company, which then has afforded
them the opportunity to actually hire an environmental manager at no extra cost to the
business. It was also noted that as a result of implementing the use of cleaner technology
in its operations there has been no change in numbers of staff at the operational level. It
has also proven to be a very good marketing strategy/tool that sets it apart from the
competition. This can be seen through their high occupancy levels of 65% repeat guest
arrivals. Casuarina is also very proactive in other responsible initiatives like waste
management and minimisation. Relative to sustainability Casuarina is committed to air
quality and noise control in that visitors are encouraged to respect the amenity of the area.
Apart from the positive impact on the environment the use of cleaner technology to
reduce utility bills is important for cost containment in Barbadian hotels/resorts because
of the relatively high price of utilities in the region

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4.2.6 Networking
In terms of business networking Casuarina reports that ideas/information on cleaner
technology is shared with other hotel operators, anyone interested in “greening their
operations’, schools, learning institutions, government sectors and other businesses. The
hotel is also an active member of Green Hotels, CAST, Green Globe 21, BHTA and
Barbados Marine Trust among many others, which are all organizations that encourage
the use of cleaner technology. Casuarina also receives tax incentives of 150% in
accordance with the Barbados Tourism Development Act for the use of environmental
initiatives (Government of Barbados, 2002).

5. Recommendations and Implications

With respect to the environmental issues surrounding the hotel industry, it is suggested
that Casuarina be used as a prime example so that other hotels can benchmark off their
achievements and successes in an effort at contributing to sustainable tourism
development. Environmental management in the hotel industry can influence other
tourism sectors and stakeholders through its upstream impact on its suppliers, other
parallel tourism sectors such as cruise, airline companies and so on, and its downstream
impact on destinations, tour operators, guests, and local vendors. Further research is
therefore needed in this area.
This case study also made indications that a major area to be exploited in the use
of cleaner technology in the Barbados hotel sector is the area of building design. For
some hotels this might prove challenging in their existing structures in regard to
sustainable building design, due to limitations of what can be done, as measures to use
cleaner technologies have to be engineered into an existing structure. Therefore, further
research is needed to explore and examine hotels that are being developed as green field
ventures to see how elements of cleaner technology are being incorporated into the
project design.
This study highlighted implications of the fact that government has and could
possibly play a greater role in encouraging the use of cleaner technology in the Barbados
hotel sector through better enforcement of existing laws and encouraging of training
person with in the industry in making them more environmentally friendly. The lack of
an environmentally sound approach to solid waste management, water use, and building
design standards, plastic disposal and so forth, illustrates the need for enforcement and
legislated implementations of the numerous guidelines outline in the Green Paper on
Sustainable Tourism Development (Barbados Ministry of Tourism, 2001) to ensure the
survival of the county’s tourism industry. While effective enforcement of current
conditions can also have a positive impact on the utilization of cleaner technologies in the
hotel sector further research is necessary in this area.

6. Conclusion
Tourism is everyone's business. It is no longer a perverse activity, or one that only
generates profits; this is a phenomenon that it is essential to plan with exquisite care and
growing sensitivity. While the Barbados tourism industry continues to expand and
present significant economic gains, the evidence suggests that a number of precautionary
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measures must be taken in order to achieve environmental sustainability. This study
highlights Casuarina as a primary example and a proactive approach that other hotel
industry players can benchmark off of and pursue in an effort at achieving more
environmentally friendly operations and to a larger extent, a more sustainable tourism
industry.
Thus, the conclusion that can be drawn is that efforts geared towards the
promotion of environmental best practice should address both the commercial and ethical
dimension of environmental behaviour (Swarbrooke, 1999). This means placing
emphasis not only on the extrinsic benefits of having a green profile (the “going green
saves money” argument) but also on the intrinsic benefits of contributing (the “do your
bit” argument). Complete sustainability is inevitable; however, if properly planned and
controlled, tourism can be ‘a stepping stone’ in helping Barbados to achieve
environmental preservation of the hotel and tourism industry. In this paper, it was
demonstrated that the degree of use of environmental management practices in the hotel
industry is positively related to sustainable tourism development, economic gains and
market performance, through the mediating effect of customer satisfaction and loyalty.
The study shed some light on the importance of environmental management
practices and their impact on performance, in services. They do, however, point to the
vast potential for future research regarding this relationship, which is amplified by the
dominant presence of the service sector in the global economy. Environmental
management implementation depends on a clear communication process within the
organization from top management down to the operational staff members. This enables
the complex issues to be translated into understandable actions. This is the basic function
of a management system. Management processes which enable an organization to
improve in terms of sustainable development are neither easy to understand nor to put
into practice. This process thus involves participation of all employees in a hotel
company.
Casuarina’s efforts prove that a hotel business can be profitable and also a leader
in protecting the environment. Thus, using Casuarina as a prime example for all to follow
is an excellent choice because they has been proactive in integrating sustainable tourism
from the corporate level and using it strategically to their advantage.
This study primarily serves to demonstrate that although Barbados is heavily
dependent on its environment, there does not necessarily need to be a conflict between a
sustainable tourism industry and the maintenance of the environmental assets that make
this country a premier travel destination. The study also shows that the use of cleaner
technology in the Barbados tourism industry calls for a proactive approach, both from the
government and management of tourism business within the industry.
The researcher also hopes that this study will be useful to illustrate the importance
of wider adoption of cleaner technology in Barbadian hotels in particular. Greater use of
such technology can potentially have a significant impact on the sustainability of local
and regional economic activity.

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