Sustainability Consciousness in the Hospitality Sector in Zimbabwe

Sustainability has been largely incorporated into the hospitality industry’s policies and management thinking. While the industry’s development policies have bought into the principles of sustainable development, the practices of sustainable hospitality depend on how managers and staff have internalised the core notions of sustainable development in their everyday work. This chapter examines sustainability awareness by the hospitality industry in Zimbabwe by aiming to understand how sustainability and related practices are perceived by stakeholders in the hospitality sector, specifically hotels, lodges and guest houses. Based on a mixed-method approach, the key findings highlight that operators in the hospitality sector in Zimbabwe recognise that they use finite resources. Furthermore, the management level staff are aware of sustainability policies put in place by regulatory authorities. However, respondents from various hospitality establishments also indicated that sustainability awareness among employees (and customers) in the hospitality sector is low. Key informants identified five categories of common sustainable practices based on the results: empowering local communities, environmentally friendly practices, energy conservation strategies, proper waste management, and water conservation.