SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AND BENEFITS IN THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR OF ZIMBABWE

A vibrant international literature exists around the sustainable practices adopted by accommodation service establishments in the Global North. Literature on sustainability practices by the hospitality sector in the Global South, particularly Southern Africa is still limited. The central aim in this study was to identify the sustainable practices adopted by hospitality establishments in Zimbabwe and to ascertain the advantages of adopting such practices. The research involved a structured questionnaire administered to 125 respondents of hotels, lodges and guest houses. Data analysis involved the application of chi-squared tests to determine the differences in sustainable practices by hotels, lodges and guest houses and an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) undertaken to analyse the benefits of sustainable practices. The findings revealed that practices that result in regulatory compliance and those that can be adopted at a lower cost are most popular in the hospitality sector of Zimbabwe. Three factors were generated from the EFA, namely (1) operations management, (2) partnership and inclusive development, and (3) environmental management. Overall, the research contributes to the limited literature on destinations in the Global South concerning sustainable practices pursued by the hospitality industry.