Sustainable Practices in Hotels: A Study of Five Star Hotels in Northern India

The hospitality sector is one of the fast growing and dynamic sectors in India. Of late not only has there been a change in demand and supply trends, but consumer preferences and desires are also changing, which has led to an eruption of innovative management practices. One of the critical issues facing this industry today is that of sustainability. Therefore, many hotel chains, particularly five-star hotels, have incorporated a number of green practices to reduce their carbon footprints. This in turn has a considerable effect on consumers’ willingness to pay for their services.  This study aimed to explore the factors of consumer awareness, consumer attitude and willingness to pay premium that impact choice of sustainable 5-star hotels of Northern India. Based on the study aim, a quantitative research was conducted using survey of 447 customers or visitors of the chosen hotels. The questionnaire pertained to elements crucial for this research consisting list of important sustainable practices and how these practices are affecting their preference for the hotel chains. Data was gathered using a close-ended questionnaire from the customers of these hotels. KMO factor analysis method was applied to identify the most significant factors of consumer awareness; consumer attitude and willingness to pay premium that impact their choice of the sustainable five star hotels of Northern India.