Abstract
Environmentally Friendly Practices in Accommodation Enterprises: A Case Study in Bodrum
One of the most important factor to carry out tourism activities is the natural environment. However, while tourism sector makes a positive contribution to natural environment as every other sector, it also triggers the pollution of natural environment and damage of human health. With the customers who has become conscious in recent years on environmental issues, environmental management systems developed by public institutions and organizations, pressures applied by environmental friendly non-profit organizations and in accordance with profitability targets of enterprises; tendencies to protect the environment worldwide are on the rise. In accommodation facilities which comprise one of the outlines of tourism sector; customers have expectations particularly the ones with environmental awareness, and those facilities have the consideration to make profit in the long term. The purpose of this study is to examine the current situation of four and five star accommodation facilities in the province of Muğla with regards to how eco-friendly they are. Interviews were made with managers of 77 accommodation facilities out of 84 four and five star accommodation facilities with operation license and investment certificate in Bodrum. In conclusion of the study, it was identified that accommodation facilities were environmentally conscious. According to their characteristics, it was determined that accommodation facilities differentiated in eco-friendly practices.
Keywords
Tourism, Accommodation Enterprises, Environmentally Friendly Practices
