ABSTRACT
Traditional barriers for hoteliers to invest in sustainability matters are perceived to be high capital costs, reservations concerning improved profitability resulting from the implementation of environmental management systems and a general lack of knowledge of environmental issues. Indeed, business executives believe that they must decide between social and environmental benefits to sustainability and the costs of implementing such schemes. Few hotel owners and managers recognise the financial benefits associated with the implementation of environmental initiatives. The notion that sustainability is expensive is deeply anchored in society and has become a widespread fallacy. Despite the common belief that high investment is required for the creation of sustainable buildings and facilities, it has been proven that by employing an integrated, holistic building design strategy early in the planning process, sustainability of the structure is maximized without a considerable increase in costs. Furthermore, a net reduction in the initial cost of a sustainable building can be achieved, while in cases where the capital cost is higher, the investment typically pays off during the first few years of operation. In addition, lower operating costs lead to savings throughout the building’s life cycle. Moreover, certain sustainable features can be incorporated into the design at minimal or even zero up-front costs, and consequently lead to significant savings.
