Author(s)

AMPHAI WEJWITHAN, HERMANN KNOFLACHER, TANAWAN SINTUNAWA

Abstract

Environmental impacts of hotel operation are the main concerns of Green Leaf Hotels (GLH) in Thailand. Most of the green initiatives of GLH are concerned with waste handling and management, energy and resource efficiencies, carbon emission and environmental awareness. Since emerging trends of responsible tourism are basically concerned with how stakeholders in tourism create, participate and contribute to the minimization of carbon dioxide emissions and of ecological impacts. Green activities are directly related to climate change issues such as cycling tourism, low carbon mobility, green menu, climate friendly food supplies and services, green kitchen, swimmer-friendly pool, and other health and wellness promotion activities. Green activities in GLH were initiated and promoted to motivate stakeholders’ participations. At destinations, mobility emits a high fraction of carbon emission, switching from current petroleum-based mobility to renewable energy based of cycling mobility could lead to a significant reduction of carbon emission at destinations. Data was collected from Green Leaf Hotels and members of the Krabi Hotel Association in Thailand in 2017 and collected data was then analysed. It was found that hotels and tourists responded positively to take part in climate friendly mobility of cycling tourism.

Keywords

sustainable mobility, climate friendly activity, cycling tourism, green operation, Green Leaf Hotel