A
sustainability management system is a modern way of doing business. Its
implementation allows the accommodation establishments to make their strategic
decisions based on information and data related to the positive and negative
impacts of the environmental, social and economic dimensions. The adoption of
this form of management strengthens the decisions made, contributes to business
objectives, reduces costs, improves supplier and community relationships,
maximizes guest experience and satisfaction, and improves the image and
reputation of the business. Accommodation establishments that implement the
Sustainability Management System based on ISO 21401 will be able to attest to
their guests and to the whole market that they are sustainable enterprises. Some
of the most important economic benefits that sustainable tourism brings along
are mentioned here. Besides that, it will bring benefits to all stakeholders,
such as:
·
Community
1.
Minimization
of negative environmental and social impacts at destination;
2.
Increase
work and income for the community
3.
Improvement
in the relationship with the accommodation establishments;
·
Employees
1.
Improvement
of professional qualification and recognition;
2.
Increase
engagement and satisfaction;
3.
Improvement
of the quality of the work environment;
·
Suppliers
1.
Increase
partnership
2.
Development
of local suppliers
3.
Strengthening
the local economy
·
Guests
1.
Maximization
of satisfaction
2.
Increased
quality of services
3.
Improvement
of the tourist experience
·
Local
Government
1.
Development
of destination
2.
Strengthening
the image of destination
3.
Gain
competitiveness for the destination;
·
Accommodation
establishments
1.
Decrease
in operating costs
2.
Strengthening
Business Management
3.
Improvement
of operational controls
4.
Reduce
risk and increase opportunities
5.
Improvement
of the brand image
6.
Certification
of the Sustainability Management System
The
management of the sustainability of Accommodation establishment is the most
adequate solution to face the current challenges and to take advantage of the
opportunities of the market. The management of the sustainability of an
accommodation establishment is the most adequate solution to face the current
challenges and to take advantage of the opportunities of the market. To start
applying the ISO 21401 standard, it is recommended:
1. Get to know your Hotel from the point of
view of sustainability: Make a diagnosis of the sustainability practices
adopted, the current model of business management and how sustainability is
applied. From this, carry out a mapping of the main activities developed in the
enterprise, relating the aspects and impacts related to sustainability involved
with these activities, always thinking about the three dimensions involved:
environmental, social and economic.
2.
Implement Sustainability Indicators:
You
should quantify the performance of current sustainable management practices.
For this, choose and implement a set of sustainability indicators related to
the aspects to assess if the practices are actually reducing the negative
impacts. This will increase the quality of management decisions to be made.
3.
Define sustainability goals:
After
identifying the impacts related to the operation of the Hotel and measuring by
means of indicators the results, it is time to define sustainability goals.
Such as reducing water consumption by 10% or increasing guest satisfaction to
90%.
4.
Implement the Sustainability Management System: Implement the requirements of
the Management System (ISO 21401) to connect the business strategy with the
identified aspects and impacts, objectives, indicators and sustainability
practices.
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