Tackling food waste in all-inclusive resort hotels

Okumus, B.; Taheri, B.; Giritlioglu, I.; Gannon, M.

Abstract

Food waste remains a serious environmental and economic concern within the hospitality and tourism industry. This study therefore investigates how managers, chefs, and employees in all-inclusive hotels view the impact of food waste and extant waste reduction processes in their workplaces. It explores (1) why and how food waste occurs, (2) employees' perceptions of the reasons behind food waste, and (3) how it can be reduced in all-inclusive hotels. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were undertaken with 33 individuals working in all-inclusive hotels in Turkey. The findings indicate that guest behaviors, preferences, and attitudes are perceived as the primary stimulants of food waste. The findings also suggest that guests' cultural backgrounds influence their eating behaviors, further contributing to the volume of waste generated. As such, this study provides a nascent exploration of employee perceptions of the reasons behind food waste, and how best to reduce it, in the all-inclusive resort hotel context.

Citation

Okumus, B., Taheri, B., Giritlioglu, I., & Gannon, M. (2020). Tackling food waste in all-inclusive resort hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 88, Article 102543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102543

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 23, 2020
• Online Publication Date: May 13, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020-07
• Deposit Date: Apr 27, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 14, 2021
• Print ISSN: 0278-4319
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 88
• Article Number: 102543
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102543
• Keywords: food waste; all-inclusive resorts; consumer behavior; hotels; restaurants
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2655818