Thapa Environmental management in the Caribbean accommodations sector

Th is study focused on the implementation of environmental management (EM) in the Caribbean accommodations sector based on diff usion of innovations theory. More specifi cally, it examined the status of EM and the diff erences between adopters and non-adopters in terms of hotel characteristics, attitudes to the natural environment, familiarity, and the constraints to implementation. Th is study was conducted among general managers and owners of various types of accommodations within the 19 English-speaking countries of the Caribbean. Data were collected via an online user-administered questionnaire due to the wide geographic range. Th ere were 197 completed questionnaires with at least one respondent from each country. Based on the results, four diff erent levels of EM have been implemented and have diff used to two thirds of the sector throughout the region, though some countries exhibited a higher proportion of adopters. Generally, adopters were small properties 75 rooms or less. Adopters and non-adopters were compared to determine diff erences and there were very few variations between adopters and non-adopters. However, given that adoption of EM is still in the growth segment of the diff usion curve, the number of non-adopters may decrease over time as some of the non-adopters have indicated that they were relatively new properties and/or intended to implement EM in the future. Overall, the results have implications for hoteliers, local and regional hotel associations, and policy makers.