Research Project: Sustainability in Hospitality During COVID-19

This research project investigates the significance of sustainability in the changing landscape of the hospitality industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on Britannia International Hotels. The study establishes its aim and objectives, conducting a literature review using secondary sources like books and peer-reviewed articles. A quantitative methodology, employing frequency distribution analysis, is used to analyze data collected through questionnaires. The findings reveal the crucial roles sustainability plays in the hospitality sector during the pandemic, including improving business strategies and addressing challenges. The report explores how hotels can reduce carbon emissions and adapt to changing consumer expectations. It also analyzes challenges such as the high costs of implementing sustainable practices and a lack of standardized measurement, culminating in recommendations for the industry.

Research project
(Best practices in global management within
multinational)
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Main purpose of this research project is to identify the significance of sustainability in
changing dimensions of hospitality industry during COVID-19. This is a main purpose and for
attaining this, there are different activities that was done systematically. Aim and objectives were
developed for conducting this research successfully. literature review was completed through
using secondary sources such as books, peer-reviewed articles etc. Methodology was done by
using quantitative research that result in achievement of all objectives in successful manner.
Finding was done by using frequency distribution analysis. This helped investigator in attaining
of research aim successfully. Therefore, current investigation was done in successful and
systematic manner.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank my tutor by providing me an opportunity of conducting a research over
a topic i.e. “To identify the significance of sustainability in changing dimensions of hospitality
industry during COVID-19.” A study on Britannia international hotels.
I would like to express my special thanks to my friends and family by giving me an
appropriate guidance that supported me in completion of full project successfully.
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Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT...............................................................................................................3
Background of the research.........................................................................................................5
Problem statement.......................................................................................................................5
Research aim................................................................................................................................5
Research objectives.....................................................................................................................5
Research questions.......................................................................................................................5
Rationale of the research.............................................................................................................6
Literature review..........................................................................................................................6
METHODOLOGY..........................................................................................................................9
MAIN BODY AND FINDINGS...................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................19
RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................................................................................19
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................20
Questionnaire.............................................................................................................................21
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INTRODUCTION
Background of the research
The research focus on the importance of sustainability in changing dimensions of
hospitality industry during global pandemic situation in hospitality sector. Company adopting
sustainable approach keeping in mind the future changes are necessary. As these not only can
bring opportunity but also represent company's kindness toward environment and their concern
for it. This helps company to build an image in the industry by adopting various techniques. The
global environment is changing drastically and so it calling people and organisations to bring
changes in their ways to do business to achieve the surviving skill in such dynamic environment.
Sustainability not only call for follow any trend but becoming a future of surviving the changes
that nature is going to bring.
Problem statement
Covid 19 is a main problem faced by each and every industry. In which, hospitality
industry is main that negatively impacted because of coronavirus. During Covid 19, there are
various issues faced by hospitality industry such as hotels are forced to close, reduced sales ratio,
high turnover of the employees etc. Along with this, this is one of the main issue within the
research.
Research aim
Main aim of this research is “To identify the significance of sustainability in changing
dimensions of hospitality industry during COVID-19.” A study on Britannia international hotels.
Research objectives
 To investigate the role of sustainability for hospitality industry in the pandemic situation
of COVID-19.
 To identify the significance of sustainability in improvising business strategies of
Britannia international hotels.
 To analyse the challenges which can be faced by hospitality industry while implementing
sustainability as their emerging objectives.
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Research questions
 What are the major roles of sustainability for hospitality industry in the pandemic
situation of COVID-19?
 Explain the importance of sustainability in improving Britannia international hotel
business strategy?
 What are the challenges faced by hospitality industry in implementing sustainability as
their emerging objectives?
Rationale of the research
Main rationale regarding the selection of current investigation is to determine the
challenges faced by hospitality industry because of Covid 19. This is a main reason regarding the
selection of current investigation. Along with this, present study helps me in personal and
professional way. At personal level, this research helps me by improving my understanding
regarding the significance of sustainability within hospitality industry. At professional level,
current investigation is important for me because by increasing my knowledge about the
sustainability I become able in searching job within hospitality sector.
Literature review
Literature review introduces to the process of collecting secondary data from articles, books,
publication research and many other sources. These sources help researcher in collecting of
information about the topic. This part of the project helps investigator in attaining of each
objective through research questions, which will be explained as below:
What are the major roles of sustainability for hospitality industry in the pandemic situation of
COVID-19?
According to Jones, (2020), tourism is heavily relying on natural and cultural factors and so
it drives the interest of people depending upon the situation that may decide favoured and
unflavoured factors. Similar way the hospitality industry also gets affected by these factors of
nature and cultural. On considering current situation of COVID- 19 and its post affects have left
imprints of uncertainties in this industry. Economically, the hospitality industry is the source of a
large number of jobs and numbers of people are in difficult to gauge, some trade estimates
convey an impression of the scale of the jobs involved and COVID-19 crisis have put the
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hospitality industry into questionable position. Therefore, sustainability in hospitality sector have
become the hot topic.
 At initial stage, reduce in number of flights and the decline in the volume of motor
vehicle traffic and closure of large swathes of manufacturing industry etc. led to marked
reductions in the emission of greenhouse gases and in pollution levels. Keeping the mind
hotels can adopt some techniques towards less carbon emission such as using recycled
materials, less using of contactable techniques, enhance greenery etc.
 In short-term apart from environmental benefits, it also has devastating impact on
economies and societies across the world. The onset of the crisis led to the temporary and
in some cases, the permanent loss of employment in the hospitality industry in the
majority of countries in the developed world. The situation has impacted on millions of
people employment directly or indirectly. In some under developed county the hospitality
industry, COVID has been catastrophic.
Explain the importance of sustainability in improving Britannia international hotel business
strategy?
According to Stottler, 2018, sustainability has major role in improving hotel business, as
sustainability can have impact through every natural thing, like, water, energy, consumable
goods etc. People now than ever care for all sustainable practices adopted by company and give
importance their business to follow environmentally, socially and culturally sound practices. It is
assumed that future generations will be more care about sustainable practices. So, company must
identify them and grab the opportunity and become pioneer of it. Since Britannia international
hotel have grown its business globally and thus it is imperative for business to be sustainable in
its operation keeping the future needs and role of sustainability. Practising sustainability in
hospitality sector comes with many benefits. The practice not only attract more customers and
but also respond responsibly to what many consider a moral imperative, in light of the current
climate crisis. The practices offer hospitality businesses incentives in every way.
What are the challenges faced by hospitality industry in implementing sustainability as their
emerging objectives?
According to Hoteliers, (2020), Sometimes sustainable ideas are considered as costly as it
involves redesign of hotel to have real meaning of sustainability. Such as green practices,
replacing of energy efficient product with higher energy consumable product and much more.
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Energy efficient not only conserve resources but also make hotel more profitable in future
perspective. Sustainability includes not only environmental issues but also the preserve of local
cultures and healthy food in it. Hotels usually lack the capital to invest in these program.
Operators who wish to improve practices lack measurement and benchmark standards and guests
expect hotels and restaurants to operate sustainably but don't use that as a decision factor in
choosing a property. Also lack in marketing lead hotel to face challenges as tourist sometimes
not aware of such programs. Sometimes the people who is in responsible for implementing the
sustainable ideas in the organisation, due to lack of proper strategies and management often fail
to do so.
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METHODOLOGY
Methodology is important part of investigation because it supports investigator in collecting
and analysing of information regarding the topic. Main purpose of methodology is it helps
researcher by providing valid and reliable information about the topic. There are some main
types of research methodologies that will be explained as below:
Research philosophy: The research philosophy deals with source, nature and development
of knowledge. It finds the ways in which data about a phenomenon is collected and analysed.
The research philosophy reflects the researcher's valuable assumptions and these assumptions
served as base for research strategy (Bairagi and Munot, 2019). There are two main types of
research philosophies are study. One is Positivism and another one is Interpretivism. For the
current research purpose researcher will use Positivism research philosophy the data collected
are highly structured format using large sample size. The measurement of data can be done in
both ways that is quantitative as qualitative. But the nature of reality in Positivism is considered
as objective and tangible.
Research approach: It is the important part of any scientific study of research area. It is the
plans and procedures for research. The research approach is divided into two groups; one is
Inductive and second one is Deductive approach. For the current research, the researcher will use
deductive approach (Lourie and Rata, 2017). The approach is concerned with developing a
hypothesis based on exist theory and then after designing the research strategy it tests the
hypothesis. Deductive approach follow logic. In other words, deductive approach is concerned
with deducting conclusions from premises or propositions.
Research strategy: There are various strategies of the research such as experimental,
survey, action research etc. These are considering main strategies of the research but for
conducting current investigation, survey is a chosen research strategy (Devi, 2017). Main
purpose about the selection of survey is it provides detailed information in form of numbers.
Research choice: There are two important choices of the research such as qualitative and
quantitative. These are main choices of the research but for doing present investigation,
quantitative research choice is more valuable for investigator because it facilitates in collecting
of numerical information in minimum time period. On the other hand, qualitative choice of the
research is not essential for carrying out present study because it not helps in collecting of
numerical data.
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Time horizon: Time is significant factor for completing full project in given time
duration. There are two important approaches of time horizon are known as cross-sectional and
longitudinal. These are main approaches but for doing current project, cross-sectional approach
of time horizon is much more valuable for researcher. As it helps investigator in completing of
each activity of the project in minimum period of time. Longitudinal is another approach that is
not essential for carrying out current project because it takes long time in research completion.
Data collection: There are two methods of data collection such as primary and
secondary. Within an investigation both types of data collection methods will be used for
achieving each objective in successful manner. For gathering primary information, questionnaire
will be used by investigator. For secondary data, there are various sources such as books,
magazines etc. sources were used for literature review (Park, 2017).
Research instruments: It refers to choosing from various methods to obtain data from
respondents for research purpose. Different types of instruments can be used to carry out the
research for study and collect data. The data collection depends on the nature of research that
needs to carried out. This include questionnaires, focus group, experiments, interviews,
observation. For carrying out the research, here, researcher will use questionnaire instrument. It
is widely accepted instrument used by researcher for collecting data (Ratnam, 2019). The
questionnaire includes a set of some structured and unstructured question to record the response
of the respondents.
Research ethics: Ethics are important for completing full project in ethical manner. there
are different principles of the research ethics such as informed consent, confidentiality, minimise
the risk of harm etc. These are main principles that must be follow by researcher in systematic
manner.
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MAIN BODY AND FINDINGS
Finding is important within a research project because it support investigator in evaluating
of data about the topic. According to the current project, data was gathered from questionnaire
and for evaluating such type of information, frequency distribution analysis as an analytical
technique will be applied by researcher (Daniel and Harland, 2017). Along with this, Ms-Excel
will be used for making graphs in accordance to the topic. By using of this technique, researcher
will require in making of frequency distribution table that will be shown as below:
Frequency distribution analysis
Q1 Do you have knowledge regarding the issues of Covid 19 within
hospitality industry?
Frequency
a) Yes 40
b) No 10
Q2 How Covid 19 has impacted on the growth and development of hospitality
industry?
Frequency
a) Positive manner 30
b) Negative manner 8
c) Neutral 12
Q3 Does sustainability helps hospitality industry in overcoming the issues of
Pandemic situation?
Frequency
a) Yes 35
b) No 10
c) Can’t say 5
Q4 What are the major roles of sustainability for hospitality industry in the
pandemic situation of COVID-19?
Frequency
a) Increase the number of tourists 15
b) Cost savings 20
c) Corporate brand image 15
Q5 What are the major issues of pandemic situation faced by hospitality
industry within United Kingdom?
Frequency
a) Hotels are forced to close 20
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b) Reduced sales ratio 20
c) High turnover of the employees 10
Q6 What are the importance of sustainability in improving Britannia
international hotel business strategy?
Frequency
a) Renewable sources of energy 15
b) Reducing waste 15
c) Reuse of products to minimise wastage 20
Q7 Is sustainability helps in changing the dimensions of hospitality industry
during COVID-19?
Frequency
a) Yes 40
b) No 10
Q8 What are the challenges faced by hospitality industry in implementing
sustainability as their emerging objectives?
Frequency
a) Poverty and exclusion 18
b) Building strong institutions of governance 20
c) Conflict and humanitarian aid 12
Q9 What are the ways that will be essential in overcoming the challenges
faced by hospitality industry in implementing sustainability as their emerging
objectives?
Frequency
a) Install Energy Saving Technologies 20
b) Encourage Guests to be Green 18
c) Support Local, Sustainable Businesses 12
Question 1: Knowledge regarding the issues of Covid 19 within hospitality industry
Q1 Do you have knowledge regarding the issues of Covid 19 within
hospitality industry?
Frequency
a) Yes 40
b) No 10
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