Environmental performance of accommodation establishments in the protected areas: Case of Bolu, Turkey

Abstract

Protected areas in tourism destinations are among the places where sensitivity should be exercised for the tourism sector. Accommodation establishments, particularly in protected areas, are considered in terms of environmental performance. This study aims to reveal the environmental performance levels of accommodation establishment directors in protected areas. The scale developed by Erdoğan and Tosun (2009) was used for the purpose of evaluating the environmental performance in accommodation establishments. Study data has been collected from business owners and executive directors in accommodation establishments located in protected areas in Bolu province of Turkey. The data obtained in the study has been analyzed through the AMOS package program. The findings obtained from the study reveal that the environmental performance of accommodation establishments is not sufficient. The performance of the establishments to save energy by using the key card control system in the rooms is at low levels. In particular, the performance of the establishments regarding managerial knowledge on the environmental protection is required to be increased. This study is one of the limited studies revealing the environmental performances of accommodation establishments located in protected areas and contributes to the relevant literature.