Abstract:
Abstract
The drivers of green tourism practices in the hotel sector in Zimbabwe are under-theorised. Whilst green tourism
practices are now acknowledged as essential in every tourist destination, no study has determined what is
driving the implementation of green tourism practices in Zimbabwe. Green tourism practices are implemented at
varied levels in hotels in Zimbabwe, indicating that some efforts in complying with the dictates of green tourism
are being made. Scientific evidence has shown that the hotel sector is not a smokeless industry as previously
thought, as damage of the environment has been witnessed in various destinations across the globe. This study
sought to analyse the drivers of green tourism implementation in Zimbabwe. The study was carried out in
Harare, Victoria Falls and Nyanga. The study adopted a mixed methods approach. Data was collected from hotel
employees and hotel managers. An interview guide was used to collect qualitative data from 15 purposively
selected key informants. Structured questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from 333 participants
using stratified random sampling. Thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data whilst SPSS version 23
was used to analyse quantitative for simple descriptive statisticsand factor analysis. The results of the study
revealed that the hotel sector is knowledgeable about green tourism practices and that these green tourism
practices focus on energy management, water conservation and waste management.The results of the study
revealed the following drivers of green tourism implementation in Zimbabwe: cost reduction, Corporate Social
Responsibility (environmental), knowledge of green practices, and increase in profits among other drivers. The
study recommended the need for a stronger green tourism policy, guest education and serious stakeholder
engagement to enhance the implementation of green tourism practices in the hotel sector in Zimbabwe.
