Strategies on Sustainable Development of Chinese Hotels under the Globalization Abstract This paper discusses the strategies on the sustainable development of Chinese hotels under the globalization. These strategies will be based on environment, technology and service quality. To speed up the development of Chinese hotel industry and to keep it more healthy and sustainable, the environment factor seems to be particularly important. Nowadays, it really becomes a trend that more and more consumers are willing to choose green products and green consumptions initiatively which are harmless, clean and safe.
The high technologies which represent win-win situations for many hotels are benefits for developing sustainable hotels and make convenient environment for the customers. And the service quality really affects the whole development of hotels very much. It can be called the heart or soul of one hotel. Strategies on Sustainable Development of Chinese Hotels under the Globalization With the need of the globalization, participating in the international economic competitiveness becomes the inevitable choice of Chinese reform and opening up.
On the one hand, it will bring Chinese hotels industry great opportunities to promote the service quality and management level and bring it into line with international standards; on the other hand, it also brings some deep sense of crisis and great challenges to Chinese hotel industry. China’s hotel industry is still faced with the optimistic situation: in recent years by the Asian financial turmoil, the hotel industry is facing the pressure of market pressures and management; also the continuous imbalance between supply and demand.
The number of hotels has grown more rapidly than visitor growth rate. There is fiercely competition between hotels on price and service quality. Chinese hotel management level and service quality still have a certain gap with the international community. The globalization means that foreign-owned large-scale tourism enterprises is about to enter the Chinese market, multinational business and international standards of management will participate fully in Chinese hotel industry, market competition. Chinese hotel industry will face an unprecedented crisis and challenges.
How the Chinese hotels face the challenges of globalization? What strategies the state-owned or international managed hotels in China should carry on? The sustainable developing strategies of Chinese hotels in the future will be based on environment, technology and service quality. The Strategy of Environment One of the strategies for sustainable development for Chinese hotels is the environment. It means that to speed up the development of Chinese hotel industry and to keep it more healthy and sustainable, the environment factor seems to be particularly important.
To get a constant development in competitive tourism, the sustainability in environment is very important (Hu, 2005). This trend could also contain the hotel departments. The good conditional environment and clean and appealing place became the increasing requirements for those customers. The bad environment can lead the reducing number of customers, for example: the polluted environmental conditions, bad-designed buildings, the overcrowded places, destroyed landscapes and the different kinds of noises all over the round and etc.
In addition, the waste made in hotels can be reduced more. Some of those trash could be recovered (bottles, cans, etc. ), and some of them can’t be recovered (Plastic, garbage, etc. ). The waste of solid could be ordered by visitors using these bins. Then the waste separation stations can classify the waste further. The hotel garbage will collect it to treatment plants. The same as liquid waste, a sewage treatment plant has capacity of 800 tons of waste a day. Accordingly, all of the purified water could be contributed to the garden irrigation.
Interviewees believe that we can gain double benefits from doing so (Wall, 2005). Therefore, more things can be done in making the hotel environment get rid of pollution. Hotels should strive to achieve the use of resources can be recycled for reuse. What’s more, hotels can reduce the pressure of energy demand, especially during the economic crisis. At the same time, it’s important to raise public awareness of environmental protection. Different industries are familiar with their own products, they are able to separate the different waste based on the different characteristics of products.
It can reduce the waste emissions and avoid second pollution caused by handling incorrectly. All the strategies can lead the hotels to keep going on the sustainable way. Professor Wall (2005) also point out that Enterprises and hospitality industry companies are becoming increasingly willing to protect the environment. It’s because they are becoming more and more aware of the potential benefits from developing trend of the market. The nature of environmental management based on the destination Including public and private sector.
The way to steady environment management is not only the response to externally imposed government ordinance but also the requirements of consumers which are becoming an important stimulus. In other words, the environment may lead the customers to increase demands directly or indirectly although the cost of environment-related attract might weaken the competitiveness of the destination and can be reflected in lower profits. According to Holden (2006), the customers’ views in consumption have been changing globally and the customers’ need for industries supporting goods are more and more ‘environmentally friendly’ and ‘ethically correct’.
Therefore, it really becomes a trend that more and more consumers are willing to choose green products and green consumptions initiatively which are harmless, clean and safe, also can be cycle used and environmental protecting. When we are developing Chinese hotels and tourism industry, we must devote our efforts to the protection of the environment. Then we can keep the sustainable use of natural resources in order to satisfy the growing material and cultural needs of people. As the time goes by, this strategy will become particularly important.
The Strategy of Technology The high technologies can not only benefits for developing sustainable hotels, but also can make convenient environment for the customers. In one word, technology represents a win-win situation for many hotels. Energy conservation technology could be helpful in continuing sustainable hotels. How to conserve energy is still the first priority for the management to think about. According to Smith (2008), it has been a long time since the definition of how to use energy well in hotel guestroom.
In order to save the use of heating, cooling and other energy consumption in guestrooms, a system which is called “early in-room systems” appeared recently. By using this system guest can use only one operating platform to control all aspects of the room. A latest technology which is called “Non-invasive” brings a lot of advantages to the hotels. The hotel can use the new control systems without rearranging the electrical and telecommunication wiring in guestrooms. It means that by using the technologies hotels can achieve unmanned operation in order to reduce the cost of operation and personnel management.
In the same time, the centralized controlling can also improve the efficiency and save the waste of energy. The high technology makes the win-win situation comes true. It really helps the sustainable development of hotel industry and makes the hotel staff and customers more convenient, so that we should push forward the use of green technology and enhancing the high-tech development of Chinese hotel industry. In addition, using the converging technologies in hotels makes more benefits than ever before.
According to Wolff (2008), Rajesh Chandnani, associate vice president and director of strategic planning and consulting for Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG) said that now the hotel is looking for not just the computer system to enter the room. Hotels need the integration of digital technology and the similar technologies for their customers. For example, imagine that a hotel has established the wireless technologies and integrated technology system so that the converging technological services can be automatically set in every guest’s room based on the preferences of different customers.
Every customer’s preferences will be frequently recorded to customer personal data. When he or she finished checking in the front service desk and walking into the room, the lights will be automatically opened and their TV and in room stereo will be playing on the channel which are the customer’s favorite (Wolff, 2008). It can be seen from this that the development of science takes the technology age for Chinese hotel industry. The hotels need to change their business philosophy and mode of competition.
For hotel managers and policy makers, grasping and using the knowledge of hotel technology correctly can save operating costs and improve operational quality. Facing the customers’ needs directly by using technology, for example e-commerce, smart management and personalized service all require the existence of science and technology. Therefore, high technology will be the second trend on sustainable development of Chinese hotels. The Strategy of Service Quality
The third strategy for sustainable development for Chinese hotels is the service quality. Good service quality has been described to be the most important part for consumers when choosing a hotel. Therefore, establishing a high level service system would be one of the main factors on developing hotels. In order to attract more customers from all over the world and to set up a globalized excellent service system, hotel managers should completely know how the customers perceive the quality.
According to Wang (2007), generally speaking, customers usually judge services from collecting information before choosing a hotel, participating in the service design, communicating positively with hotel employees, and gathering recommendations from others. In the other words, information collection means that the customer is ready to act at the time of purchasing the hotel’s services in order to obtain satisfactory service. Customers may take actions of seeking referrals or searching the website of the hotel, and then decide to choose the hotel.
They always take part in designing the services and establishing the standards in the service process. Customers’ demands offer the information about their services and make them ensure that their services are highly satisfied. The relationship between the customers and the service providers can be established, such as the smile, showing the expression of friendly, so that you understand the supplier to provide and accept positive expression and get the quality of the hotel and tourism. “Word-of-mouth” communication is also very important in hotel business.
Sometimes the commendations from relatives and friends can reduce the customer’s high expectations of hotel quality of service (Wang, 2007). Therefore it’s necessary to establish a good service culture as soon as possible, such as rewarding the hotel employees for developing the customer service. The attitudes of service staff should be enthusiastic and friendly, so that customers enjoy the spirit of being respect. Sometimes good service is more efficient than the expensive advertising in attracting customers.
Providing more humane and patient services, continuously improving service quality, and enhancing the competitive ability of the hotels should be the important strategy in developing Chinese hotel industry. In addition, according to Zhao (2007), service quality often used to be measured in following aspects. First, the tangible property: physical facilities, equipment and appearance of liaison officers; Second, Reliability: the capable of fulfilling the commitment to reliable service and accurate;
Third, response: the willingness to help customers and provide prompt service; Fourth, assurance: knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire confidence; Also the Empathy: caring, individualized attention provided by the company to customers (Pearson, 2002). Under the situation of almost the same location, facilities and equipments, the same price, the quality of service is often the most important factor for customers whether or not to choose their hotels. With the rapid development of hotel industry, service quality is being attached more and more important as one of the main means of competition.
The service quality contains lots of aspects, but the root is the fundamental courtesy and etiquette. Imagine a service personnel is not paying attention to courtesy when serving for a customer. No matter how professional his or her skills are in other service aspects, he or she can still not gain the good reputation from customers. Therefore, the hotel staff should be fully aware of etiquette and courtesy to improve their service quality. Managers must take efforts in improving the quality of services so that it will be more helpful in competition. The service quality really affects the whole development of hotels very much.
It can be called the heart or soul of one hotel. Also being one of the important strategies, good service quality should be improved as much as it can to keep hotels developing sustainably. In conclusion, the globalization has brought not only the opportunities and profits, but also the challenges and crisis to almost every industry in the world. Under the pressure of the furious competition, the sustainable development seems more effective and urgent for Chinese hotel enterprises to narrow the gap between China and the advanced capitalist countries.
Creating a nice environment, enhancing the ability of using high technologies, making more effort to offer the better service are regarded as the most important strategies. All of these aspects can help Chinese hotel industry to keep on improving more steadily and healthy. References Hu, W. (2005). Environmental Management, Environmental Image and the Competitive Tourist Attraction. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 13, 6, 617-635. Retrieved May 4, 2009, from EBSCOhost Wang etal (2007, Oct. 27). An Empirical Study of the Effect of Customer Participation on Service Quality. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism. 8, 1, 49-73.
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