SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN SRI LANKA: GREEN HOTEL PRACTICES AND IMPLEMENTATION BARRIERS OF LUXURY HOTELS IN COLOMBO

Abstract

In the framework of sustainable tourism development, the study focused on green hotel practices and barriers faced in implementing those practices in luxury hotels in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Also, a comparison of practices across the hotel categories. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather information from managers and sustainability officers from three-, four-, and five-star hotels using a qualitative research approach. According to the findings, the majority of luxury hotels have included waste management programs, water-saving devices, energy efficiency measures, and guest and employee engagement tactics into their daily operations. The degree of implementation, however, differs greatly by hotel category, with mid-scale hotels adopting limited practices due to budgetary limitations and a lack of technical competence, while five-star hotels lead the way due to their higher resources and global competitiveness. These findings contribute to understanding sustainable tourism practices in Sri Lanka and provide recommendations for improving implementation across the hotel sector.