The Relation Between Humans and Animals in Food Tourism Investigating Barriers to Implementing the Green Leaf Certification by Small-and Medium-sized Hotels in Thailand

Abstract: The Green Leaf Certification is Thailand’s nationally recognised certification of environment friendly hotels. Hotels interested in obtaining Green Leaf Certification must demonstrate their practical commitment towards environmental protection and efficient consumption of energy and natural resources. Although Thailand has been promoting the Green Leaf Certification for about 15 years, the number of certified hotels is less than 5%. This study aims to investigate the barriers in the path of implementing the Green Leaf Certification by hotel operators, with a particular focus on small-and medium-sized hotels (SMHs). The top executives of SMHs were invited to participate in this study, in which an in-depth interview technique was used to probe the deep hindrances of implementing the green practice according to this standard. The results reveal that SMHs have taken several environmental steps towards participating in the green leaf programme. Their employees are highly involved in greening activities, but these hotels are facing several barriers including certification standards considered too high and several criteria that obstruct service operations. In addition, there is no empirical evidence to suggest that SMHs gain competitive advantages in the market with the Green Leaf Certification. Moreover, the cost of green products is rather high and the number of green suppliers is limited. Finally, SMHs have a limited budget for investing in green projects; moreover the government provides inconsistent support