Can Macedonian Hotels Be Green: The Evidence of Hotel "Flamingo" - Gevgelija, Macedonia

Contemporary tourists are fully aware of numerous environmental concerns the tourism development is facing with, so they have shifted their accommodation preferences towards eco-friendly hotel establishments. They prefer green products and are willing to pay for “green” services. They expect an environmentally responsible hotel to meet their environmental needs and expectations. This provokes a profound modification in the hotel industry which has steadily recognized the necessity for becoming greener in order to be well positioned in the competitive tourism market. The aim of this study is three-folded: (i) To assess the possibility of having “green” hotels in Macedonia, by elaborating the case of hotel “Flamingo” from Gevgelija; (ii) To analyze the level of fulfillment of ecological and energy standards necessary for becoming an environmentally friendly hotel, i.e. eco-hotel; and (iii) To pose some valuable recommendations for boosting the development of eco-hotels in Macedonia. The research is based on interviews with hotel managers at all levels responsible for managing various hotel sectors related to producing green products and services. The study has revealed that this five-star hotel has a positive attitude and perception for becoming an eco-hotel due to its willingness to use energy efficient appliances in order to reduce the energy consumption. In this line, some recommendations are posed in terms of strategies to help reduce negative impacts on high operational costs. These strategies include better isolation of the facility; enhancing and increasing the level of awareness among hotel personnel regarding the benefits that eco-hotels bring; introducing subsidies on local and central level aimed at fulfilling preconditions for running a high energy efficient hotel; and introducing standards and specifications which will lead to application of environmental protection practices and energy efficient concepts in hotels as a strategic priority for further national tourism development