Environmental management system (EMS) in hotel industry: Government incentives and customer demand

Abstract

The tourism industry in Malaysia has been a significant contributor to pollution, necessitating the implementation of environmental management systems (EMS) to address the negative impact of environmental degradation. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of government incentives and customer demand on the adoption of EMS in Malaysian hotels. The research was based on questionnaires collected from 4- and 5-star hotels in the Central Region of Malaysia, and the data were analyzed using Least Square Partial Structural Equation Modeling. Contrary to expectations, the study found that neither government incentives nor customer demand had an impact on EMS adoption. However, the size of the hotel was found to be a significant factor affecting the adoption of EMS. This study contributes to the literature on motivational factors and EMS adoption in emerging markets like Malaysia and highlights the importance of considering the size of the hotel when designing policies to promote EMS adoption.