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The Ecolabel Virtues in Tourism: The Case of Hotel Trade

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Theory and Practice of Corporate Social Responsibility

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Abstract

“Small is beautiful!” so said the leading economist Schumacher (Small is beautiful: une société à la mesure de l’homme, 1979) and we are tempted to use his slogan to announce what we believe to be good news, namely that awareness of environmental responsibility in the small business sector seems to be alive and well. When the hotel “Les Orangeries” (hotel-lesorangeries.com), in the region of Vienne, became the first hotel in the whole of France to go green and get its Ecolabel, we realised that the whole concept of Eco-labeling in tourism was actually beginning to take off, and since then an increasing number of projects and strategies has got underway. This paper intends, on the one hand, to discuss the main elements and milestones of an industry finally taking responsibility for itself; and on the other, to describe and follow the steps taken by a small provincial hotel business to gain Ecolabel status.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    http://www.hotel-lesorangeries.com in the local region of Vienne (France)

  2. 2.

    http://www.comité21.org and http://www.agenda21.org

  3. 3.

    Market research survey LH2 canvassing some 600 people broadly representative of the French population aged 15 or over, conducted by Les Echos, from 28th February to 14th March 2008.

  4. 4.

    The ODIT (French Tourism Development Agency) is joined now with “Maison de la France” under the name ATOUT France.

  5. 5.

    Footnote to ecological community label EC350, 14/04/2003, AFAQ/AFNOR Certification.

  6. 6.

    There being only 3 recently opened B&B rooms offering accommodation in the local community.

  7. 7.

    Agency for Environmental Development and Energy Management (see local links and Energy Information pages on http://www.ademe.fr for the answer to all your questions)

  8. 8.

    Actually, June 2010, they are 29 obligatory criteria and 61 optional.

  9. 9.

    Class A energy efficient fridges, domestic washing machines and dishwashers.

  10. 10.

    Average turnover over 5 years: 383.4 K€; Gross investment: 755 K€; Own capital: 194 K€; Average profit over 5 years: 31.2 K€; Callot (1996, 2006)

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ESCEM, School of Business and Management, Paris, France

    Philippe Callot

Authors
  1. Philippe Callot
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. London Metropolitan Business School, London Metropolitan University, Moorgate 84, London, EC2M 6SQ, United Kingdom

    Samuel O. Idowu

  2. Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, Reep 1, Ghent, 9000, Belgium

    Celine Louche

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Callot, P. (2011). The Ecolabel Virtues in Tourism: The Case of Hotel Trade. In: Idowu, S., Louche, C. (eds) Theory and Practice of Corporate Social Responsibility. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16461-3_11

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