During the international field project in 2024, students visited the beautiful country of Montenegro to conduct research on their own (in groups). One group did their research in Ulcinj,  looking at how hotels in Ulcinj manage water, energy, and waste sustainably. It highlights the challenges they face, the opportunities available, and suggests ways to improve communication and cooperation between the government and hotels to align with Montenegro’s 2022-2025 Tourism Development Strategy.

Methodologies of this study include interviews, observations, and surveys. Nine hotels near the researchers’ accommodation were studied, and representatives from public institutions involved in water, waste, and energy management were interviewed. The data was analyzed using a value chain approach to map hotel practices and identify areas needing improvement.

The key findings can be split into three categories: energy management, waste management, and water management. For the energy management, only a few hotels have solar panels or energy-saving systems. Challenges recognized were high costs, lack of knowledge, and inadequate government support. Additionally, there are issues in public energy supply, such as frequent blackouts and poor communication, also affect sustainability. Solutions could be to improve communication between hotels and the government, streamline project approvals, and provide financial incentives. For the waste management, findings include that hotels generate waste from guests, kitchens, and housekeeping but they rarely recycle. Challenges include the reliance on single-use plastics, lack of staff training, and poor infrastructure. Also improper waste disposal harms the environment, especially with non-recyclable plastics. Possible solutions would be to reduce food waste, introduce reusable materials, improve recycling facilities, and educate staff and guests. For the findings regarding water management, researchers found that hotels depend on public water, which is not drinkable and suffers from interruptions due to blackouts. There is also an excessive use of water by the guests which puts pressure on natural water resources. Evident problems are old, leaking pipes in the public system and untreated wastewater being dumped into the sea. Solutions could be to upgrade infrastructure, replace outdated pipes, and encourage guests to use water responsibly.

 

 

Recommendatios for future research were to include more hotels for receiving a boader perspective. Additinally, an effort to extend the research timeline for more detailed insights is recommended. Thirdly, it is recommended to use multiple data sources (e.g., customer reviews and audits) to ensure reliable findings.

 

The article concludes that hotels andpublic institutions in Ulcinj are not fully aligned with sustainability principles. The government’s proposed policies are not being implemented effectively. However, opportunities for improvement exist through better communication, upgraded systems, and education.

This study shows that Ulcinj’s hospitality sector has potential to adopt sustainability but requires significant efforts in communication, infrastructure, and education.

 

Are you interested in reading the full article? No problem! Just click the link here below:

https://search.library.buas.nl/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=46768

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https://open.spotify.com/show/4BwbhRV2sJe3Ven8z8GZRP?si=92db014a34a04384