CERTIFICATION OF EUROPEAN HOTEL BUSINESS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: CRITERIA, PROGRAMS, ADVANTAGES AND PROBLEMS

Abstract

Objective. The objective of the article is to determine the criteria, programs, advantages and problems in the field of certification of sustainable development of the European hotel business. Methods. In the research process, the following general scientific methods and methods of cognition are used: methods of scientific abstraction, analysis and synthesis (for the study of theoretical aspects of the certification of sustainable development of hotels, consideration of international certification criteria, certification programs for the hotel industry at the international and national levels, European certification programs, determination of the main limitations and problems in the field of certification of the European hotel business), systematic generalization (to determine the features and advantages of the certification of the European hotel business, the practice of implementing sustainable development approaches in European hotels, directions for solving the problems of the certification of sustainable development of European hotels). Results. According to the results of the research, the criteria for evaluating the implementation of sustainable development approaches by hotels are determined, which include the demonstration of effective sustainable management, the maximization of social and economic benefits for the local community and the minimization of negative consequences, the maximum increase of benefits for cultural heritage and the minimization of negative impact, the maximization of benefits for the environment and minimization of negative impacts. International and European level certification programs for the hotel industry are considered. The advantages of certification of the implementation of sustainable hotel development approaches have been identified, including recognition of hotel business actions, customer attraction, efficient use of resources, reputation improvement, and compliance with standards. Problems in the field of certification of sustainable development of European hotels are singled out, in particular insufficient financing of certification programs to limit excessive dependence on the contributions of certified institutions, prioritization of the environmental dimension with an emphasis on cost savings, lack of connection between certifications and tour operators that contribute to the development of sustainable tourism, ignorance of users regarding the certification of sustainable development, the implementation of certification in hotels solely for the purpose of advertising, which does not involve sustainable management, the existence of a large number of tourism certifications with limited transparency in their processes, which makes it difficult for users to understand their real value from the point of view of sustainable development, difficulties in attracting new and especially in maintaining the certification of already certified institutions. The directions for solving the problems of certification of the sustainable development of European hotels (improvement of financing, expansion of awareness and educational programs, improvement of cooperation and coordination, implementation of innovative technologies and approaches for the sustainable development of the hotel industry) have been determined, which will contribute to the improvement of environmental, social and economic indicators of the hotel business, and therefore and achieving the global goals of sustainable development.