The circular economy model is fundamental, as it brings several benefits to the environment, the economy, organizations, the community, and the tourism sector. Considering that tourism activity produces negative externalities on the environment, the adoption of circular economy practices is important to minimize these impacts and contribute to achieving sustainability in the sector and communities. In this sense, the main objective of the investigation is to analyze the benefits of circular economy practices in the hotel sector in Luanda, Angola. The research is qualitative in nature, presenting the main circular economy practices implemented in the hotel sector and the perception of managers and employees of hotels in Luanda about the benefits of adopting these practices. The study shows that there is little knowledge about organizational practices related to the circular economy; however, some hotel units realize the benefits of the circular economy and have already implemented some of these practices. This study can contribute to science because it is one of the few to analyze the adoption of circular economy practices and principles in the hotel sector in African cities.
TopI. Introduction
Angola experienced 41 years of war (14 years of struggle for independence and 27 years of civil war). After the end of the war, the country's authorities defined tourism as one of the essential sectors for the diversification of the economy. In recent years, there has been a notable increase in hotels, resorts, travel agencies, and other services linked to the tourism sector in all provinces of Angola, especially in Luanda (Maria, 2019).
Luanda is the space where most industries and services are concentrated. The high population growth and the fact that it is the city that focuses on most industries and services results in the accumulation of solid waste.
Tourism can generate socioeconomic benefits; however, it must be considered that the tourism sector has harmful environmental effects and can generate social conflicts (Stonich, 1998). Thus, in addition to solid waste constituting a barrier to Luanda's attractiveness as a tourist destination, the presence of tourists can increase the production of such waste and worsen existing management problems. In this context, adopting circular economy practices contributes to achieving sustainability in the sector.
In some cities worldwide, the topic of circular economy is increasingly common. There has been a need to replace or at least align the linear model with the circular economic model. The aim is to bring a new dynamic to managing the material used, giving them new life or usefulness. The linear model consists of the production, processing, use and disposal of material when it is no longer useful (CNI, 2018; Veiga, 2019). Unlike this model, the circular economy model advocates the reduction, reuse, recovery and recycling of materials and energy, integrating them back into the production cycle”(Quinta e Costa et al., 2019). It is a model that seeks to ensure greater efficiency in the use and management of resources, greater sustainability of the planet, and greater population well-being. It consists of reusing or reconditioning materials at the end of their useful life. In other words, in this process, the “definitive disposal” of materials is avoided, and the phase of reusing materials that can be used for other purposes is passed. It generates benefits, including environmental well-being, a stimulus to the economy, employment opportunities, cost reduction, and excessive wear of raw materials.
Although policymakers and stakeholders pay increasing attention to the issue of the circular economy, the literature has only been developed for the manufacturing sector(Rodriguez et al., 2020). Although it is unanimous that the tourism sector consumes significant volumes of energy and water, generates food waste, and is responsible for CO2 emissions, there is a research gap on the adoption and implementation of circular economy practices by the tourism industry (Gossling et al., 2012; Rodriguez et al., 2020).
This research aims to answer the question: What are the circular economy practices in the hotel sector in Luanda-Angola? The general objective is to analyze circular economy practices in the hotel sector in Luanda-Angola.
The aim is to conduct a study with an emphasis on waste management, with the following specific objectives:
- 1.
Analyze the perception of hotel employees regarding circular economy practices in the hotel sector in Luanda-Angola.
- 2.
Identify circular economy practices in the hotel sector in Luanda-Angola;
- 3.
Understand the main challenges regarding circular economy practices in the hotel sector in Luanda-Angola;
- 4.
Propose practices that promote environmental sustainability with a positive impact on the hotel and tourism sector.