Introduction

The continued growth of ecotourism among travelers makes it more important than ever for hotel owners to make major changes and implement resource-saving solutions. According to the study “Climate change awareness” [4], consumers increasingly pay attention to the responsibility of companies in terms of their approach to ecology. Also, research conducted on a group of 500 hotel guests, 94% of whom declared that ecology is important to them, confirms that consumers attach more and more importance to their choices [8]. It is therefore worth looking for solutions that will give a competitive advantage. It is important to find a balance between solutions that reduce water and energy consumption while providing comfort and a positive guest experience. Huge energy consumption in hotel facilities has a negative impact on the environment, as much as 60% of the hotel’s carbon footprint comes from energy consumption [3]. Energy efficiency is a key element of the hotel’s environmental policy and every stakeholder must actively participate in the hotel’s efforts to promote a more sustainable environment and business. Given the significant increase in energy prices, measures to reduce energy consumption are very important. On average, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning account for 61% of its consumption[5]. If you want to improve the energy efficiency of the facility, it is worth starting with a thorough analysis of energy consumption and finding the weakest points in the field of energy management, which enables a reliable energy audit.

Sustainable development in its assumptions consists in sustainable improvement of the quality of life of the present and future generations by shaping appropriate proportions between three types of capital: economic, human and natural [4]. The particular importance of quality of life in sustainable development has given rise to the concept of sustainable consumption. In the natural area, over-consumption has obvious consequences in terms of the use of natural resources used in the production and distribution of consumer goods. At the same time, increased production, driven by growing demand, generates an increasing stream of waste, which is as serious a problem as the dwindling supply of natural resources.

The didactic purpose of the module is to provide information on taking action to mitigate climate change, which is extremely important nowadays, also in the tourism industry. Hotels, as an important sub-sector of tourism, should therefore take measures to reduce the negative impact on the natural environment. There are many concrete solutions that can be implemented to ensure the sustainability of hotels in areas such as heating, cooling, lighting, and water use. It is necessary to use ecological solutions and good practices for staff and guests. The bottom line is that hotels that use modern and energy-saving technologies will ultimately be more profitable and better adapted to the ever-changing market and guest needs. Tourism also has great educational potential in terms of shaping consumer attitudes that underlie sustainable consumption.

The target group of the module that most needs this type of knowledge is the broadly understood tourism industry and in particular the owners and employees of this sector.