Ecologization of hospitality industry in conditions of customer preferences transformation: relationship of national and personal interests

Dynamic development of the Russian hospitality industry (hotel industry) poses new tasks. Particularly, ecologization of all branches of the economy, including this industry, matches the national interests. This can be linked as to ecologization of various aspects of activity of collective accommodation facilities and implementation of eco-innovations, as to eco-hotel creation. However, achievement of all these tasks leads to sufficient losses that can be recompensed by income of hospitality industry organizations in the only case of significant demand for ecological hotel services. Evidently, such a demand can be expected due to customer preferences transformation: young generation representatives are more ecology-oriented. Results of some foreign investigations show on the principal factors motivating youngsters. Particularly, these include high level of ecological education, eco-hedonism, etc. An analysis of the situation in Russia demonstrates that the customer preferences transformation in relation to ecological products and services does not facilitate quick and significant increase in interest in ecologization of hospitality industry. Appearance of the relevant differences between the national and personal interests creates sufficient challenges for development of the hotel industry in the country. Ecologization-related losses will be hardly recompensed by demand increase. Solution of the problem can be linked to enhancement of the people’s ecological culture and level of ecological education.