Responding to trends

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a snapshot of the customer focused Environmentally-friendly Sustainable Operations (ESO) of Sri Lankan hotels in response to the global trends and post-war tourism trends in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is written in the context of a strategic question: “how might post-war Sri Lanka develop inbound tourism?” The co-authors opted for an evident-based conceptual approach. The results of an airport survey with 4,500 tourists, conducted by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority in 2012, are analysed. Finding – The key findings in this paper are 13 predicted trends that are likely to have a direct impact on hotels in Sri Lanka. Having analysed ESO, the authors of this paper test the Evolving Tourist Expectation Model (ETEM), developed by two of the authors. The five stages of this model are presented in the conclusion section. Practical implications – This concept should be further tested. Considering that ESO is not a luxury anymore and it is now simply the norm for hotels, hoteliers in Sri Lanka as well as around the world should benefit from this paper. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need to debate concepts that are relevant and important to emerging destinations such as Sri Lanka. An analysis of a European Union funded “Greening Sri Lankan hotels” programme and a case study from John Keells Holdings – the largest hotel company in Sri Lanka – strengthen the paper.