Connecting Hospitality & Population Growth Landmark

Experts disagree on the timing of it exactly (some say it happened this past week) but most agree that we are at or close to the point when world population reaches 7 billion--an astounding number. For the hospitality industry, growing population certainly presents expansion opportunities--specifically in places like China, India, etc. As our industry grows along with the population, however, it needs to be ever mindful that it not contribute to the worsening of environmental conditions. It is tempting, with much to gain from expansion, to not consider the net increase of one's environmental impact on the planet. That would be a mistake. Hotels, as with other commercial buildings, can strain water supplies, fatten landfills with waste, and stress power grids that most often are charged through the burning of dirty coal.

Should our industry's leaders be making public statements about women having babies? Of course not. In a roundabout way, however, they can help positively impact those cultures where women have few reproduction rights by supplying jobs and encouraging and even funding education efforts. Believe it or not, according to the Worldwatch Institute, more than two in five pregnancies worldwide are unintended by the women who experience them, and half or more of these pregnancies result in births that spur continued population growth.

Should global population growth have a place in the conversation about hotel development? I believe it should. As an industry we need to make sure that we are building hotels in population growth areas that stand as symbols of efficiency and environmental and social responsibility. Our industry can do a much better job than it has been in eliminating waste through green building, procurement, technology and training. Our industry could also be more vocal about supporting green travel--the use of alternative fuels and electric vehicles, for example. 

Seven billion is a number that is overwhelming for everybody but we can at least make sure we are not contributing to the destruction and waste that such a lofty number represents.