Impact of cultural transformation campaigns around energy savings in hotels. Study in Bucaramanga and Valledupar, Colombia

Abstract

The study focused on evaluating the impact of an educational campaign aimed at transforming attitudes and practices around the saving of water and energy in regular customers of two hotels, located in two touristic cities of Colombia, with very different idiosyncrasy: Valledupar and Bucaramanga. The development of the campaign was framed in the principles of the rational and efficient use of Energy Program (PROURE), and addressed three areas: information, the promotion of rational use practices and, increase in the awareness of the care of the environment. The proposed design was quasi-experimental, pretest / posttest. The sample was for convenience, involving a total of 180 people among employees and customers (100 in Bucaramanga and 80 in Valledupar). Participants responded to a survey of attitudes and practices, before and after participating in the campaign that lasted for 6 months. The results indicate that in the city of Bucaramanga the changes obtained in the posttest were significant, around the reflection and awareness (attitudes) of the saving of water and energy, by the guests. In the case of Valledupar, there are more changes in the employees than in the guests, especially in the attitudes they have regarding the importance of energy saving. In general, the study made it possible to demonstrate the importance of programs and processes of education and culture that promote these attitudes and practices which can result in significant impacts to the care of the environment.