The evaluation of building materials, energy systems and site planning from an environmental focus must be joined by an evaluation of the interaction of the people that will use the space. The choice as to the ethics and values governing the operation of the hotel is the most important decision. Ethics and values determine the true degree of sustainability that will be achieved. Developments that do not have as a basis, balanced operating ethics that include the needs of commerce, environment and community, cannot achieve sustainability. They will, as a matter of course, take more from their host community than they give back.
Tourism is a powerful agent of change.
It can revitalize an urban area or create a new city. It moves quickly and with far reaching impacts. It is something to be respected, but not feared. The challenge for the future is one of balance - finding the middle ground between mega properties and zoning that precludes any form of development. Difficult, but certainly not impossible.