Tour operators’ Green Practices in E-Business use: Analysis through ICT Sourcing, Operational Practices and End-of-Life Management among Tanzania’s Tour Operators

Abstract

This study investigated tour operators’ green practices in e-Business use, tracing from the ICT sourcing, operational practices to end-of-life-management. A questionnaire to 148 respondents from tour operators in Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, Tanzania was supplemented by in-depth face-to-face interviews to selected cases. The study revealed green e-Business being haphazardly practiced, limited to switching off computers in idle times, re-using papers and printing in both sides, sharing printers and more use of laptops/iPADs than desktops, and few using i-Cloud and virtualization. End-of-life-management practices included offering old PCs as charity, transferring obsolete computers to other units and storage of obsolete ICT equipment in special rooms awaiting tendering procedures. Formulation of appropriate policies and regulations on sourcing, operations and end-of-life-management are called for to guide and reinforce the practices, including provision of incentives/subsidies. Vendors need to design affordable green e-Business applications, while operators need to cultivate “green” culture to exploit green e-Business opportunities.