AIRLINES, TRAVEL AGENCIES, TOUR OPERATORS, CAR RENTALS CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) PRACTICES IN MALAWI

Abstract

The paper is an exploratory study in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices with focus to travel and tourism players in Malawi. Entrepreneurs such as airlines, travel agencies and tour operators in tourism industry serve millions of people worldwide and generate billions of dollars globally and contribute to country’s economies. It is expected that tourism and hospitality growth will continue in the coming years. The Malawi tourism sector is one of least developed in the Southern Africa due to its focus on Agriculture especially tobacco for many years. Recently, the sector has received positive acceptance by both public and private sectors due to its positive contributions to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and anti-global tobacco campaigns. From the year 2009, Malawi Government included tourism on the list of twelve priority areas within the priorities. The sector has experienced the growth in transportation services for example; travel agencies, tour operators, car rental companies and airlines coming into the industry. Moreover, there is a rising awareness for tourism firms’ actions to be responsible towards the environment and the community in which they operate. It is very important the these firms must align mission statements in a such a way to achieving competitive advantage in utilizing business strategy by taking into considering three key aspects: people, profit and environment. Through practices and actions involved by tourism and hospitality establishments in the sector, serve as examples in the society in which other firms within and outside the tourism industry stands to emulate, thus increasing sustainability practices, improving understanding of the tourism firms role in the environment and thereby minimizing negative social and environmental impacts, and enhancing effective positive tourism firms’ impacts in the business operations contexts.