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Utilising sustainable tourism indicators to determine the environmental

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African Journal for Physical Activity and Health Sciences (AJPHES), June 2017
(Supplement), pp. 89-114.

Utilising sustainable tourism indicators to determine the

environmental performance of the Sun City Resort, South Africa
K.F. MEARNS AND D. BOSHOFF

Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences,

University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa; E-mail: mearnkf@unisa.ac.za

Abstract

The success of a tourism resort may often be the very cause of the resort’s decline as a result of the
large-scale impacts that large tourism resorts may have on the environment. The long-term
economic, social and environmental impacts of a tourism business have to be carefully balanced
in order to achieve sustainability. These aspects should be carefully managed to ensure that tourism
does not become a self-destructive process ruining the very resources upon which it was based.
This paper draws from a comprehensive academic study aimed at determining the environmental
performance of one of South Africa’s premier tourism resorts, namely Sun City. In this paper,
however, reference is made only to the energy and water consumption patterns at Sun City. Data
for the Sun City Resort was collected on a monthly basis for a four-year period, from 2010 to 2013.
Through the investigation of the environmental performance of Sun City in terms of energy and
water consumption the results can be benchmarked internationally to provide an indication of the
environmental performance of Sun City.

Keywords: Sun City, energy consumption, water consumption, environmental performance.

How to cite this article:

Mearns, K.F. & Boshoff, D. (2017). Utilising sustainable tourism indicators to determine the
environmental performance of the Sun City Resort, South Africa. African Journal for Physical
Activity and Health Sciences, June (Supplement), 89-114.

Introduction

The emergence of the concept of sustainable development has had a profound

influence on the way in which people now perceive themselves as an integrated
part of the environment: people are increasingly aware that their activities have a
significant impact on the environment (Mearns, 2012). Although economic growth
and the environment are in many instances contrasting concepts, they are both
critical to ensure sustainability (Keyser, 2009). Businesses should operate in such
a manner that they do not have a negative impact on the environment, while still
maintaining a feasible economic enterprise. Tourism businesses are often situated
close to natural and cultural attractions that draw tourists. Since tourism ventures
are usually situated in close proximity to these attractions, it is fairly certain that
tourism will have an impact on the attractions. Therefore, the role-players in
tourism must manage all impacts very carefully in order to ensure that tourism
does not become a self-destructive process destroying the very resources and
attraction upon which it is based.
90 Mearns and Boshoff

Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic and socio-cultural

aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established
between these three dimensions to guarantee the long-term sustainability of
tourism (UNWTO, 2004b). A sustainable tourism destination cannot exist with
only one or two of these sustainability dimensions. A successful tourism business
must give equal consideration and dedication to all the above-mentioned
dimensions. Tourism destinations are becoming increasingly aware of the need to
align their economic objectives with the social and natural environment (Keyser,
2009). In terms of tourism, a destination is defined as a physical place in which a
visitor spends at least one night. It broadly refers to an area where tourism is a
highly important activity and where the economy of the area relies on tourism
revenues (Jamwal, 2015).

Tourism has grown rapidly over the last 100 years to become one of the largest
global economic sectors and a significant contributor to national and local
economies. It is estimated that the tourism industry employs more than 130 million
people worldwide and makes capital investments in excess of US$400 billion
annually (UNWTO, 2014). According to the United Nations World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO) the number of international tourist arrivals showed a
substantial growth from 25.3 million arrivals in 1950 to 1.138 billion in 2014
(UNWTO, 2015).

As early as 1998, UNWTO indicated that tourists would become increasingly

environmentally conscious and would base their selection of destinations on the
environmental quality of the destinations (UNWTO, 1998). These changes in the
market forces, as well as the move towards more environmentally sensitive and
sustainable forms of tourism, have led to significant changes in tourism. It is
estimated that between 1995 and 2007 international tourism in emerging and
developing markets grew at twice the rate of industrialised countries (UNWTO,
2007). In order to meet the increased demands of the travelling community, more
accommodation and facilities needs to be developed on land that is becoming
increasingly scarce, especially that which is close to major attractions. The more
tourists a destination attracts the more important it becomes to manage its impacts
on the environment. Mass tourism destinations therefore require dedicated teams
of people that solely perform the task of environmental management. Weaver
(2001:107) defines mass tourism as “large-scale, externally controlled, high
leakage and concentrated in high density tourism strips”.

On their part, Sezgin and Yolal (2012) define mass tourism as pre-arranged tours
for large groups that travel for the same reason or to the same destination under
the guidance of a tourism professional. Mass tourism is inherently unsustainable,
can severely affect the natural resources as well as the social aspects of the area if
it is not managed properly (Weaver, 2001). If a tourism business maintains a
 Sustainable tourism indicators and environmental performance 91

balance between its economic, social and environmental aspects, it will be

sustainable and should be able to continue to operate for many years.

The study on which this paper is based focussed on the environmental aspects of
sustainability (more specifically the energy and water consumption) at one such
mass tourism resort in South Africa, namely the Sun City Resort (SCR). The SCR
as a mass tourism destination consumes large quantities of resources. However,
mass tourism destinations generally have higher occupancies than small
accommodation establishments, which yield higher incomes, and as a result are
better positioned to implement sustainable practices because of their internal
economies of scale (Ayala, 1996; Weaver, 2001). The SCR has implemented an
environmental management system (EMS) as an essential part of its daily
operations in an attempt to reduce its environmental impacts.

The EMS allows the SCR to understand its impacts on the environment and
whether it has been effective in managing and reducing its impacts, and thus to set
objectives and targets to minimise the impacts. In addition, the EMS allows
management to check the effectiveness of the system with audits and management
reviews. This paper, which reports on the effectiveness of the interventions
implemented as part of the EMS, effectively acts as such a review. However, it
considers energy and water consumption over a four-year period only, namely
2010 to 2013.

Due to inter-competition among hotels at the SCR to reduce resource consumption

and be more efficient, new strategies are continuously applied to demonstrate and
improve their environmental performance. Newer technologically advanced and
environmentally friendly equipment and products often used by the hotel industry
are implemented as equipment and products are replaced. For instance,
incandescent light globes are retrofitted with energy-efficient alternatives.
Changes brought in by environmentally conscious managers are vital to achieve
greater sustainability. According to Karthik (2002:1), “[sustainability] can be
achieved by effectively employing a benchmarking process that helps the entire
sector in managing those elements of their activities, products and services that
can significantly impact the environment”. Baseline measurements are a measure
of the status quo of the indicator at the start of the period and progress is measured
from the baseline (George Municipality, 2008). According to Goodreads (2014:1),
“[m]easurement is the first step that leads to control and eventually to
improvement. If you can’t measure something, you can’t understand it. If you can’t
understand it, you can’t control it. If you can’t control it, you can’t improve it.”

This study made use of specific sustainable tourism indicators to determine the
environmental performance of the SCR. Indicators are information sets that are
formally selected to be used on a regular basis to measure changes that are of
92 Mearns and Boshoff

importance for tourism development and management. According to UNWTO

(2004a), they can measure:
 changes in tourism’s own structure and internal factors,
 changes in external factors that affect tourism, and
 impacts caused by tourism.

The UNWTO (2004a) has developed a set of core indicators to measure the
sustainability of tourism organisations. Indicators are to be used as a central
instrument to improve planning and management, bringing managers the
information they need in a form that will allow better decision making (UNWTO,
2004a). Hart (2017:1) defines an indicator as “something that helps you
understand where you are, which way you are going and how far you are from
where you want to be”. An indicator also has the ability to reduce a large quantity
of information to its simplest form, without losing the essential information in
order to answer questions being asked. Indicators are therefore variables that
summarise relevant information to make visible phenomena of interest. The focus
for this study was on indicators that relate to energy and water consumption at the
SCR.

The Sun City Resort

The SCR was the vision of the holiday destination developer and then owner of
Kerzner International, Sol Kerzner. In 1979, at the height of the apartheid regime
in South Africa, the SCR was developed in what was then declared an independent
state by the South African Government, namely the Bantustan of Bophuthatswana.
After the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994, Bophuthatswana was
incorporated back into the Republic of South Africa, and now forms part of the
North West province. Kerzner chose this location because the Bophuthatswana
government had no gaming legislation that prohibited gambling. Its location was
chosen because it was relatively close to large towns and cities where guests and
gamblers resided; the driving time is 45 minutes from Rustenburg and one and a
half hours from Pretoria and Johannesburg. The SCR formed part of a greater
development plan that included the establishment of a Big 5-protected area, the
Pilanesberg National Park, which opened to the public six days after the opening
of the SCR (Whiffler, 2009).

The 1 500-hectare mega-resort was developed over a number of years in order to

accommodate up to 6 058 guests and 1 281 employees nightly. The SCR officially
opened on 7 December 1979. The resort commenced with the Sun City Hotel and
Casino and the well-known Gary Player Country Club. Later the Cabanas were
built, followed by the Cascades Hotel and Entertainment Centre. In 1992 The
Palace of the Lost City, Valley of Waves and Lost City Country Club opened to
the public. The resort also houses the Vacation Club, of which the newest section,
Phase 2, was developed in 2005. The Vacation Club offers self-catering units that
 Sustainable tourism indicators and environmental performance 93

form part of the RCI holiday exchange programme. The Maze, built in 2012 and
opened in 2013, is a structure of interconnecting pathways where people need to
find their way from point A to B. The crocodile sanctuary, the Kwena Gardens,
consists of 14 chalets and a curio shop, and various crocodile enclosures for
viewing the largest crocodiles in South Africa. There is a crocodile farming section
with 15 breeding enclosures that require hot water generated from coal-fired
boilers. The SCR is the largest property of the Sun International Gaming and
Hospitality Company. Sun International operates all the accommodation units on
the resort (Footprints Travel Guides, 2016).

The SCR consists of four hotels and a self-catering holiday resort, called the
Vacation Club, and two golf courses, namely the Gary Player Country Club and
the Lost City Country Club. Three staff housing complexes comprise 739 units.
The 1 683 guest rooms (accommodating 6 058 guests) at the SCR along with the
staff units can accommodate a total of 7 339 people. The breakdown of the number
of rooms and beds is provided in Table 1. The Valley of Waves and the
Entertainment Centre are two of the most visited attractions for both day visitors
and overnight guests. The Valley of Waves is a water park with a man-made wave
pool that simulates wave action. It also has various tube and body slides as well as
food and beverage outlets. The Entertainment Centre houses the Superbowl, which
is a 7 500-seater event and conference venue. It is also a central hub for day visitors
with many retail and food outlets (Sun Vacation Club, 2015).

Table 1: Sun City Resort rooms and beds

SCR rooms
Guest accommodation Rooms Beds
The Palace 338 820
Cascades Hotel 243 650
Sun City Hotel 340 1 036
The Cabanas 380 1 160
Vacation Club Phase 1 234 1 504
Vacation Club Phase 2 148 888
Total 1 683 6 058
Staff accommodation
South Village 354 757
Old Staff Village 337 469
Cascades Flats 48 55
Total 739 1 281
Grand Total 2422 7339
Source: Sun Vacation Club, 2015.
The SCR is often compared to a city because of the infrastructure, facilities and
services on the resort. The SCR is a unique resort which attracts close to 2 million
tourists each year. It has the equivalent of a small town’s infrastructure with its
94 Mearns and Boshoff

own landfill site, waste water treatment works, reservoirs and various substations
(Buhrmann, 2010).

Methodology

The data needed for the study was sourced from the SCR Environmental
Department, which consolidates data collected by maintenance, service providers
and contractors on a central registry referred to as the resource tracking sheet. This
data collection and collation process started in 2002 with water and electricity
consumption figures, which were retrieved from invoices. Although these data
records were made available, they were found to be incomplete and consequently
not suitable for analysis. Only data collected between 2010 and 2013 was used for
this study. This paper reports only on two specific core environmental indicators
namely, energy and water consumption.

In order to facilitate the international comparison of the environmental

performance, the findings in relation to energy and water consumption had to be
standardised. This standardisation, which required the calculation of the per-room
and per-person consumption rates for the resort, was carried out through the use
of occupancy data where the number of individuals who visited or stayed
overnight at the resort was calculated, including all overnight guests in all
accommodation units, excluding the 14 Kwena Gardens chalets because of the
non-availability of the data. Each hotel generates a monthly occupancy report that
includes all the information about the guests who stayed in the hotel for that month.
The report includes the number of rooms that were occupied, under maintenance,
and complementary, as well as rooms used in-house by employees. Staff residing
on the resort was also included in the occupancy calculations as they also
contribute to the consumption patterns of the resort.

Results

Before the results in relation to the energy and water consumption are discussed,
an analysis of the occupancy data is provided in order to subsequently
contextualise and benchmark the energy and water consumption in relation to
international benchmarks.

Occupancy data

In order to facilitate international comparison, the energy and water data needed
to be standardised; therefore, the room occupancy and total number of individual
visitor data was collected in order to arrive at per-room or per-person consumption
data. The results for the entire resort for the study period are illustrated in Figure
1.
 Sustainable tourism indicators and environmental performance 95

Rooms Individuals

Mean 660 797 2 020 317

SD 19 764 36 065
690 000 2 080 000
n 48 48
680 000 2 060 000
670 000 2 040 000

Individuals
2 020 000
Rooms

660 000
2 000 000
650 000
1 980 000
640 000 1 960 000
630 000 1 940 000
620 000 1 920 000
2010 2011 2012 2013
Rooms 684 460 669 373 641 631 647 721
Individuals 2 003 605 2 062 247 1 979 900 2 035 517

Figure 1: Total rooms and individuals per year from 2010 to 2013
Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data

The number of rooms occupied in 2010 was the highest during the study period,
reaching 684 460 rooms occupied compared to the lowest occupancy of 641 631
in 2012 at an average of 660 797 rooms. The standard deviation (SD) for rooms
sold each year is 19 764, which is a 3% change. The number of individuals
changed by around 1.7% each year, which is, on average, 36 065 individuals. In
2010 more rooms were sold with a lower total number of visitors to the SCR, and
the opposite was seen in 2013. In 2012 the rooms sold and individual visitors were
both the lowest in the four-year study period. The total number of individuals on
the resort has a direct impact on the amount of energy and water consumed; this
entails the number of people who visited the resort, including overnight guests,
employees residing on the resort and day visitors. Although the room occupancy
has some effect on electricity use, each hotel requires a set quantity of electricity
to operate regardless of whether it is empty or fully booked. This base-load
consumption rate is unknown. This usage includes equipment and processes such
as public space cooling, water heating (excluding rooms), lighting, water features,
security systems and administration processes, which require energy and water
regardless of the number of guests or visitors. The guests then cause additional
energy and water utilisation beyond this basic base-load consumption. The more
guests staying overnight the lower the electricity consumption per person, and the
more rooms occupied the lower the usage per room.

Energy consumption at the SCR

The major energy source for the SCR is Eskom-provided electricity: the resort also
makes use of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking, and coal for heating water
for the crocodiles. Vehicles are powered by diesel and petrol. Hot-water is
96 Mearns and Boshoff

supplied through either heat pumps or solar geysers in most hotels and staff
villages. Backup power is supplied by 14 generators, of which two are mobile. The
unit for measurement for the SCR electricity is kilowatt-hours (kWh), the same
unit used on electricity bills throughout South Africa. This data recorded on the
resource tracking database was taken directly from the Moses Kotane Local
Municipality (MKLM) electricity bill, and equals the total resort electrical
consumption. In the past, the resort had five electricity feeds, but they were merged
into one feed to reduce the bulk electricity supply rate and administration
processes.

Considerable work has been done over the years to reduce energy consumption at
the SCR. Infrastructure upgrades took place prior to this study between 2009 and
2010, which included the construction of a primary substation to merge the five
Eskom feeds into one feed to better manage the distribution and management of
the electricity grid. The electricity supply cables were replaced in various areas.
Two demand-side management (DSM) projects were completed. These were
tripartite agreements and were done in conjunction with Eskom and National
Power. The DSM Phase 1 project entailed the load-shedding and load-shifting
programme. Major energy users such as boilers, water transfer stations and pool
heaters were added onto a load-shedding schedule during Eskom peak periods;
from 06:00 until 10:00 and again in the evening from 18:00 until 20:00. The
interventions were implemented in an attempt to minimise the impact on guest
experience. The project’s outcome was aimed at achieving lower tariffs and as
such led to financial saving. These interventions have created growing awareness
among large energy consumers on the resort and as a result paved the way for
future projects.

The DSM Phase 2 project entailed the installation of 27 heat pumps across the
resort. These were fitted to all the bulk water boilers in the hotels and to pool
water-heating systems. Solar water geysers were installed in three areas on the
resort. A total of 14 solar geysers were fitted at the Cascades staff flats to replace
a centralised boiler, reducing the consumption in that area by 77% (Solahart,
2010). At the Vacation Club Phase 2, 148 solar geysers replaced 250 electrical
geysers reducing the carbon footprint by 425 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per
year (Solahart, 2013). In the South Staff Village, 217 solar geysers replaced 396
electrical geysers with a 960MWh/year reduction in consumption (Solahart,
2011). In staff villages, two 2-bedroom flats share one solar geyser where
previously each flat had its own electrical geyser. In 2012, Karebo Systems
replaced 15 000 halogen down-lighters with LED lights. Savings were calculated
as follows: The Palace 123.08 MWh/year (Karebo, 2012a), Cascades 520.26
MWh/year (Karebo, 2012b), Sun City Hotel 888.52MWh/year (Karebo, 2012c),
Cabanas 138.30 MWh/year (Karebo, 2012d) and Vacation Club 89.28 MWh/year
(Karebo, 2012e). The Palace kitchens were revamped and fitted with energy-
efficient equipment. All cooking on the resort is done using LPG, which is more
 Sustainable tourism indicators and environmental performance 97

efficient than electricity. The gas flare in The Palace King tower is now scheduled
to burn during peak periods only instead of every night in order to reduce LPG
consumption.

Electricity consumption
The resort has shown a 12.3% (11 156 046 KWh) reduction in electricity
consumption when comparing the 2010 and 2013 total annual consumption
figures. The mean consumption is 7 237 692 KWh and the SD year on year was
543 286.53 KWh. The linear trend line in Figure 2 indicates the lower electricity
demand. An average of 55 066.39 rooms are sold each month across the resort and
on average of 168 359.77 visitors visit the resort each month. The sharp increase
in visitors over peak periods is visible on the graph. School holidays are especially
busy, as seen in Figure 2. The peak periods are in April, October and December–
January each year, and the occupancy rate affects the energy consumption rate.
Increases in these periods are seen in the consumption rate. The number of rooms
sold does not fluctuate much, but the number of day visitors fluctuates sharply.

The number of rooms sold in 2010 was much higher than during any other year in
the study and therefore there was a lower electricity use per room due to the higher
dividing factor. Compared to the number of people, the rate was the second lowest
of the four-year study period. The difference in room consumption between 2012
and 2013 was minimal, but the reduction in electricity use per room was much
lower, and this is due to the steep reduction in actual use and not in the occupancy
per se as evident in Figure 3.
98 Mearns and Boshoff
 Sustainable tourism indicators and environmental performance 99

Per room Per person Per room Per person

Mean 131.89 44.61

160.00 SD 6.54 2.88

140.00 n 4 4
120.00
100.00
KWh

80.00
60.00
40.00
20.00
0.00
2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 3: Per-room and per-person electricity consumption for the SCR from 2010 to 2013.
Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data.

Staff members use electricity for cooking and all home appliances. Hot water is
supplied in the Old Staff Village by boilers and the South Village was supplied
with electrical geysers prior to 2012, after which these were converted to solar
geysers. The Vacation Club refurbishment in 2012 and lighting replacements
across the resort added to the lower electricity demand. In terms of overall use, the
resort has decreased electricity use by 11 156 046 KWh per year (Figure 4). To
put this into perspective, it is equivalent to four times the annual electricity use of
the entire 380-room Cabanas. The annual SD is 6.54 kWh per room, which is a
4.9% change on the mean and 2.88 kWh per person, which is a 6.4% fluctuation
on the mean.
100 Mearns and Boshoff

Figure 4: The SCR: Total electricity consumption for the 2010 to 2013 study period.
Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data.

Liquid petroleum gas consumption

LPG is supplied by Afrox and delivered to four bulk tanks across the resort. The
Palace has one tank and there are two that supply the Entertainment Centre, the
Cascades Hotel and the Valley of Waves, and the last tank supplies Sun City Hotel
and the Cabanas. Each tank has a 23 000-litre capacity and may only be filled to
the 80% mark. LPG is used for cooking purposes only, which occurs in all hotel
kitchens and at the Valley of Waves and the Entertainment Centre. Staff villages
do not have gas infrastructure, but most employees utilise the canteens for daily
meals prepared with LPG. The on-site employees were therefore included in the
calculation due to their influence on the gas consumption rate. LPG consumption
increased slightly in 2011 due to higher individual visitor levels, but showed a
reduction from then onwards. The Entertainment Centre LPG lines were replaced
in 2012, which led to reduced gas leaks and possibly contributed to the savings
shown year-on-year (Figure 5).
 Sustainable tourism indicators and environmental performance 101

Figure 5: Total LPG for the SCR for the 2010 to 2013 study period.
Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data.

Minimal movement in the year-on-year per person rate is seen in Figure 6. The
room consumption rate increased slightly from 2010 to 2011, but returned to 2010
levels in 2013. The average use per room was 0.47Kg per room with a SD of 4.2%,
and the LPG kilogram per person rate was very low at 0.16kg per person and the
SD around 6.2% per year.

Per room Per person

Kg per room Kg per persoon

0.70 Mean 0.47 0.16

0.60 SD 0.02 0.01

0.50 n 4 4

0.40
Kg

0.30

0.20

0.10

0.00
2010 2011 2012 2013
-0.10
.
Figure 6: LPG consumption per room and per person for the SCR for the 2010 to 2013 study
period.
Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data.
102 Mearns and Boshoff

The LPG used compared to rooms sold and total individuals at the SCR are parallel
to each other. The volume of LPG used compared to the occupancy is negligible
and therefore had an insignificant impact on the per-person rates.

Fuel consumption
Numerous aspects contribute to fuel consumption at the SCR. Before 2012, the
SCR had an old bus fleet that experienced long periods of downtime. When a
change in management occurred in March 2012, changes were made to the
operations, and budgets were requested for replacement of the dilapidated bus
fleet; consequently, a very slight decrease in diesel consumption was noted (Figure
7). During a personal discussion with Willem van der Westhuizen (2015), the
transport accountant and store manager, he explained the situation as follows:

Many initiatives were implemented since 2012 to reduce the fuel consumption of
the vehicles. The old buses, some dating back to 1980s, were heavier on fuel
because old technology and age cause combustion to be less effective, thus
burning more fuel to perform the same task. Buses that stood in the workshop for
long periods in 2010–2011 also showed less fuel used, but to the discomfort of
guests. To improve on the guests’ experience, the old buses were replaced with
newer vehicles that are lighter on fuel. More mini-buses for guests were also
implemented. There was an increase in non-guest-related travel, such as staff
attending training courses, requiring transport. The aging fleet management
leases for non-guest vehicles are also reaching 10 years and the vehicles must be
replaced with vehicles that are more efficient on fuel.

Figure 7: Total diesel and petrol consumption for 2010 to 2013.

Source: Van der Westhuizen, 2015.
 Sustainable tourism indicators and environmental performance 103

Diesel consumption increased by 12.5% between 2010 and 2013 due to high levels
of bus breakdowns experienced prior to 2012, when the SCR started replacing the
bus fleet with new vehicles that experienced minimal breakdowns. This ensured
that higher levels of service could be rendered to guests and staff, but also means
more vehicles operating. Per-room and per-person rates all increased (Figure 8).

Per room Per Person l/room l/person

Mean 0.69 0.22

SD 0.06 0.01
0.80
N 4 4
0.70
0.60
0.50
Litres

0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 8: Diesel use per room and per person.
Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data.

Petrol consumption increased by only 4.8% between 2010 and 2013. The SD of
60 ml on the mean of 0.69 l per room, and 10 ml per person on the mean per year
of 0.22 l per person. The increased fleet of minibuses was responsible for the
higher petrol use (Figure 9).
104 Mearns and Boshoff

l/room l/person
Per room Per Person
Mean 0.46 0.15

0.60 SD 0.03 0.01

0.50 N 4 4

0.40
Litres

0.30

0.20

0.10

0.00
2010 2011 2012 2013
.
Figure 9: Petrol use per room and per person.
Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data.

The environmental benefits of using less fuel were weighed against the service
offered to guests and complaints received. It was decided to improve the guest
experience and get rid of equipment in disrepair. It is important to maintain a
balance between the environment, people and economic benefits of a business in
order to be sustainable. This is a good example of how the minimal impact on the
environment will improve guest and employee experience and potentially yield
more economic benefits, which would ensure the continued long-term existence
of the resort. This is evident in the standard deviation year on year of 30 ml of
petrol and 60 ml of diesel per person per day.

Coal consumption
Coal is used for hot-water boilers at Kwena Gardens for supply to breeding ponds.
The rate of use depends entirely on the weather. During cold winters the boilers
will consume up to eight times more coal than during peak summer. The data
supplied for 2010 was not accurate and was not included in the research (Figure
10).
 Sustainable tourism indicators and environmental performance 105

Figure 10: Total coal consumption for 2011 to 2013.

Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data.

The 2011 total consumption seems low (Figure 11), but it is due to the boilers not
being operational between August and November 2011. There also seems to be a
slight decline in total coal consumption between 2012 and 2013. The boiler plant
was decommissioned in February 2015 because the crocodile breeding programme
was stopped. The average coal use per room was 0.16 kg with an SD of 0.05 kg.
The coal use per person deviated by 0.02 kg per person and averaged at 0.06 kg
per person.

Kg/room Kg/person Kg/room Kg/person

0.35 Mean 0.16 0.06

0.30 SD 0.05 0.02

0.25 n 3 3

0.20
Kg

0.15

0.10

0.05

0.00
2011 2012 2013

Figure 11: Coal consumption per room and per person for 2011 to 2013.
Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data.
106 Mearns and Boshoff

Water consumption
The resort has an agreement with the local water supplier, Magalies Water, to use
a maximum of 11.6 Ml per day, although this volume is hardly ever necessary.
The only time during the year when the maximum is reached is during the Valley
of Waves shutdown, when 12.4 Ml of water for pools and water facilities are
required to refill them. The infrastructure manager informs Magalies Water in
advance of the dates when the water will be needed. When the pools are emptied
the water flows into the recreational lake with rainfall runoff collected in storm
water drains across the resort leading to the recreational lake, which acts as a
rainwater harvesting collection point. Water can be extracted from the recreational
lake to supplement the recycled wastewater irrigation on the golf courses if
needed.

The water use for each hotel includes usage of all facilities in and around the hotel.
Included in the meter reading is boiler and air-handling unit supply, food
preparation and cleaning water, drinking water, room and toilet use, staff toilet and
bathing water, garden irrigation, pool and water features and fresh-water lakes
around the hotel. In short, it is all the water used for any and every operation in
the hotel. In the study the consumption rates were also determined per room and
per person. However, it should be kept in mind that this is not the actual use of the
guests only, but all the water requirements in order to complement the guest
experience, as described above.

All the hotels have fitted low-flow shower heads in all the rooms and the staff
change rooms, which can reduce water usage by up to 50%. Dual flush systems
for the toilets were fitted in all hotels and staff change rooms. Aerators were also
fitted to taps to reduce the flow of water by mixing air into the water-stream. In
The Palace and the Cascades hotel kitchens water-purification plants were
installed to offer guests still and sparkling water in specially designed bottles from
filtered and purified municipal water. This is to offer guests odourless fresh water
in summer when municipal water often has a muddy odour. The irrigation system
on the Gary Player Country Club is fitted with rain sensors and sprinklers, which
are regularly reset to ensure that water lands on designated areas and not on the
roads or pathways. Both golf courses almost exclusively use treated effluent which
is recycled wastewater for irrigation.

Figure 12 represents the total water use for the entire resort between 2010 and
2013, and a slight decrease in the overall consumption is evident (linear trend line).
The average water consumption per year was 238 847 979 l and the standard
deviation year on year was 45 100 449 l. The readings are taken at the main water
feed from the municipality, and therefore include all water uses on the SCR. The
sharp drop in August 2012 was a result of fixing a massive leak in the Valley of
Waves which reduced the monthly consumption by around 50 million l (Figure
12). Most hotels also repair and maintain their pools once a year during the winter.
 Sustainable tourism indicators and environmental performance 107

During the study the average consumption was 238 million litres per month with
55 000 rooms sold and just over 168 000 people visiting the SCR, including guests,
day visitors and staff that reside on the resort. There is a link between the
consumption rates and the rooms occupied and the total number of individual
visitors to the SCR.

The average use per room was 4 343 litres and 1 420 litres per individual per day.
The SD on the room consumption rate was 400 litres and per person it was 129
litres, which is around 9% for both instances. This figure includes all irrigation,
the Valley of Waves, the Entertainment Centre, offices, support services and all
operations in the resort. The demand increased from 2011 to 2012 (Figure 13),
followed by a steep decline after various pipe breaks were fixed and water-saving
initiatives were implemented in 2012 and 2013.

Litre/room Litre/person
Litre/room Litre/person
Mean 4 343 1 420

6000 SD 400 129

5000 n 48 48

4000
Litres

3000

2000

1000

0
2010 2011 2012 2013
Figure 13: The SCR: Water consumption per room and per person during the 2010 to 2013 study
period.
Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data.

Although 36 739 fewer rooms were sold in 2013 compared to 2010, the water use
per room remained fairly constant. This is because the water consumption was
reduced by 183 million litres after 2010. The reduction in water consumption per
person took place although 31 912 more people visited the resort in 2013
compared to 2010.
108 Mearns and Boshoff
 Sustainable tourism indicators and environmental performance 109

Results

Energy consumption of the SCR

The SCR managed to reduce its energy consumption by 12.3% in 2013 from the
2010 base-line. The Palace showed a 3.5% increase in electricity from 2010 to
2013. The consumption went up in 2011 from added pump stations at around 8%,
but The Palace management and Green Team managed to reduce it by 4.6% in
2013 after replacing globes with energy-efficient alternatives and using electricity
wisely. Sun City Hotel and the Vacation Club showed the highest savings (Figure
14) mainly because of the fitment of energy-management sockets in the rooms that
are activated with key cards (Note: The total savings illustrated in Figure 14 does
not equal the cumulative savings of the accommodation units as the Valley of the
Waves and the Entertainment Centre are not illustrated here separately).

12

10

6
MWh

0
Resort The Palace Cascades Sun City The Cabanas Vacation
-2 Hotel Hotel Club

Figure 14: Resort and hotel electricity use savings in 2013 compared to 2010 baseline.
Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data.

When comparing the individual SCR accommodation units to international hotel

electricity use, it is seen that the SCR units managed to align well with the
published figures (see Table 2). All the energy use data had to be converted from
kilowatt hours to mega joules to facilitate international comparison.
110 Mearns and Boshoff

Table 2: Electricity use comparison between the SCR accommodation units and international
hotels (UNEP &UNWTO, 2012) (Results below illustrate variation for the 2010 to 2013 study
period); Conversion 1 KWh = 3.6 MJ.
SCR accommodation units MJ per person per day
The Palace: 5-star 303–385
Cascades Hotel: 5-star 172–200
Sun City Hotel and Casino: 5-star 267–338
The Cabanas: 3-star 49–66
Vacation Club 59–69
International hotels
5-star hotel, Oman 3 717
4-star hotel, Vietnam 288–853
Summer houses, Sweden 246
Holiday village, Germany 91
Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data.

The SCR global energy consumption mix per room and per person is shown in
Table 3. This includes all the energy types that people use when at the SCR. The
global energy use was divided by the guests, staff and day visitors to reach a 2013-
year total of 161.95 MJ per person.

Table 3: Summary of energy consumption mix (KWh and Mega joule) in 2013 for the SCR
Per room Per person Conversion rate
KWh MJ KWh MJ
Electricity 122.65 441.54 40.38 145.37 1 KWh = 3.6 MJ
LPG 0.45 10.49 0.15 3.50 1 L = 13.099 MJ
Diesel 0.72 25.85 0.23 8.26 1 L = 10.169 MJ
Petrol 0.49 15.78 0.15 4.83 1 L = 9.348 MJ
Coal 0.18 0.00432 0.06 0.00144 1 kg = 0.0078 MJ
Total 124.49 493.66 40.97 161.95
Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data.

When comparing the published global estimates as proposed by Gössling, Peeters,

Ceron, Dubois, Patterson and Richardson (2004) with the SCR results, it is slightly
higher than the stated estimates (Table 4). The energy use is expected to be higher
for a resort-based hotel like the SCR that relies on pump stations to pump its water,
wastewater treatment works for sewage treatment and a large bus fleet to transport
its guests and staff.
 Sustainable tourism indicators and environmental performance 111

Table 4: Global estimate averages (conservative)

(Source: Gössling et al., 2004)
Type of accommodation MJ
The SCR (whole resort) 161
Hotels 130
Self-catering 120
Camping 50
Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data.

Water consumption of the SCR

The resort managed to reduce its water consumption by 183 million litres (6.5%),
as can be seen when comparing the 2013 data to the 2010 baseline (Figure 15). It
is important to note that the water consumption increased from 2010 until it peaked
in 2012 at 3.16 billion litres per annum. When repairs to infrastructure that took
place and the implementation of water-saving initiatives, the resort managed to
reduce the demand by 525 million litres (18.4%). The Palace also managed to
reduce its demand by 76 million litres, while the water consumption at Sun City
Hotel, The Cabanas and Vacation Club has all increased. Compared to 2010, water
use at Sun City Hotel increased by 31 million litres by 2013 and at The Cabanas
by 56 million litres.

Figure 15: The SCR and hotel water savings in 2013 compared to 2010 baseline.
Source: Sun City Resort Environmental Department data.

The Vacation Club increased its water use by 22% over the four years. The
increase in potable water irrigation is largely responsible for the higher use. In
order to benchmark the water consumption of the SCR with other published results
water consumption benchmarks the water use data is tabulated in Table 5.
112 Mearns and Boshoff

Table 5: Water consumption of the SCR versus international hotel use

Type of accommodation or region Litres per person per day
Resort 1 298–1 600
The Palace 4 523–6 166
Sun City Hotel and Casino 441–572
The Cabanas 360–796
Vacation Club 389–616
International rates
Average tourist use 100–2 000
Zanzibar 685
Mediterranean 440–880
Thailand 913–3 423
Hong Kong 336–3 198
USA 282–787
Germany 90–900
Source: UNEP & UNWTO, 2012.

In comparing the SCR to international hotels (Table 5), most of the hotels are seen
to compare very well with global water consumption rates. An exception is The
Palace, which shows very high average water consumption results. The SCR
average, including a range of other non-hotel-related water uses falls within the
100 to 2 000 litres international average range.

Conclusions

The resort as a whole achieved excellent energy and water savings over the period
under review. After benchmarking the energy and water consumption results with
international benchmarks, it is clear that the SCR performs well. There is still
space for further improvement and management of energy and water consumption.
As a result of these findings, it can be confirmed that the SCR has performed well
to achieve resource consumption savings. The resort management is dedicated to
ensuring that the impact of the business on the environment is managed effectively
to achieve greater sustainability. This study provides important data with which
other mass tourism resorts can compare their results, thus facilitating
benchmarking within the southern African context. Many environmental
initiatives also have a financial saving, which is a good motivator for further
capital investment. A careful balance between the environmental, social and
economic sustainability has to be maintained in order to strive toward greater
overall sustainability of particularly mass tourism ventures such as the Sun City
Resort.
 Sustainable tourism indicators and environmental performance 113

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