The case study has been published in the book International Cases in Sustainable Travel & Tourism and can be purchased from Goodfellow Publishers. To receive an exclusive 10% discount on the book enter the code BESTENGP at checkout when buying directly from the Goodfellow Publishers website. Following the link you can access the free of charge Powerpoint presentation on Banyan Tree.

Synopsis and Leaning Outcomes

Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts (commonly known as "Banyan Tree") is a subsidiary of Banyan Tree Holdings Limited which has its global headquarters in Singapore. Since the inception of Banyan Tree in 1992, the company has received many prestigious awards and accolades for its leadership in sustainable practices. One of these awards was received in 2012 from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) recognising Banyan Tree as a pioneer in sustainable tourism development. Banyan Tree state that, “while we are honoured to receive these awards, they remain to us rewards not incentives.” Founded on the core value of driving sustainable development, the company seeks to be an agent of social and economic development through responsible tourism. Environmental conservation is a top priority in the development of the company’s resorts. Banyan Tree has boutique hotels, resorts, and spas across six continents. This case presents information on the environmental initiatives implemented at the first integrated resort in Asia, Laguna Phuket, under the visionary guidance of co-founder and Executive Chairman, Mr Ho Kwon-Ping.

The purpose of the case study is to provide a platform for developing an understanding of entrepreneurial strategic sustainable development in the hotel industry. The concepts of entrepreneurship, core values, sustainability, corporate social responsibility and corporate shared value are demonstrated by Banyan Tree's development of Laguna Phuket in Bang Tao Bay, Thailand. The issue of environmentally ravaged land being developed into an exemplary model of sustainable tourism development is demonstrated in the case. Best practices developed at this first initiative can be seen as impacting future developments and the daily operations of all Banyan Tree properties.

After exploring this case study, learners should be able to:

1. define entrepreneurship and discuss its role in the sustainable development at Bang Tao Bay;
2. list and explain sustainable practices taken by Banyan Tree at the micro, meso and macro levels of the Laguna Phuket development at Bang Tao Bay;
3. discuss the relationship of Banyan Tree's core values with their co-founders, Mr Ho Kwon-Ping and Ms Claire Chiang;
4. describe the role of strategic sustainable decision making at the Bang Tao Bay development;
5. list best practices developed at Laguna Phuket and discuss how they have impacted future Banyan Tree developments; and
6. define corporate social responsibility and corporate shared value. Discuss their impact on Banyan Tree's sustainable development policies, procedures and daily operations at their properties.