Direct or indirect energy savings in food and beverage services? Visitors' preferences in hotel restaurants

Food processing in hotels is one of most energy-intensive activities in the tourism industry. There is an urgent need to reduce energy consumption in hotels to limit their environmental impact. This research aims to assess tourists' preferences for the provision of food that require low energy preparation and to compare them with tourists' preferences for other indirect energy saving options. A quantitative survey with 944 tourists visiting six tourist sites across the Czech Republic was used for primary data collection. Data were analyzed using linear regression models. Our findings signal that direct energy savings tend to be perceived differentially and surprisingly as the least preferred option among tourists. Those who support direct energy savings in food processing are rather older respondents and also respondents who declare stronger pro-environmental everyday behaviour and subjective norms. We claim that as tourists show highly diverse preferences for various ways of energy savings, we need to ensure that multiple energy saving options are offered so that tourists contribute to reducing the ecological footprint of hotels. At the same time, it has to be highlighted that only few surveyed tourists voluntarily accepted reduction of comfort in the food and beverage provision. There is room for many technological and social innovations and raising environmental awareness among tourists to overcome this contradiction.

Liberalization and integration of drug distribution in the EU 28 and Norway

The pharmaceutical distribution system in Europe is undergoing a long-term change. Wholesale companies join together to form both horizontally and vertically integrated structures. Pharmacies, formerly owned almost exclusively by pharmacists, are becoming part of the chain thanks to the liberalization of operating conditions. Chains are expanding successfully due to economies of scale and purchasing power for negotiation with suppliers. Independent pharmacies are becoming part of virtual chains to better compete with chains. An assortment previously reserved to pharmacies is also marketed in food stores or gas pumps due to legislative changes. E-pharmacies and e-shops compete in the area of over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and the complementary range of pharmacies. The paper describes systems of pharmaceutical distribution and their specifics in individual EU countries and Norway. In eight EU countries, the legislative framework does not allow the formation of pharmacy chains. More than 50% of public pharmacies are integrated into chains in six member states. A question remains concerning the influence of these different approaches to market regulation and thus different functioning of the market on the availability of pharmaceuticals for customers and also on the total costs of the pharmaceutical distribution system. Key words: pharmaceutical distribution • community pharmacy • EU28 • liberalization • integration.