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The purpose of this paper is to provide an exploratory review of how the global hotel industry publicly communicates its approach to sustainability.

The paper begins with an outline of the growing importance of sustainability within the hospitality industry and a short discussion of the characteristics of sustainability. The paper draws its empirical material from the most recent information on sustainability posted on the world's leading hotel chains' corporate websites.

The findings reveal that while there is considerable variation in the information the leading hotel chains provided publicly on their sustainability commitments and achievements, they embrace a wide range of environmental, social and economic issues. More critically, the authors argue that these commitments are driven more by the search for efficiency gains, that they are couched within existing business models centred on continuing growth, and that as such the global hotel industry is currently pursuing a “weak” rather than a “strong” model of sustainability.

The paper suggests that although the leading global hotel companies are well placed to take a leading role in promoting sustainability, they may need to extend their sustainability reporting and to introduce external assurance procedures.

The paper provides an accessible review of the sustainability agendas currently being pursued within the global hotel industry and as such it will interest academics, students and practitioners interested in both the hospitality industry and corporate sustainability strategies.

This study aims to provide a comprehensive treatment of the various issues surrounding the concept of the cost competitiveness, competitiveness and sustainability of the hospitality industry. We also investigate how innovations in the Indian hospitality industry can optimize costs without compromising the quality of the product or the services offered.

The methodology used is mainly survey-based with the use of both structured and unstructured questionnaires. In addition, some interviews were conducted with policy-makers and academics to explore from their perspectives what might be the innovations and sustainability issues in the next decade.

The paper helps to identify the essential aspects of cost competitiveness, competitiveness and sustainability in the hospitality industry and to better understand if cost optimization can be accomplished simply by realigning process or cost. These issues have become very important in India in the present context of globalization.

With growing competition on a global level, the hospitality industry needs to proactively manage its internal operations and focus on reducing costs and raising service quality. In this context, the paper helps to reveal sustainable cost effective practices that are geared to today’s competitive environment.

The inspiration to write this paper arises from the recent global economic slowdown and the fact that the hospitality industry is confronted with growing competition on a global level. This study highlights how value can be created for customers by applying suitable strategies.

In the context of heightened awareness and understanding of responsible tourism, it has become increasingly imperative for luxury hotels to introspect on the impact of their operations on environmental and social sustainability. This study aims at examining the prevalence and growth of sustainability practices in the Indian luxury hotel segment as it increasingly competes on a global platform.

The research approach adopted in this paper is qualitative and emic. Primary data is gathered for the study through semi-structured interviews with select luxury hotel general managers from four hotel chains of Indian origin – ITC Luxury Hotels, Oberoi Hotels and Resorts, Taj Hotels and Palaces and The Leela – to gain an insight into sustainability initiatives adopted in the Indian hospitality industry. Secondary research data regarding the eco-friendly, green measures implemented in these hotels is collected primarily from the websites of the respective hotel chains and supplemented by review of academic literature, media articles, industry reports and company press releases.

The findings of the study reveal that Indian luxury hotel brands are increasingly adopting green products and integrating innovative sustainability practices in their day-to-day operations. However, several of these initiatives are in the non-customer-facing domains such as the engineering and back-of-the-house operations. Very few Indian hotel chains are building these sustainability initiatives into their core philosophy and embedding it in the front-line customer service experience at their properties to reinforce the green image of the hotels.

The paper also proposes the 6Cs Framework of Sustainability that can be utilised to categorise the green sustainable practices adopted in responsible hotels in a simplistic manner under six broad verticals. Practitioners, researchers and educationists in the hospitality industry would find the implications of this study useful in the context of a post-pandemic world where sustainability is influencing consumer choices across industries in today’s eco-conscious and enlightened business and marketing environment.

The authors’ focus is on the way in which sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) discourses and practices emerge in the collaboration of multinational companies (MNCs) with the local hotels in developing country contexts. This paper aims to identify the prevailing institutional orders and logics that bring about CSR and sustainability discourse in tourism industry in Turkey. It also investigates how and to what extent the CSR and sustainability practices align with the local institutional logics and necessities.

Empirical evidence is generated through case studies covering Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. (Hilton), its Turkish subsidiary and a local hotel chain to ensure data triangulation. Primary data were collected through interviews with the executives of the selected case hotels, which was supported by extensive secondary data.

Some components of CSR and sustainability logics developed in the headquarters diffuse into local affiliate hotel, not all. Local affiliate hotels seek to acquire local legitimacy in their host environment, despite a standard format imposed by their headquarters. Local necessities and priorities translate themselves into such initiatives in a very limited way in the affiliates of the Hilton where there is mostly a top-down approach. Similar approach has also been observed in the case of the local hotel which is part of a family business group. Family’s values and family business headquarter shape the CSR and sustainability strategy and the logics reflecting the local component.

This paper addresses a theoretical and empirical gap by demonstrating the role of MNCs in the diffusion of sustainability and CSR practices, as acknowledged by Forcadell and Aracil (2017). The authors contribute to the critical writings about the positive impact of CSR and sustainability in the context of the MNCs and their subsidiaries, which is not substantiated due to limited empirical evidence. In addition to these contributions to the CSR and sustainability literatures in tourism and hospitality domains, the authors add to the institutional theory by demonstrating the link between institutional orders and institutional logics. They also show the multiplicity of logics that emanate from the differences of logics developed in the headquarters (centrally imposed) and local affiliate organizations (context-specific) and contribute to theory by highlighting tensions.

This study appeals to management teams and executives of hotels dealing with these issues of tailoring of CSR practices to local necessities. The authors do not only raise awareness of this consciousness but also demonstrate practical application of some of these strategies and prioritization by detecting market specificities and distinctive societal needs. Hotel managers should resist against the headquarter- or family business-driven uniform approach to CSR and sustainability and reflect on corporate policies through checking isomorphic tendencies. This entails being cognizant of local conditions and necessities and respond to them in a flexible and accommodating way. It involves engaging with a full spectrum of stakeholders, including the leadership in headquarters as well as local organizations (e.g. NGOs, suppliers, etc.) and other institutional forces (e.g. state) to align their sustainability and CSR practices with the locally dominant logics. Managers should be aware of certain logics governing CSR and sustainability practices; some of these logics might be constraining critical thinking and innovative practices.

Managers should be proactive in interpreting different institutional logics and process them through critical reflection and boundary spanning and mapping of new opportunities. Moreover, MNC hotel executives should be aware of the limitations of a blanket approach toward CSR and sustainability and increase their sensitivity toward local conditions.

Through this study, the authors are able to add further value to the critical writings about the positive contribution of CSR and sustainability in the context of the MNCs and their subsidiaries, which is not substantiated due to limited empirical evidence.

The purpose of this study is to discern the impacts of the hospitality industry on the global ecosystem and how sustainable learning can help strengthen the tourism and hospitality industry globally. Deployment of strategies such as change management is required, and in so doing, this is likely to have an impact on economic gain, society and the environment.

This is an exploratory study based on secondary data drawn from relevant books, articles, journals and online sources. The opinions of the key stakeholders are compiled and discussed to provide further guidance.

The results show that although there is a lot of variance in the information that hotel chains publicly disclose about their sustainability commitments and accomplishments, they are committed to a wide variety of environmental, social and economic issues. It also points to indicators that the global hotel industry is currently pursuing “weak” rather than “strong” practices of sustainability and that efficiency gains are framed within existing business models that focus on continued growth.

The study provides guidance for global hospitality chains given that they are well positioned to play a leading role in promoting sustainability. Yet more can be done to broaden sustainability and reporting in the context of an external assurance framework. The study should also be helpful to hospitality managers, students and academics with an interest in hospitality industry sustainable practices.

The study explores the challenges that industry faces in ensuring sustainability is embedded in all aspects of learning and in equipping sustainability-sensitive individuals to make a difference.

The purpose of this paper is to explore how effectively leading sustainable hotels have integrated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their reporting. The main aim is to pinpoint areas for improvement concerning SDG reporting which can help the hospitality industry to achieve a transformation in a more SDG-aligned global tourism system.

For this study, a content analysis technique was used to extract the information regarding strategic consistency of SDG reporting. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were applied to the analysis of this information. This paper seeks to assess the extent to which the materiality analysis, corporate targets and performance indicators defined by the world’s top sustainable hotels in their sustainability reports are consistent with those SDGs linked to the business. To that end, the authors have selected the most sustainable hotels according to the SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment in 2020.

The results of this study show that the most sustainable hotel companies did not take a strategic consistency approach when reporting the SDGs. These findings identify four areas for improvement concerning reporting, which may promote the adoption of a strategic and consistent approach in SDG reporting.

This study includes a set of recommendations to provide the market with complete, coherent and comparable information on their contribution to the SDGs and, therefore, foster collective learning to bring about sustainable tourism transformation.

This paper represents a contribution to the discussion on the strategic or symbolic implementation of SDGs at a corporate level. In addition, this paper reflects a deeper understanding of how hotel companies could improve their reporting and management system to contribute to SDGs.

The purpose of this commissioned paper is to offer some personal reflections on sustainability within the hospitality industry.

The paper opens by identifying sustainability as a teasing paradox for the hospitality industry and a short discussion of the characteristics of sustainability. It then explores the growing interest in corporate sustainability and offers a review of the range of academic research into sustainability within the hospitality industry literature. More generally, the authors suggest three fundamental sets of issues that currently face the industry, namely, defining sustainability within the industry, materiality and independent external assurance and sustainable consumption and the industry’s commitment to continuing economic growth.

In addressing these three sets of issues, the authors make a number of suggestions. First that definitions of sustainability within the hospitality industry can be interpreted as being constructed around business imperatives rather than an ongoing commitment to sustainability. Second that materiality and external assurance are not treated comprehensively within the industry, which undermines the credibility of the sustainability reporting process. Third that the concept of sustainable consumption and any critique of the industry’s commitment to economic growth are conspicuous by their absence in the both the research literature on sustainability and in sustainability reporting within the industry.

The paper suggests that the hospitality industry may need to examine how it defines sustainability, to extend its sustainability reporting to embrace materiality and external assurance and to address the issues of sustainable consumption and continuing economic growth if it is to demonstrate a worthwhile and enduring commitment to sustainability.

The paper provides some accessible personal reflections on sustainability within the hospitality industry and, as such, it will be of interest to academics, students and practitioners interested in the hospitality industry and more widely within the business and management community.

The aim is to provide insights on the inclusion of sustainability training during internship and the engagement of interns in the sustainability practices of the hotel. The paper investigates how aspects of knowledge and participation in sustainable practices can bring about a positive change in the industry's future and also aid in the creation of smart green leaders.

The paper utilizes qualitative research methodology and draws on in-depth interviews with students and learning and development managers using multiple sources of evidence to derive a holistic picture.

The paper aims to highlight the importance of incorporating sustainability training as an indispensable part of hotel internships. It also reveals the positive impact and long-term behavioural changes of students along with presenting strategies to create student stewards for sustainability.

The limitations of the study arise from its small sample size, which nonetheless generated some rich insights.

There has been much research in the area of hospitality internships, however, it has not been considered from the perspective of sustainability development or green internships. In this sense, the paper is novel as it challenges the traditional expectations of hospitality internships.

This paper aims to address the key sustainability issues in Canada's tourism and hospitality industry.

The foundation for this paper was laid during a well attended Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) roundtable discussion between industry leaders and hospitality educators in May 2012.

The paper provides valuable information on the concept of sustainable development and outlines key sustainability issues and trends in the Canadian tourism and hospitality industry. The umbrella organization for the hotel industry in Canada, the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC), collaborates with key stakeholders to find innovative and sustainable solutions to challenges the industry is facing. Top future trends are captured in the conclusion.

As the team of authors includes the president of the Hotel Association of Canada and a partner/Canada's national leader of the sustainability practice in the world's largest consulting firm, this paper will be of immense value to students, educators, researchers and industry leaders. Supports two innovative economic options to boost Canada's tourism marketing – reinvesting a portion of international visitor's GST and charging an international visitor arrival levy.

The paper draws on sustainability theories and best practices in Canada to explain the role of innovation in facing challenges in the tourism and hospitality industry in Canada. As the team of authors represents both the industry and academia, this paper will be of immense value to students, educators, and researchers, as well as practitioners.

A company's overall success and resilience in the market is increasingly linked to its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance. Following a brief review of sustainable development and corporate sustainability, the concept and rationale behind ESG is discussed with an emphasis on the criteria and limitations of ESG scores. ESG matters are mostly limited to global hotel chains but critical to an entire industry that seeks to decarbonize its operations until 2050 while also tackling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There is a potential misalignment of the ESG criteria to achieve the ambitious SDGs based on the narrow, environmentally based view on sustainability in the hotel sector. A set of recommendations is designed to align the SDGs to ESG requirements and expectations supported by industry examples within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and resiliency imperative.