Sustainability and Responsibility Case Study Report

This report discusses the internal analysis of Hays Travels, on the basis of the set of resources that will provide sustainable competitive advantage to the organization. Also, VRIO analysis is provided in accordance to the resources used by the company. The weaknesses that limit the organization from becoming a CSR leader are also mentioned below. Then the PESTEL analysis is done of the organization to identify the potential opportunities and threats regarding the sustainability and responsibility strategies going on in the organization. Also, the report provides an aggressive strategy to precisely establish Hay travels as a leader in corporate social responsibility or in the sector of sustainability. Lastly, a defensive strategy is established which focuses on addressing the weaknesses and avoiding the threats.

SUSTAINABILITY AND
RESPONSIBILITY CASE
STUDY REPORT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Internal analysis...........................................................................................................................3
Pestle analysis in the context of the “Hay travels”:.....................................................................7
Sustainable competitive advantages for the company “ Hay travels”:........................................9
Threats impacting the business and strategy to overcome threats faced by the firm:................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Tourism industry has evolved a lot throughout the years. It has grown immensely as the
people are more interested and inclined towards travelling and also are financially stable to bear
the expenses. But as the society is changing and people are interested in travelling but not on the
cost of harming the environment (Budeanu. and et.al., 2016). Hence, the major issue in the world
in current times is also applicable to travel and tourism, that is the movement of the society
towards sustainability. This report basically discusses the internal analysis of Hays Travels, on
the basis of the set of resources that will provide sustainable competitive advantage to the
organization. Also, VRIO analysis is provided in accordance to the resources used by the
company. The weaknesses that limit the organization from becoming a CSR leader are also
mentioned below. Then the PESTEL analysis is done of the organization to identify the potential
opportunities and threats regarding the sustainability and responsibility strategies going on in the
organization. Also, the report provides an aggressive strategy to precisely establish Hay travels
as a leader in corporate social responsibility or in the sector of sustainability. Lastly, a defensive
strategy is established which focuses on addressing the weaknesses and avoiding the threats.
MAIN BODY
Internal analysis
Hays Travels
Hays travel limited is a UK based organization. It is a chain of independent travel agency that
has its headquarters in Sunderland, England. The company ranks in the first position regarding
the number of shops present in the United Kingdom. The company was founded in the year

1980. The company is an independent tour agent, hence, it collaborates with other tour operators
present in the UK. It is present in more than 470 locations and has around 450 branches. Hays
travels provides travelling experiences across a number of countries including, Spain, Portugal,
Turkey, Malta, Greece and many more countries.
Resources required for sustainable competitive advantage
There are many other travel agencies providing the best services throughout UK
(Higgins-Desbiolles., 2018). The main resources that are required in the tourism industry by a
company for enhancement of its sustainable competitive advantage over its competitors present
within the industry are the access to places that have natural as well as cultural resources or
tourist locations. Moreover, providing of services that are sustainable for the environment in the
tourist places too, like accommodation services, food or catering services, transportation
services, etc.
The major set of resources that are required for the purpose of developing and maintaining a
sustainable competitive advantage for the company are stated further. For sustainable tourism the
natural as well as cultural tourist locations or areas need to be conserved and developed
(Streimikiene. and et.al., 2021). Hence, for the company to get a sustainable competitive
advantage the company firstly has to provide travel packages to the countries that believe in
developing and maintaining sustainable tourism. Which means countries that have natural and
cultural tourism locations need to be the main priority for providing packages by the company,

for which the company requires efficient and proficient human resource, for evaluation of such
places.
Also, as the company is a travel agency which provides the overall tor packages to its customers,
it is required that the company partners with only those accommodation places that are
sustainable which means provide services that are not harmful for the environment in any way,
for this company requires efficient capital and connection with sustainable and responsible
partners. Through this people will be more motivated towards the concept of sustainability after
visiting such locations. Not only accommodation should be focused upon rather factors like
catering services in which food facilities that are sustainable should be available, transport
services which need to more environment friendly and activities like planting need to be done
during the trip to increase the inclination of the customers or tourists towards sustainability.
VRIO analysis
This analysis precisely focuses on how the resources that are implemented by the
company are valuable, rare, inimitable by any other competitors and organized (古古古古, 2019).

Valuable
Any resource that improves effectiveness and efficiency of the company is valuable resource for
the company in particular. In the case of Hays travels the company, the company is focusing on
making people travel to places that have sustainable tourism locations, which will enhance the
business and economy of the country and also customers will get more motivated towards
sustainability.
Rare
A lot of travel companies might be providing travelling options to the places that have
sustainable tourism, but Hays travels not only provides travelling to a sustainable location but
also provides services that are sustainable, like, accommodation, catering, transport, etc.
Inimitable
Any travel agency can start doing so, hence, this ability of the company is able to be imitated by
other companies too.
Organized
Through employment of efficient and proficient human resource and dividing tasks,
responsibilities and roles among them, the working of the company will in turn become more
organized.
Weaknesses
The major issue or problem that the company will face and will come as a huge barrier in
its goal of getting sustainable competitive advantage and become a leader in corporate social
responsibility is the budget and time required (Carr. Ruhanen. and Whitford., 2016). Mainly, the
sustainability is something that can be achieved by the people who financially sound and stable,
because opting for a holiday package that offers sustainable concepts can be expensive for many
people. Hence, rather than that they will opt for something else, which will reduce the target

audience of the company. Also, for partnering with sustainable companies, Hays travels will
require a big investment. Hence, the concept will not be the most cost-efficient. Also, hiring of
human resources will also increase the costing.
The process of evaluation of the locations, hiring efficient and proficient personnels, finding the
most suitable and appropriate partnering companies in different locations can be extremely time-
consuming. Which can also be a major hindrance in the revenue generation and working of the
company overall.
Pestle analysis in the context of the “Hay travels”:
Impact of external factors faced by the organization in the tourism industry are stated as below:
 Political factors: The various political factors that influence the tourism industry are
open borders for the foreigners by making it easier to travel. The other factor influencing
the industry are government stability and tax incentive for the company's operations.

Political support and stability is the major and key factor for the success of the tourism
company (Zahari, and Romli, 2019). Tax incentive in the different countries help the
tourist industry company to claim up the tax refund on many of the purchase made
during the trip. This one is also a major key factor that impact the tourism industry.
 Economic factors: The different economic that impacts the operations of the “Hay
travels” are rise of disposable incomes and sharing economies. The rising disposable
income with the rising economy helps individuals to earn more and this works clearly as
a positive factor for the company like hay travel. The another factor of shared economies
help the organization as the services like Uber and airbnb offers reliable ways for the
tourists to go around the world and explore the new things in reasonable rates and thus
the shared economy made the travelling easier and accessible.
 Social factors: The social factors influencing the organization are social pressure and
racial acceptance. Travelling is taking over the rage on the social media as the
individuals use this to impress other by growing up their online presence. This may work
as a positive factor but it may not lead towards the sustainable growth if the individuals
move away from the use of social media. The second factor racial acceptance help the
organization as peoples around the word are accepting other races and religion and this
does not cause targeted obsolescence based on the faith, skin colours and other various
factors this will also work as the positive factor for the organization and for the whole
industry.
 Technological factors: the most important and the biggest tech factor that influences the
tourism industry and the business operations of the “Hay travels” is the better
transportation facilities (Pan, and et.al, 2018). With the advancements in the technology
not only travellers have the more options but the invention of planes made it easier and
cheaper to travel around the world. Also, travelling by the bus and trains are easier
compared to the previous years, and they provide with the proper facilities like the
charging ports and the Wi-Fi connections.
 Legal factors: the legal framework that impacts the tourism industry and the “hay
travels” are the changes in the rules and regulations made by the government in a
country may impact the tourism because tourists will find it hard to travel according to
the rules abiding the tourist industry (Jaaron, and et.al, 2021). The other legal factor that

impact the organization is the travelling loans as many of the company provide with the
loans to travel as it boosts up the economy of the country and provides with the different
business ideas and results in a positive factor for the company to grow,
 Environmental factors: the environmental factors impacting the business of the firm
are transport pollution and tourist negligence (Higgins-Desbiolles, 2018). The pollution
created by the transportation in the cities impacts the tourism a lot and in addition to the
pollution the tourist negligence is another factor that impact the business a lot as it will
pollute things on the global level causing less respectfulness and contamination for the
destination. The pollution in such situation of emission of the harmful gases may lead to
the global warming.
Sustainable competitive advantages for the company “ Hay travels”:
 Proficient and efficient employment opportunities: the employment in the firm can be
increased by using following factors that influences under the organizational
requirements like: matching the tasks to skills by knowing the abilities and competency
of the individuals, by communicating effectively as communication works as the key
factor for the productive workforce in the organization, and the workforce can be
developed by keeping goals clear to the peoples working in the organization and
maintaining their focus towards the tasks allotted to them and the other way to encourage
employees by providing them with the incentives and giving them reason to work (Kuhn,
and et.al, 2018).
 Good partnering companies: the firm can develop its business in a well organized
sustainable way by partnering with a good fellow company and it will provide the
company with en numbers of benefits like business will establish in better ways, more of

the capital will be available for the business, better capacity to be in the competitive run,
and the firm can also establish the partnership with the high-calibre employees. The
involvement of the two heads to run the business will be easier as compared to one head
in business (Vigo, and et.al, 2019).
Threats impacting the business and strategy to overcome threats faced by the firm:
The threats that impacted the tourism industry are the natural disasters, political unrest, terrorist
attacks and the most vulnerable threat that impacted not only tourism industry but all the
industries in the working sector are the impact of the corona-virus. It impacted the tourism
industry heavily and posed the industry with heavy losses and many businesses faced out the
condition under which they winded up the businesses. The firm can use the strategy to promote
and save its sustainable tourism by avoiding the international flights, going green in the local
region, by spreading the awareness about the sustainable tourism, also by supporting the local
business like restaurants and raw material suppliers. The organization can also help the business
by supporting the conflict for the illegal trades also by giving the chance to locals in the
employment opportunities as the local colleagues can help the firm to grow its business by
creating a brand image in the local boundaries. Thus, by growing the business in the local
boundaries may provide the business to develop good revenues to overcome the threats faced in
the hard times by the organization.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Budeanu, A. and et.al., 2016. Sustainable tourism, progress, challenges and opportunities: an
introduction. Journal of Cleaner Production. 111. pp.285-294.
Carr, A., Ruhanen, L. and Whitford, M., 2016. Indigenous peoples and tourism: the challenges
and opportunities for sustainable tourism. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 24(8-9).
pp.1067-1079.
Higgins-Desbiolles, F., 2018. Sustainable tourism: Sustaining tourism or something more?.
Tourism management perspectives. 25, pp.157-160.
Higgins-Desbiolles, F., 2018. Sustainable tourism: Sustaining tourism or something more?.
Tourism management perspectives. 25. pp.157-160.
Jaaron, A.A., and et.al, 2021. Systems thinking to facilitate “double loop” learning in tourism
industry: a COVID-19 response strategy. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, pp.1-19.
Kuhn, S., and et.al, 2018. World employment social outlook: Trends 2018. Geneva: ILO.
Pan, S.Y., and et.al, 2018. Advances and challenges in sustainable tourism toward a green
economy. Science of the total environment. 635, pp.452-469.
Streimikiene, D. and et.al., 2021. Sustainable tourism development and competitiveness: The
systematic literature review. Sustainable development. 29(1). pp.259-271.
Vigo, D.V., and et.al, 2019. A partnership for transforming mental health globally. The Lancet
Psychiatry. 6(4), pp.350-356.
Zahari, A.R. and Romli, F.I., 2019. Analysis of suborbital flight operation using PESTLE.
Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics. 192, p.104901.
古古古古, 2019. < 古古> 古古古古 VRIO 古古. 商商商商. 66(1). pp.113-128.
Online
https://www.coventrycitycentre.co.uk/directory/shop/hays-travel/
https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2018/06/29/use-technology-for-more-sustainable-tourism-
management/
https://thedope.news/what-is-rewilding-heres-how-it-can-help-sustainable-tourism/amp/
https://www.business-to-you.com/vrio-from-firm-resources-to-competitive-advantage/
https://prosancons.com/business/pros-and-cons-of-ecotourism/