Sustainable and Responsible Management in Tourism (Distinction Criteria)

This report covers sustainable and responsible management in tourism businesses, principles of sustainable tourism, theories of sustainability, and innovative ideas and skills for sustainable tourism. It discusses the impact of tourism organizations on external environment, culture, and society, and emphasizes the need for sustainable and conservative use of resources. The report also covers the Triple Bottom Line model of sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Stakeholder Theory. Examples of sustainable practices in the hospitality industry are provided throughout the report.

Sustainable and
Responsible
Management in
Tourism

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK ..............................................................................................................................................3
Sustainable and Responsible management for Tourism businesses.......................................3
Principles of Sustainable Tourism..........................................................................................4
Theories of Sustainability for Tourism businesses.................................................................5
Corporate Social Responsibility........................................................................................6
Stakeholder Theory ...........................................................................................................6
Triple Bottom Line model of Sustainability .....................................................................7
Innovative ideas and skills for sustainable Tourism...............................................................8
Innovative ideas.................................................................................................................8
Skills................................................................................................................................10
Tourism Development and Business practices.....................................................................10
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Sustainable and responsible management refers to the management of the impact of
business organizations on external environment, culture and society. It involves execution of the
business activities in such manner so as to leave a positive impact on cultural, Environmental and
social practices. According to Farley and Smith (2020), sustainability is used to describe the
actions that considers social, economic or environmental impacts of the business with
environmental dimension incorporated into decision-making. In context with hospitality industry
that consists of Travel and Tour businesses, Destination based travel organizations, hotels,
accommodations, airline businesses and tour airports etc. , sustainable management is a crucial
aspect as it is the core responsibility of these organizations to not leave any negative impact on
their outside environment and culture, wildlife and natural resources (Yu and Spencer, 2022).
The tourism businesses, travel destinations and hotel accommodations must be able to create
socio-economic benefits for their local communities and must promote the local culture. The
airline businesses must ensure less emission of carbon to ensure sustainability. The following
report will cover the concepts, principles and theories of sustainable management in relation with
hospitality industry i.e. Tourism businesses and Travel destinations, accommodations etc. in UK
taking multiple examples from various businesses of hospitality industry. This report will also
cover the innovative ideas and skills in management of tourism organizations to ensure
sustainability. Further, it will also cover appraisal of tourism development and business
practices.
TASK
Sustainable and Responsible management for Tourism businesses
Hospitality industry is one of the biggest and most contributing sector to the economy in
the world. Responsible tourism states about the impact of Tourism organizations on individuals,
culture, communities, environment, society and economy as well. Sustainable and responsible
management tells to fulfil the needs and desires of tourists while considering the needs of future
generation and existing environment as well (Coghlan, Becken and Warren, 2022). The factors
such as Eco-Tourism, Environmental-friendly tourism and Responsible tourism fall under this
concept. It put emphasis on utilising the environmental resources in a conservative way while
considering the needs of future generation and providing value to the socio-culture of host

communities and making contributions to inter-cultural understanding (Suluo and Anderson,
2022). For example, Four seasons hotel is a UK based hotel brand in London. Its responsible
management includes minimising the food and beverages wastage. The company transfers the
food waste in the biomass fuel and fertilizers and always recycles its coffee disposals so as to
ensure sustainable responsibility. Its sustainable policy also includes sending cooking oil to the
suppliers for converting it onto biofuel. It also provides competitive advantage and governmental
support to the company for raising their concerns for the environment. Hotel Four seasons does
not send its general waste to the landfills and utilises it for the production of energy. The hotel
uses non-plastic straws in all its outlets. As a measure towards protecting the wildlife, this hotel
has also banned the endangered species for all its menus.
Principles of Sustainable Tourism
In context with sustainable and responsible management in tourism and travel industry,
principles of sustainable tourism are explained as under :
 Sustainable use of resources : The Travel and Tourism businesses must raise their
concern for sustainable and conservative use of resources like cultural, natural as well as
social resources. The companies that raise their concerns for cultural conservation and
environmental sustainability enjoy good brand image in the hospitality industry and also
benefited by governmental support (Koens and Klijs, 2022). An example of sustainable
use of resources is Edinburgh (a capital city in Scotland, UK). The destination ensures
sustainable use of resources in terms of more renewable energy withn renewable energy
technologies contributing to almost 40% of energy consumed in the city.
 Involving local communities : The Tourism and Travel destinations must promote the
local culture to attract the tourists to visit the travel destinations. They must involve the
local communities in the tourism businesses and must conserve the cultural heritage. For
example, Edinburgh is also engaging the communities to ensure sustainable development
of the city. According to Andrew burns, the Councillor of Edinburgh, efforts are being
made to improve the quality of life of the communities living there. The policy
framework has been set to govern all the activities to address the issue of climate change
as well for improved lifestyle of the communities.
 Conservation of local heritage : The Tourism businesses must conserve the local
cultural heritage by promoting the culture among the Tourists as it will provide

competitive benefits not only to the organizations but also improve the quality of tourists
by attracting them for the unique and local culture followed at the travel destination
(Agbo, 2022). For example, Bath is a famous city in England best known as world
Heritage site. The city promotes the local culture and traditions by offering the cultural
food and parks. Famous for its traditional bath in arts, this destination attracts the tourists
from worldwide.
 Minimising over consumption : The Tourism businesses must put emphasis on reducing
the over consumption of natural resources , energy to eliminate the costs of restoring the
long-term environmental damage and make contribution towards sustainable tourism .For
example, London is the most eco-friendly city with almost 33% renewable energy
production. The hotel businesses and travel attractions in London like The Tower of
London, Chatsworth house etc. ensure energy and water conservation.
 Supporting local economies : The Tourism industry in UK is the most contributing
sector to its economy. It brings foreign capital in the country and create employment
opportunities at the fields like accommodation, restaurants, visiting destinations etc. For
example Hilton Hotels is a luxurious hotel chain and offer products and services for for
leisure as well as business travellers that eventually adds to the economy of the nation.
The hotel contributes to the local as well as global economy by its luxurious services of
accommodation as well as food & beverages.
 Marketing Tourism : Marketing tourism is an essential concept that focuses on ensuring
viable destinations to the tourists that make contributions to the economic development
and growth. Tourism businesses attract the tourists by ensuring and demonstrating their
sustainable programmes to demonstrate a better brand image by their concern towards the
environment (Gunawan and et. al., 2022). For example, the tourism businesses like
Hilton Hotels, four seasons hotels and royal botanic garden etc. of famous destinations
such as London, Bath etc. demonstrate their sustainability concerns over their respective
websites to attract the visitors and tourists.
Theories of Sustainability for Tourism businesses
To facilitate and promote sustainable tourism, businesses follow the theories of
sustainability management. In the hospitality industry, the sustainability theories has a major
significance so as to ensure their positive impact on the culture, environment and economy. In

context with hospitality industry, the theories of sustainable and responsible management are as
follows :
Corporate Social Responsibility
CSR is a welfare activity adopted by the business organizations to ensure sustainability of
environment and to ensure welfare of the culture, society and economy as well. The author
Howard R. Bowen , who is considered as the father of corporate social responsibility, gave the
definition of CSR in the year 1953 as “the responsibilities and obligations of the business to
pursue those policies , make such decisions and adopt those practices that are in interest of
society's goals and values”(Social responsibilities of the businessman, 2022). It is a management
concept that combines the social and environmental concerns of the businesses in conducting the
operational activities and in interacting with the stakeholders (Fernando and Sutha, 2022). In
context with hospitality industry, the CSR practices include to ensure positive affect on the
environment and avoid over consumption of resources and eliminate the impact of effluents on
the environment. In Sustainable tourism, CSR refers to the practices that the businesses can
execute to ensure involvement in the philanthropic activities to facilitate benefit to the society
(Douvis and Kyriakis, 2022). For example, Easy Jet , a multinational company and an airline
business in London, UK , also takes the CSR initiatives by ensuring environmental sustainability
in terms of using e-papers to avoid wastage and also ensuring low carbon emissions from its
aircrafts. As part of its sustainable and responsible management, it is introducing electric
aircrafts to make it a carbon free aircraft company. The company is making efforts to minimise
the consumption of plastics and other wastes in the supply chain. Apart from this, the company is
also focusing on using fuel effective fleets for its aircrafts.
Stakeholder Theory
This theory of sustainability states to ensure the welfare of the stakeholders of the
business organizations. In context with the hospitality industry and Tourism and travel
businesses, the stakeholders include Tourists, local community members, staff members,
government, NGOs and some other groups associated with the organization (Potter, 2022). It put
emphasis in the interdependency of the organization with the society and mainly focuses on
adding value to the stakeholders of the organization. The stakeholders consisting of local

councils facilitate the tourism business in promoting local tourist attractions , in providing
infrastructure services and in managing the impacts of tourism as well. For example, Hilton
Hotels provide good working conditions for its staff members at the restaurants and in the
accommodation as well. Its stakeholders include team members, guests, owners and government.
The company gets governmental support in the form of relaxations in tax payments and in
subsidies etc. by taking initiatives for social welfare activities and by raising concerns for its
positive impact on the environment.
Triple Bottom Line model of Sustainability
It is a framework that is used by the businesses to evaluate the profits they are making by
their corporate sustainability solutions. This framework states to consider the profitability
beyond the conventional bottom line of business in terms of social, environmental, and economic
concerns(Bethem, 2022). This model is used to measure the sustainability of the business and its
impact on the probability. According to Singh and Srivastava (2021), the TBL sustainability
framework identifies the key enablers for each dimension of TBL sustainability i.e. social,
environmental and economical. It identifies the cross-dimensional interactions under each TBL
dimension and facilitates by developing a decision support framework (DSF) for the evaluation
of TBL sustainability practices and policies. This system contains three parts or dimensions that
are listed below -
 Social Sustainability – The social bottom line evaluates the profits of business in human
capital including the position of business with the local society. And the social bottom
line can be increased by adopting fair labour practices and by corporate social
responsibility through community involvement. It can include the participation of
businesses in supporting the local initiatives and ensure the growth of overall
sustainability of the community. For example, London is ranked as the most sustainable
city in the world. It ensures tourist attractions, and provides ease in doing business with
multiculturalism that combinely contribute to its success. The city has more than 3000
social parks and green spaces.
 Environmental Sustainability – It states to control the Environment bottom line i.e. to
manage , monitor and report the consumption, waste and emissions. It requires businesses
to ensure environment sustainability by ensuring waste reduction and green policies.

Measuring the environment bottom line can include the renewable energy use and energy
consumption, the reduction in carbon emissions, recycling of materials etc. For example,
Edinburgh, UK is one of the most sustainable cities on earth in terms of economic output,
green credentials and social mobility. The Edinburgh leisure sustainability team had
developed the green objectives to improve its environmental impact by reducing CO2
emissions by 5 % each year and diversion of 80% waste from the landfills.
 Economic Sustainability – The Economic sustainability in the Triple bottom line model
can be measured in terms of the impact that the business has on its economic
environment. The hospitality businesses must be able to contribute the economy. It can
ensure economic sustainability if it is able to pay employees enough to ensure economic
growth, choose the material that are good investment economically, buy the chemical
products that produce low emissions etc. For example , Manchester , England is the first
industrialised city of world. This destination contributes a fine percentage to the UK
economy. It had also showed the effective growth in business stock and ranked as the
beta world city by the Globalization and world cities Research network.
Innovative ideas and skills for sustainable Tourism
Innovation creates changes and renewals in the way of conducting activities, the process
of organizations and in the products and services as well. In tourism, it is a collaborative action
of government and corporations. Sustainable innovation in the tourism businesses ensures
cleaner, healthier, fairer , stable and sustainable world. By sustainable innovation, the companies
can produce and offer novel products and services that will directly contribute to sustainable
management in the organization (Muisyo and et. al., 2022). For Example, a UK based company
created an eco-friendly biofuel by the coffee waste to facilitate Power London's double decker
buses. In context with hospitality industry, the businesses must apply the following innovative
strategies or ideas and skills to ensure sustainability in Tourism businesses :
Innovative ideas
 Introducing Electric Transport : This innovative idea is particularly for airline
businesses in the hospitality industry. This innovative idea is for developing the aircrafts
in electrical way to reduce the carbon emissions from the fuel based aircrafts. So it is
advised to airline businesses to produce electric aircrafts to ensure sustainability. For

example, Easy Jet is taking initiatives for introducing electric aircrafts to make the
company a carbon free aircraft company.
 Energy Storage : Energy storage helps in saving the electricity for further use that
facilitates in efficiencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In the Tourism industry, the
companies must ensure this concept to facilitate energy conservation. For example, Four
Seasons hotel uses the general waste to produce energy. The company also applies the
strategy of shutting down the electrical appliances and lighting after 20 minutes when not
in use.
 Carbon offsetting : This is a tool that is used by the tourism businesses to avoid the
impact of climate change. It helps in the carbon emission reduction and emissions of
other greenhouse gases. The tourists are also showing concerns for environment
sustainability, companies must ensure carbon offsetting (Booyens and et. al., 2022). For
example, Jet 2 Airways, an airline business company in UK , is taking initiatives for
becoming carbon neutral company in 2022. it is taking initiatives for low greenhouse gas
emissions and decarbonization as well.
 Plastic Recycling : It is imperative for the Tourism businesses to ensure plastic recycling
to ensure environment sustainability and protect the social environment. Particularly in
the hotel and restaurants such as Four Seasons hotel ensures that the plastic free coffee
capsules are recycled regularly. The company also sends the already used toner cartridges
to to the charity for use after recycling and conversion into new cartridges. Also, the
company is using reusable coasters in all its outlets. The Jet 2 airways is also taking
initiatives for the reduction in single-use plastics by 80 %.
 Virtual Reality Tour : The Travel and Tourism companies must utilise the virtual reality
by demonstrating and providing a view of destinations to the travellers and tourists. They
should also show their sustainable practices by conducting a virtual tour for them. For
example, Chatsworth house conducts virtual tour for inviting tourists by displaying its
sustainable practices and historic culture at art gallery, entertainment park and by
ensuring protection of wildlife through the farmyard. It will provide sustainable
innovative advantage to the Tourism Businesses.
 Emerging Technology : The emerging technology such as adoption of smart speakers in
hotel, events and tours of virtual reality, methods of check in etc. are some of the

innovations in the Tourism industry. The technologies such as carbon capture and storage
systems to avoid the carbon emissions can be used by the businesses (Fuxman and et. al.,
2022). For example, For its initiative for making the company a carbon free aircraft
company, Easy Jet can use this technology as an innovation towards sustainable
management.
Skills
To ensure sustainability management in the organizations, the tourism businesses can
apply the following mentioned skills :
 Relating the people form different cultures : The personnel at the tourist destinations
belong to different cultures and backgrounds and they need to manage the tourists fro
different cultures of different countries. The tourism companies must respect the culture
followed by the tourists and must add value to their cultural at the destination sites. The
companies must be able to develop the skills of collaboration among its staff members at
destinations or accommodations to relate and manage the different cultures and
backgrounds.
 Strong Work Ethic : The hospitality businesses must ensure strong ethical practices in
the organizations. Such as in the restaurants and accommodation, the personnel must be
collaborative and the company must create a positive working environment by ensuring
employee well-being and by ensuring collaboration among the diversified workforce. The
culture and values of every individual must be respected.
Tourism Development and Business practices
Tourism development is the process of establishing and developing the tourism industry
in a particular location. It involves developing the strategies and plans to develop and encourage
tourism in a particular destination. The businesses have opportunity to enter in the Tourism
business as it is a profitable sector that have no constraints for growth and have few barriers in
the respective market (SAKS, EREN and BAYRAM, 2022). Tourism The government
encourages the business to enter in Tourism sector as it is the most contributing industry to the
local as well as global economy. The tourism contributes to the national economy of a particular
economy by bringing foreign capital and by creating employment opportunities as well. Also, the
Tourism industry ensures cultural exchange among the foreigners and residents of a specific

destination site by the tourist visits on different destination sites. But, Tourism is a crucial
contributor to greenhouse gas emission in the atmosphere that is the key reason for the increment
in global temperatures and changing climates. By considering these impacts, companies are
taking steps for sustainable tourism and contributing the environment and society by ensuring
sustainable management. So, the hospitality industry or the Tourism business boosts the
revenues of an economy. The tourism business has helped in preserving the cultural heritage in
promoting the local communities and also increasing the understanding of other cultures as well.
The business practices in Tourism businesses consist of sustainability practices of the
business organizations towards facilitating the environment, culture, society and economy. The
practices consist of using the more sustainable methods of transportation offering environment-
friendly accommodations and eliminating the harmful activities at the travel destination sites.
The main three pillars of sustainable Tourism are Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; protecting cultural
and natural heritage ; providing social and economic benefits to the local communities etc.
(Stojčić, Mikulić and Vizek, 2022). The Tourism businesses particularly airline businesses take
initiatives for carbon offsetting and energy conservation as part of their sustainable business
practices. The components of sustainable tourism business practices include Ecotourism, cultural
tourism, responsible tourism etc. that have been explained above by the different examples of
tourism businesses organizations in UK.
For example, the sustainability practices of various travel destinations, accommodations
and airline businesses as discussed above contribute to the cultural as well as sustainable
advantage. Such as the sustainable practices of hotel four seasons include not sending the food
waste to the landfills and using the general waste for producing energy. The company is ensuring
to remove the endangered species from its menus. Also, the sustainable practices of jet 2 airways
and easy Jet include to ensure decarbonisation and low emission of other greenhouse gases.
Royal botanic garde also ensures preservation of endangered plant species. Hilton hotels also
ensures eliminating the single use of plastic from its restaurants. The travel destinations like
Tower of London is ensuring sustainability by energy conservation and national art gallery and
Chatsworth house is promoting cultural heritage and promoting the local communities as well.
Various companies are taking steps for energy conservation and taking innovations for ensuring
sustainable management in the business. So the sustainability practices of Tourism businesses

include to leave a positive impact on the society , culture and environment and economy while
conducting their routine activities.
So in the above manner tourism has contributed to the national as well as international
economy by adopting sustainable management practices and by ensuring conservation of local
heritage of the destination site or Tourism business. It also has major contributions to the society
as well as infrastructure of the UK economy.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it has been concluded that sustainable management has a
great role in the Tourism business so as to mitigate their negative impact on the culture, society,
environment and economy as well. In the hospitality industry, it has played a great role by
making the various tourism businesses contributing for the welfare of environmental as well as
society. The theories of sustainable management has been identified such as CSR and
Stakeholder theory that play a great role in facilitating sustainable and responsible management
in the Travel and Tour business. The Tourism businesses have introduced some sustainable
innovations in the business such as electric transport, carbon offsetting, energy storage, plastic
recycling etc. In UK, the Travel and tour destinations like London, Manchestar, Bath, Edinburgh,
and the accommodation businesses like Easy Jet and Jet2 airways have contributed to the
economy of UK by creating many employment opportunities and are still taking initiatives for
sustainable and responsible management.

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