University of Sunderland: Tourism and Hospitality Sustainability Essay

This essay critically examines the significance of the sustainability agenda within the tourism and hospitality industries. It begins by highlighting the environmental concerns prevalent in the world and their impact on these sectors, emphasizing the need for sustainable practices. The essay delves into why sustainability is crucial, discussing its role in generating revenue, creating employment, and preserving natural resources. It explores the shift towards green initiatives, including waste reduction, energy conservation, and the adoption of renewable energy sources. Furthermore, the essay addresses the broader scope of sustainability, encompassing social and economic factors like inclusivity, employee well-being, and local sourcing. It underscores the benefits of sustainability, such as cost savings, improved brand image, and increased customer loyalty. The essay also provides insights into how businesses can embrace sustainability, including campaigns to educate customers and the importance of government support. The conclusion reiterates the need for industry-wide commitment to sustainability, highlighting its role in shaping the future of tourism and hospitality.

Fundamentals of Tourism,
Leisure and Hospitality

Contents
INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................2
MAIN BODY..............................................................................................................................................2
Environmental concerns are a key trend throughout the world. Critically discuss why the sustainability
agenda is important to the tourism and hospitality industries and suggest ways in which sustainability
can be embraced within tourism and hospitality environments................................................................2
CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES............................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Hospitality is one of the most emerging industries that help in developing the need of
both national and international requirement. Tourism and hospitality sector is causing danger to
the environment and its sustainability, so it is essential to find out ways so that hospitality and
environment preservation can go hand in hand (Lohmann and Beer, 2013). Environmental
concerns are a key trend throughout the world. Critically discuss why the sustainability agenda is
important to the tourism and hospitality industries and suggest ways in which sustainability can
be embraced within tourism and hospitality environments.
MAIN BODY
Environmental concerns are a key trend throughout the world. Critically discuss why the
sustainability agenda is important to the tourism and hospitality industries and suggest ways in
which sustainability can be embraced within tourism and hospitality environments.
The hospitality and tourism industry is one of the largest industries in the world; it helps
in generating huge revenue and huge employment opportunities. Tourism and hospitality should
be promoted and it should be encouraged given that it is not harming the environment which is
happening in current era.
The impact on environment of hospitality industry is huge, it affect the environment a lot
through energy and water consumption and use of consumable goods in a huge margin.
Nowadays sustainable growth has become very important for the countries and the companies
working there. It is regarded as key to successful business as a business needs to carry a vision of
doing sustainable development. Sustainability and social responsibility are day by day becoming
the prime concern for public as well as private companies and it also includes hospitality sector.
Doing sustainable development generally means having sufficient resources for the future
generation so that ecosystem is not harmed (Vivek, Saranya and Chandrasekar, 2020). It is
generally seen that hospitality sector puts lots of pressure on natural resources and which can
ultimately result in scarcity or depletion of resources. So the danger of harming the natural
resources where tourism is built on is always there. So as the issue is becoming more and more
serious focus of businesses has been shifted to doing business with sustainability, intervention of

govt. And external forces is their so that it can be make sure the business is practised as per the
guidelines mentioned in favour of sustainable development. The hospitality industry has
responded positively to the same as their agenda has also shifted to go green techniques, they
focus on recycle, re-use grey water, prevent waste, reduces energy use and lower carbon
footprints. Initiative had been started by the industry to publish the companies sustainability
report so that they can show to the public that how important is sustainable development for
them which will result in gaining more attention of the tourist as it is in welfare of public only.
The negative impact on environment is reduced by the hotels by practising go green techniques
and they make sure they don’t have to compromise with anything at the same time. At the same
time it needs to be noted that sustainability is lot more than environmental preservation, it also
affect economic progress and social development (Ivanov and Webster, 2019). Social concerns
such as inclusivity, promoting work-life balance, promoting employees’ health and wellbeing,
sourcing supplies locally and stimulating entrepreneurship are all part of the sustainability
agenda.
One of the research shows that doing business with keeping sustainability into mind helps
in gaining more and more customers as customer is also ready to do their bit in a good cause so it
is always advisable if you want more customer in the company’s side they need to focus on
doing business without harming the environment. If a business is promoting sustainability it gets
the backing of government also as they also give them some tax benefits and subsidy so that it
can be practised on large scale. It gives employee also greater pride so they work passionately so
that more and more productivity can be achieved (Hsu and Huang, 2012). Hospitality sector is
using recent technology related to renewable sources of energy (solar, geothermal, wind, etc.)
have improved the economics of using these kinds of alternative energies at the property level.
There are many reason why sustainability is important, it helps the tourism business to save the
cost of operation by practising reduce, reuse and recycle waste which helps in exploiting the
limited resources to its fullest. Training staff also help in increasing their skills and knowledge
which will ultimately helps in improve in efficiency and working in customer oriented manner
and focusing in achieving sustainable environment (Wang and et. al., 2014). Government gives
the hospitality sector various incentives and push if they want to employ environment friendly
resources in the operations, the sustainability is the main concern of government and they will
work on promoting it by giving incentives and opportunities to the sectors who want to employ

sustainable techniques. The hotels and tourism sector firmly believe that investment on
environment friendly techniques will firmly help them to gather more and more tourist as the
customer also wants to experience sustainability as it is good for the world so customer also give
it thumbs up (Fong and et. al., 2016). Along with that clean environment, hygienic area gives
customer more reasons to visit the place again and again. The employee are also ready to work
for an organisation which is working on a certain cause which is good for the world as well as
environment, so the productivity will be more and which will result in great services to the
customer as the cause is good and transparent so all employees will work for the same
(Mohammed, Guillet and Law, 2015). Moreover it helps in increasing the brand image of the
company as for them sustainability come first so it will be a reliable brand because customer will
come to know that anything done in the business is to preserve the sustainability which is a good
cause. Having a sustainability approach will help company to build its reputation for the long
term. The company should draw out campaign which promote sustainability and it also educate
the customer why it is necessary to exercise environment friendly approach and what benefits
they will be getting out of it, proper education to the public is also necessary and hospitality
sector should work on the same so that the customer do not create any situation which can harm
the environment or the tourist spot, instead of that they should encourage them to use
environment friendly gadgets.
It is the need of an hour and company also knows that sustainability needs to be
embraced within tourism and hospitality environment, the company is doing everything in their
hand to keep the tourist spots clean and hygienic and use such technologies and machines which
promote sustainability. Government do their part so that the company can get help in achieving
the objective of sustainability (Zopiatis and Theocharous, 2013). But at the same time hospitality
sector has also identified if they want to survive in this business they have to work by using
environment friendly measures and they are doing the same. Most of the hospitality business is
avoiding the use of plastic as it is very harmful for the environment, instead of that paper is
preferred and they are trying to identify other environment friendly resources. The hospitality
sector is working on using renewable resources which can be renewed again and again which
includes hydro, wind and solar energy. The one and only reason behind doing is to achieve
sustainability and gathering the focus of customer at the same time.

CONCLUSION
As it can be interpreted that there is significant amount of work need to be done in
hospitality sector when it is about sustainability but the company is trying to do their part to
achieve the sustainability while doing business, they have identified that it is another way to
gather the attention of the public as it is a good cause and more and more public want to see
hospitality business employing sustainability in their operations. To get the sustainability entire
industry needs to stand up and fight for it and government are also working hand in hand so that
they can promote the good cause by providing incentives and opportunities to the business that
are looking for sustainability along with development. Hospitality is the future of any economy
so it is important that sustainability starts from this industry so that loud and clear message can
be given that sustainability comes first.

REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Lohmann, M. and Beer, H., 2013. Fundamentals of tourism: What makes a person a potential
tourist and a region a potential tourism destination?. Poznan University of Economics
Review. 13(4).
Vivek, V., Saranya, S. and Chandrasekar, K., 2020. Tourism Development and Fundamentals to
Promote Sustainopreneurship in Tourism Industry. Our Herit. 68. pp.10598-10603.
Ivanov, S. and Webster, C. eds., 2019. Robots, Artificial Intelligence, and Service Automation in
Travel, Tourism and Hospitality. Emerald Publishing Limited.
Hsu, C. H. and Huang, S., 2012. An extension of the theory of planned behavior model for
tourists. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research. 36(3). pp.390-417.
Wang, S. and et. al., 2014. Analysis of Residents’ Social Identity, Tourism Engagement, and
Propensity for Tourism Advocacy', Advances in Hospitality and Leisure (Advances in
Hospitality and Leisure, Volume 10).
Mohammed, I., Guillet, B. D. and Law, R., 2015. The contributions of economics to hospitality
literature: A content analysis of hospitality and tourism journals. International Journal of
Hospitality Management. 44. pp.99-110.
Fong, L. H. N. and et. al., 2016. Experimental research in hospitality and tourism: a critical
review. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Zopiatis, A. and Theocharous, A. L., 2013. Revisiting hospitality internship practices: A holistic
investigation. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism Education. 13, pp.33-46.