The Importance of Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry

This essay delves into the critical role of sustainability within the hospitality industry, examining its core principles and practical applications. It begins by defining sustainability and its importance, emphasizing the need for businesses to balance financial, environmental, and social responsibilities. The essay then explores the principles of sustainable tourism, including the sustainable use of resources, waste reduction, support for local economies, and staff training. It highlights the principles of sustainable development, such as environmental limits, economic sustainability, and a healthy society. The essay emphasizes the interconnectedness of sustainable tourism and sustainable development, illustrating how these principles guide businesses towards ethical and effective practices. The essay concludes by stressing the importance of integrating these principles to create a healthy work culture within the industry and promote long-term sustainable growth and positive impacts.

HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Understanding of the term “Sustainability”.................................................................................3
Principles of sustainable tourism.................................................................................................4
Sustainable development principles............................................................................................6
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Sustainable development is very important for each type of companies or businesses. In
this modern world, top-level management within most businesses properly understand the actual
value of sustainable development, and this is the main reason that they are putting their huge
efforts for sustainable development of own business operations in market place (Polat and
Hermans, 2016). This essay discusses the sustainable theory and practice of hospitality industry.
In this essay, some major factors and aspects has been covered which has been related with the
sustainable development. How principles of sustainable tourism are synonymous with different
principles of sustainable development also has been discussed in this essay. Important of
sustainable development theories to a hospitality business also has been included in this essay.
MAIN BODY
Understanding of the term “Sustainability”
Meeting our own requirements, needs or wants without compromising ability of the
future generations for meeting their own requirements. It is too necessary for lots of reasons,
like; quality of environment for having the healthy communities, everyone has need of natural
resources, clean air and the nontoxic environment. Basically, sustainability is aiming to be used
existing resources efficiently for benefit campus as well as well community. However, the
business sustainability has been defined as monitoring and controlling line of triple bottom, a
procedure by that firms has managed own financial, environmental and social risks,
opportunities, obligations etc. These three main influences are sometimes referred to as profits,
people and planet (Partelow and Nelson, 2020). Currently, many of businesses within the
international hospitality industry fully understand the value of sustainability within own business
operations. For example; after having proper knowledge of sustainability, there are Marriott hotel
is highly growing in global hospitality industry day to day, because now upper management of
this hotel business has fully understood that, it should be offered its products and services on the
basis of people needs of existing market place. Environmentally aware company has considered
more than profits, it has considered its influence on the society as well as environment. Basically,
such a company is sustainable just because it has contributed to the proper health of structure

under which it has operated, thereby supporting construct the environment where
the business can be thrived.
Principles of sustainable tourism
Top-level management within each company or business under the hospitality and
tourism industries has highly required to consider principles of sustainable tourism in workplace
(Goffi, Cucculelli and Masiero, 2019). These principles can help to upper management of a
business for gaining very appropriate outcomes in market place. For example; currently upper
management at Hilton hotel fully aware about the continuously increasing competition within
hospitality and tourism industries, and that’s why it has followed the sustainable tourism
principles in its workplace. By adopting and using these principles in own workplace, this
venture has gained an excellent competitive advantage in its respective industry, and now it is
able to generate excellent profit margins in market place. There are some major principles of
sustainable tourism has been discussed below;
Using resources sustainably
This is the first and very important principle of sustainable tourism, because this principle
influence to upper management of different companies for taking decisions towards using
different resources sustainably. For example; currently employees, technology, vehicles,
copyrights, raw-material, transportation, intellectual property are main resources to a business
under the tourism and hospitality industry. In this situation, upper management of the business
should always take lots of benefits and advantages from these all resources by using them
sustainably within own workplace (Zaitseva, Goncharova and Androsenko, 2016). According
this principle, lack of resources is very big issue to a company or business right now, in which
existing management in tourism or hospitality business always needs to focus on adopting such
resources in own workplace which can provide very productive outcomes in workplace.
Reducing over-consumption and waste
Reducing waste and over-consumption is another major principle of sustainable tourism,
in which the management within a tourism business have to consider this principle as well within
daily business practices. This principle generally informs different businesses that waste and
over-consumption of resources is very negative aspect, because when any company highly waste

and over-consume its resources, then its fund also become waste in unproductive outcomes. In
this situation, each business has to use some appropriate approaches of operations management,
like; TQM, JIT etc. for controlling on the issue of waste and over-consumption within its
workplace. This principle is very useful to a business for avoiding the issue of lack of resources
in own workplace as well.
Supporting local economies
This principle of sustainable tourism should be highly considered in busines environment
of a company (Hughes and Scheyvens, 2016). Basically, upper management of a tourism
business have followed the concept of this principle’s concept in its workplace. According to
principle, a business has always required to give huge contribution in overall development of
local economy system. For example; currently Radisson hotel group has generated great
employment opportunities in across the world. There are many people within the United
Kingdom has been fully depended on Radisson hotel for the employment purposes. Nowadays,
this hotel group gives contribution in improving levels of different countries’ tourism industry as
well.
Training staff
Training staff is another key principle of sustainable tourism which has been considered
by a company in market place. According to this principle, each tourism business in across the
world have to put its huge efforts for providing appropriate training and development sessions in
the work place. Basically, when a company within the tourism industry has proper and well-
trained employees or staff, then it can simply achieve its various business objectives in market
place. This principle said that, sustainable development of a business within industry is very
necessary, because when businesses will grow more, then tourism industry can be automatically
improved in market place. In this situation, train and develop skills and abilities of existing staff
or employees is very important task to upper management of a business under tourism industry
(Gössling, 2018). After considering this principle in workplace, the management can simply
improve its performance and productivity of its organisation in selected market segments.
These all are major principle of sustainable tourism, and currently many companies and
businesses under the hospitality and tourism industries properly has followed these all principles

in their daily operations. On the other side, these sustainable tourism principles are completely
synonymous with different principles of sustainable development.
Sustainable development principles
The management of each business is responsible to adhere different sustainable
development principles, no matters that business comes from which industry, hospitality or
tourism. Basically, principles of sustainable development enable to a business for properly
conducting its various operations in market place (Higgins-Desbiolles and et.al., 2019). These
principles can help to a business for continuously developing its productivity and performance in
highly competitive markets. There are some major principles of sustainable development has
been discussed below;
Living within environmental limits
Living in the environmental limits is the first principle of sustainable development, in
which each business within the hospitality and tourism industry have to follow in its workplace.
This is very useful principle, because this inform companies about what are their limits while
working in environment. For example; many times, many businesses have harmed the nature
environment for earning huge profit margins. There are high wastage and over-consumption of
resources factor also very badly affect to the natural environment. In this situation, living within
environmental limits principle motivates to companies of each industry for always working in
the welfare of nature environment of that place where they operate right now.
Achieving a sustainable economy
This is another major principle of sustainable development which has been considered by
top-level management of each business under hospitality industry. Basically, this principle
informs different businesses that, they are fully responsible to contribute in the national economy
by improving their own economic conditions. Achieving sustainable economy principle has
motivated various companies for highly improving own productivity and principles in market
place, because after having effective performance, upper management of a business under
tourism industry can simply improve its economic conditions in market place (Verma and
Chandra, 2018). In this situation, when any business has well developed economic conditions,
then it can simply contribute its nation’s economy.

Ensuring a healthy and strong society
A business has always required to consider this principle of sustainable development as
well in its daily operations. Basically, a business of tourism and hospitality industries always
need to ensure that its existing society is in healthy and string condition. The society always be
healthy and string in that condition when people and businesses of that society come together for
implementing different ethics and moral values within their daily lives. A business has to avoid
hiring those all people within its workplace as employee who have negative mindset and
motivation, because these types of people always very badly affect to existing society. Day to
day many unethical practices also has raised in within society, in which top-level management of
a business need to coordinate with other businesses for taking actions against those who has
conducted negative practices in its workplace.
These are the principles of sustainable development, in which upper management of each
business should put its huge efforts for systematically adopting and using these principles within
its workplace.
Principles of sustainable tourism are completely synonymous with various principles of
sustainable development
There are principles of sustainable tourisms fully interrelates with different principles of
sustainable development, in which upper management of a business within tourism and
hospitality industry has highly required to follow these all principles (Seraphin and et.al., 2019).
Basically, principles help to different businesses by providing a specific and logical path for
effectively growing in market place. By using these principles, no business can achieve
appropriate outcomes in market place. Currently British Airways is one of the most popular
tourism business, in which this airline company never compromise with different principles of
sustainable development. It means, there are upper management of British Airways has always
followed all principles of sustainable tourism and sustainable development. These all principles
help in the sustainable development of the company, and this is the main reason that, upper
management within British Airways always follows these all principle.
Principles of sustainable tourism and principles of sustainable development, both are very
essential in the overall development of a company. Day to day competition in tourism and

hospitality industry is increasing, in which this is very mandatory to a business within this
industry for always considering different sustainable tourism and sustainable development
principles, because principles highly contributes in creating a healthy and ethical work culture in
daily operations.
The management of a hospitality and tourism industry have to follow the concepts of
“Sustainable Good Practice” as well. Basically, sustainable good practice helps to a company for
conducting such practices within market place which can positively affect to society at each level
rural, coastal and urban (Hall, Le-Klähn and Ram, 2017). Many times, businesses not able to
achieve appropriate brand image and goodwill in market place just because of lack of knowledge
about the concepts of sustainable good practice. Many businesses consider this good practice as
principle of sustainable development, and work in the welfare of society to improve own brand
image for the sustainable development in market place.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded that upper management of each business within hospitality and
tourism industry has highly required to follow different principles of sustainable tourism and
principles of sustainable development. It can be also concluded that there are principles of
sustainable tourisms fully interrelates with different principles of sustainable development, in
which when an organisation will adopt various concepts of these principles in own workplace,
then it can easily make an effective work culture. There are businesses within hospitality and
tourism industry have to take steps towards formulating a heathy and string environment in the
society for the sustainable development of own business. It can be also concluded that
sustainable development can be able to a business for gaining huge competitive advantage in its
selected market place.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Goffi, G., Cucculelli, M. and Masiero, L., 2019. Fostering tourism destination competitiveness in
developing countries: The role of sustainability. Journal of cleaner production. 209.
pp.101-115.
Gössling, S., 2018. Tourism, tourist learning and sustainability: an exploratory discussion of
complexities, problems and opportunities. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 26(2).
pp.292-306.
Hall, C. M., Le-Klähn, D. T. and Ram, Y., 2017. Tourism, public transport and sustainable
mobility. Channel View Publications.
Higgins-Desbiolles, F., and et.al., 2019. Degrowing tourism: rethinking tourism. Journal of
Sustainable Tourism. 27(12). pp.1926-1944.
Hughes, E. and Scheyvens, R., 2016. Corporate social responsibility in tourism post-2015: A
development first approach. Tourism Geographies. 18(5). pp.469-482.
Partelow, S. and Nelson, K., 2020. Social networks, collective action and the evolution of
governance for sustainable tourism on the Gili Islands, Indonesia. Marine Policy. 112.
Polat, N. and Hermans, E., 2016. A model proposed for sustainable accessible tourism
(SAT). Tékhne. 14(2). pp.125-133.
Seraphin, H., and et.al., 2019. Limitations of Trexit (tourism exit) as a solution to
overtourism. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes.
Verma, V. K. and Chandra, B., 2018. Sustainability and customers’ hotel choice behaviour: a
choice-based conjoint analysis approach. Environment, development and sustainability.
20(3). pp.1347-1363.
Zaitseva, N. A., Goncharova, I. V. and Androsenko, M. E., 2016. Necessity of changes in the
system of hospitality industry and tourism training in terms of import
substitution. International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues. 6(1).