Advancing the Sustainable Tourism Agenda Through Strategic CSR Perspectives

Abstract

This paper links the corporate social responsibility (CSR) paradigms to the sustainability agenda. The objective is to sharpen the strategic base of responsible behaviour in tourism enterprises. The design follows a comprehensive literature review about sustainable tourism from a hospitality industry perspective. Theoretical underpinnings suggest that the tourism and hospitality industries are continuously witnessing changing attitudes on the part of both the consumers and the enterprises. This contribution provides some details about the sustainability agenda as it explains how it emerged following Brundtland's report. Afterwards, it identifies key contributors who raised the issue of sustainable tourism as well as CSR policies, including intergovernmental committees and non-governmental organisations. It is believed that synergistic and shared value approaches are relatively straightforward and uncomplicated. Therefore, such notions are more easily taken up by academics or by tourism and hospitality stakeholders. There is continuous discourse in many international fora, conferences, seminars and colloquia about sustainable tourism, responsible behaviour and the related subjects. However, the discussions are usually characterised by presentation of theories which define the concepts, rather than being practical workshops which identify the business case and how to trigger active participation in the tourism industry. Relevant literature indicates that value-driven approaches focus on improving tourism and hospitality business performance through effective and efficient practices in their workplace environments. This contribution suggests that long-term sustainability can be reached if industry practitioners successfully address their societal and community deficits.

The Promotion of Responsible Tourism Management Through Digital Media

“…As a result, it has never been more necessary to turn stakeholders into advocates for both the cause and the company (Du, Bhattacharya, & Sen, 2010;Hudson & Miller, 2005). Indeed, this can happen if CSR initiatives are a good fit for the firms' mission and vision (Camilleri, 2014;Kotler & Lee, 2008). Relevant theoretical underpinnings suggest that the communication of responsible entrepreneurship often reflects the ethos of the practicing organisations.…”

“…Very often, hoteliers are also pledging their commitment on environmental matters and sustainability issues (Holcomb, Upchurch & Okumus, 2007). For instance, innovative practices in environmental responsibility may include: energy and water conservation; waste minimisation and recycling; pollution prevention by reducing emissions; increasing environmental protection and using sustainable transportation options (Camilleri, 2014). Such innovative sustainability investments could bring strategic benefits such as operational efficiencies and cost savings to the tourism businesses in the long run.…”

“…CSR reporting may cover areas like training and development opportunities for employees; employee consultation and dialogue; health, safety and security; and also measures for worklife balance among other issues (Camilleri, 2014). Very often, hoteliers are also pledging their commitment on environmental matters and sustainability issues (Holcomb, Upchurch & Okumus, 2007).…”

Sustainability Initiatives of Fly-Fishing Lodges: A Global Approach

“…Sve veći broj istraživanja usmjeren je na utvrđivanje utjecaja i uloge koje poslovni subjekti imaju u smanjivanju svojih negativnih utjecaja i promicanju zaštite okoliša te pružanju podrške lokalnim zajednicama (Camilleri, 2014). Ta istraživanja dio su šireg područja istraživa-nja društveno odgovornog poslovanja koja se bave ulogom i odgovornošću poslovnih subjekata.…”

“…A growing number of studies have investigated these impacts and the role of businesses in minimizing negative impacts and promoting environmental protection and support for local communities (Camilleri, 2014). These studies fit within the wider field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) research, investigating the role and responsibilities of businesses.…”