The Challenges of Sustainability Assessment Tools in (Tourism) Higher Education

Abstract

Sustainability and higher education are closely linked, with universities playing a crucial role in promoting sustainability. Furthermore, the significance of incorporating sustainability in (tourism) higher education is beyond doubt. However, incorporating sustainability poses challenges such as unclear definitions and resistance to change. To overcome this, proactive measures and attention to governance are necessary. Towards this direction, Higher Education Institutions can create sustainability reports to showcase progress and identify areas for improvement. Despite efforts to develop standards and methods for assessing sustainability practices, there is still a gap in identifying specific criteria for a truly sustainable university. This article discusses the challenges associated with sustainability integration in HEIs and concludes that the wide variety of available Sustainability Assessment Tools (SATs) could potentially complicate rather than foster the process of integration. The challenges emerging are being discussed, in order to advance the applicability and effectiveness of SATs.