Interpretation and Practice of Sustainable Tourism Among Accommodation Providers

Abstract

Even though sustainable hotel initiatives can increase guests' satisfaction, only a few studies have been conducted on operationalising sustainability. This study focuses on the interpretation of sustainability among accommodation providers and the practices they implement regarding sustainability. in-depth interviews with the managers of hotels and guesthouses are used as the qualitative method to obtain necessary data. The critical selection criterion was the appearance of sustainability in management, especially in communication. The findings show that accommodation providers associate sustainability primarily with environmental aspects, several interviewees describe themselves as “unusual”, and only a few respondents reported that they share their experiences with other service providers. An important implication of the study is that greater emphasis should be put on education and cooperation among service providers.