Sustainable Development of Hotels and Tourism

Dear Colleagues,

Since the appearance of mass tourism in the 1950s and 1960s, concern about the impacts of this activity on host regions and societies has been permanent and growing over time. This led to the appearance of a very important area of tourism research, such as the residents’ attitudes. Measurements of the tourism impacts, both economic, socio-cultural and environmental, were also very important. Normally, tourism development is encouraged for the economic benefits, but there is a high concern about the costs to society and environment.

In recent decades, concern for avoiding the negative impacts of human activity and ensuring economic, social, cultural and environmental sustainability has grown rapidly, all to avoid irreversible deterioration and so that future generations do not face a worse situation than the current one. This concern has translated into legislative measures, social awareness, business initiatives and academic research. The measures taken by companies have been grouped under the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and are important in multiple sectors, including tourism. The study of the CSR is of great importance in the case of hotels and hotel chains, as a great reference in the sector.

All academic research in tourism can be considered to seek to improve sustainability in specific cases, situations and aspects. However, research on the sustainable development of tourism tends to focus on the impacts, of various types, of tourism and how to make it a sustainable activity in the long term by minimizing costs and maximizing benefits. Within these approaches, studies on impacts on local societies and cultures stand out, highlighting how they change due to tourism development. Studies on environmental impacts and resource management (e.g., water, electricity, territory, etc.) are also important, as are the studies on the residents’ attitudes and on the CSR in tourism companies.

This Special Issue seeks to expand the flow of academic research related to a sector of great global importance (tourism) and representing a great concern (sustainable development). Potential topics for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Alterations in the natural environment of tourist companies and activities;
• Analysis of the economic, social and environmental evolution of tourist regions;
• Application of corporate social responsibility in tourism companies;
• Crisis and resilience in hotels and tourist destinations;
• Difficulties for the management of mature destinations;
• Management of natural resources in tourist destinations;
• Residents' attitudes, their causes and consequences;
• Social and cultural changes in societies receiving tourists;
• Sustainability actions in hotel companies.

Dr. José Ramón-Cardona
Dr. María Dolores Sánchez-Fernández
Guest Editors

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• corporate social responsibility (CSR)
• economic impacts
• environmental impacts
• hospitality management
• hotel management
• mature destinations
• overtourism
• regional development
• residents' attitudes
• social impacts
• sustainable development
• tourism development
• tourism planning