Fiction or reality? Hotel leaders’ perception on climate action and sustainable business models

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of key actors in the Caribbean’s hotel industry on the development of business models that are inclusive of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and resilient to climate change challenges. The objectives are to gain a better understanding of the central actors’ perspective and to explore the potential of scenario thinking as a pragmatic tool to provoke deep and practical reflections on business model innovation. Design/methodology/approach The research is based on a questionnaire survey conducted via email to senior personnel in the hotel industry across the region as well as to national and regional tourism and hospitality associations/agencies and government ministries. The questionnaire used a mix of close- and open-ended questions, as well as fictional scenarios to gain insight about perceptions from key actors in the tourism sector, including respondents’ personal beliefs about the reality of climate science and the need for action at the levels of individuals, governments, local, regional and multinational institutions. Findings The study found that while the awareness of climate change and willingness to action is high, respondents perceive that hotels are not prepared for the climate crisis. Respondents had an overall view that the hotel sector in the Caribbean was unprepared for the negative impacts of climate change. Recommendations from the study include the need for immediate action on the part of all to both raise awareness and implement focused climate action to secure the future of tourism in the Caribbean. Research limitations/implications The use of a survey has considerable challenges, including low response rates and the limitations of using perceptions to understand a phenomenon. The survey was conducted across the Caribbean from The Bahamas to Belize and down to Trinidad and Tobago so that views from across the similar, yet diverse, regions could be gathered, included and compared for a comprehensive view of perceptions and possible ideas for climate smart action. Practical implications The 2030 Agenda for SDGs is based on policy and academic debates. This study helps to bridge the academic and policy discussion with the needs of the industry. Originality/value This study contributes a consideration for climate-resilient business models for hotels in the tourism industry as a definitive action toward achieving SDG 13. This combined with the use of fictional climate change scenarios to access perceptions about the future of the hotel industry in the light of climate change, adds originality to the study.

The role of dark commemorative and sport events in peaceful coexistence in the Western Balkans

“…This research focuses on the relationship between event tourism and SDG16, "Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions" in the post-conflict, post-Yugoslav states of the Western Balkans (Figure 1; hereinafter Western Balkans). There have been several attempts to analyse the contribution that tourism makes to the SDGs, including in the areas of poverty (Folarin & Adeniyi, 2020), climate change (Dick-Forde et al, 2020), partnerships for development (Nguyen et al, 2019) and gender (Alarc on & Cole, 2019). Tourism is frequently mentioned in the preamble to the SDGs and in the detail of some of them, but it is not explicitly acknowledged in SDG16.…”

Driving hospitality and tourism to foster sustainable innovation: A systematic review of COVID-19-related studies and practical implications in the digital era

“…One of the recent and important innovations that can be generated by digital technologies is business model innovation, related to rethinking the way H&T companies create, deliver, and defend value coherent with the principles of sustainability ( Chen, Huang, Su, Štreimikienė and Baležentis, 2021 ; del Vecchio et al, 2021 ; Dick-Forde, Oftedal and Bertella, 2020 ; Lemmi and Deri, 2020 ; Wang et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Also, tourists who have already experienced tourism through some digital technologies will always look for the same level, or more, of the experience with functional and emotional values, compared to traditional tourism customers ( Lu et al, 2021 ; Papagiannidis and Davlembayeva, 2021 ; Van et al, 2020 ). The adoption of digital technologies is also driven by the growing interest, and preferences, of tourists in sustainable development issues ( Dick-Forde et al, 2020 ; Fennell, 2021 ; Galvani, Lew and Perez, 2020 ), like green destinations and ecological accommodation establishments ( Saseanu, Ghita, Albastroiu and Stoian, 2020 ).…”

“…It plays a role in the support provided to companies in the sector and the laws developed to regulate it. For the first role, the government helps the adoption of digital technologies through the financial funding that it can provide ( Bertella et al, 2021 ; Gounder, 2021 ); establishing digitalization programs ( Farías and Cancino, 2021 ); and building an ecosystem based on the cooperation between tourism actors, especially firms and universities ( Dick-Forde et al, 2020 ; Mehta and Sharma, 2021 ).…”

How do small businesses pursue sustainability? The role of collective agency for integrating planned and emergent strategy making

“…Accordingly, emergent strategies need to be collectively shared in order to guide actions, which requires social learning processes across a broad array of people to reinterpret and understand emerging intentions collectively (Burgelman, 1988; Jarzabkowski et al, 2019; Mintzberg & McHugh, 1985). Past research has also emphasized that emergent strategies ultimately need to build the required skills and embedded expertise in owners and employees of small business to ensure iterative feedback processes in formulating goals and working toward achieving outcomes (Dick‐Forde et al, 2020; Hutzschenreuter & Kleindienst, 2006; Papagiannakis et al, 2014).…”