How to solve the contradiction between luxury and sustainability

: a comparative case study between four 5-star hotels in Europe, South America, North America and Africa

Abstract

Researchers show that many companies in the tourism industry are trying to adopt innovative ways to enhance their sustainability performance as sustainability awareness keeps increasing. Although studies are still limited, luxury hotels have also gone after this movement. This paper aims to analyse the different sustainability practices focusing on the environmental and social pillars adopted by four 5-star luxury hotels in Puglia, Zanzibar, Chiloé, and Antigua from the managers’ point of view. This study follows a comparative qualitative case study design ensuring a triangulation and a cross-checking of the available data on the subject through semi structured interviews and internal and external documents. The results suggest that sustainability practices are well integrated into the four hotels, but different challenges are faced. Overall, the central focus of the studied luxury hotels is mainly on developing environmental and social sustainable practices without neglecting the experience customers expect. This research identifies practical issues in implementing environmentally sustainable practices in their respective locations. Governmental regulations, accessibility to local suppliers of high-quality & cost-effective products, innovating & improving their practices, and maintaining high customer satisfaction sometimes lead the hotel to undertake less environmentally friendly strategies. Therefore, this research first extends the existing literature between sustainability and the hotel industry by exploring the impact on luxury hotels. Second, it envisions a more positive approach concerning the compatibility between luxury and sustainability within hospitality which numerous scholars have argued inconsistent.

Date of Award	5 Jul 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Laure Leglise (Supervisor)