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Innovative Approaches to Sustainable Management in Hospitality and Tourism

A Special Issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050) belonging to the section "Sustainable Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 3081

Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Economics and Business, International University of La Rioja, Logrono, Spain
Interests: sustainable development; business operations; tourism marketing; leadership; employee satisfaction; customer satisfaction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The hospitality and tourism industry faces increasing pressure to operate sustainably, as it significantly impacts environmental resources, local communities, and global economies. While the existing literature has examined areas such as eco-certifications, green operations, and responsible tourism models, much of this research remains fragmented or focused on isolated case studies. There is a growing need for integrated, interdisciplinary research that not only documents sustainable practices but also evaluates their effectiveness, scalability, and contribution to broader sustainability goals.

This Special Issue aims to explore innovative approaches to sustainable management in the hospitality and tourism sectors. We invite empirical studies, theoretical contributions, and case analyses that examine topics such as eco-innovation in hotel operations, circular economy strategies, sustainable tourism planning, stakeholder engagement, and digital tools that enhance sustainability performance. By addressing the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability through a management lens, this Special Issue will advance academic discourse and provide practical insights for industry and policy. It seeks to complement the existing literature by offering new frameworks and tools to define, measure, and implement sustainability in one of the world’s most dynamic industries.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Asier Baquero
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable tourism and hospitality development
  • environmental, social, and economic sustainability
  • sustainable business practices
  • eco-innovation in tourism and hospitality
  • sustainability performance measurement
  • corporate social responsibility (CSR)
  • green hotel operations
  • stakeholder engagement in sustainability
  • sustainable value chain management

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 546 KB  
Article
Green Label Adoption Strategy in a Co-Opetitive Tourism Platform Supply Chains
by Zhuoyuan Song, Chunyu Yang, Junliang He and Xuehai He
Sustainability 2026, 18(11), 5625; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18115625 - 2 Jun 2026
Viewed by 509
Abstract
Green labels on online travel platforms have become an important mechanism for disclosing environmental information and guiding sustainable tourism consumption. However, when a platform simultaneously provides green certification and competes with suppliers through its self-operated business, green label adoption may reshape both market [...] Read more.
Green labels on online travel platforms have become an important mechanism for disclosing environmental information and guiding sustainable tourism consumption. However, when a platform simultaneously provides green certification and competes with suppliers through its self-operated business, green label adoption may reshape both market competition and environmental outcomes. This study develops a game-theoretic model of a co-opetitive tourism platform supply chain consisting of a tourism service supplier (TSS) and an online travel platform (OTP). Two label adoption strategies are compared: the TSS’s self-labeling strategy and its adoption of the OTP-certified green label. The results show that, under self-labeling, the OTP can gain a competitive advantage by setting a higher price and greenness level, although this advantage weakens as consumer recognition of the TSS’s self-label increases. Under platform-certified labeling, the OTP raises the common green standard, which intensifies price competition between the two parties. In most cases, adopting the OTP’s green label improves supply chain profits; however, under certain combinations of competition intensity and platform label credibility, it may reduce the profits of both members and increase environmental damage. These findings suggest that platform-led green certification does not necessarily improve environmental performance and should be designed as a governance mechanism rather than a purely marketing instrument. Full article
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26 pages, 778 KB  
Article
Innovative Pathways to Sustainable Management in Hotels: How Sustainable Leadership Drives Green Innovative Work Behavior Through Psychological Empowerment and Self-Efficacy
by Hazem Ahmed Khairy, Wagih M. E. Salama, Asier Baquero and Mohamed Ahmed Suliman
Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1291; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031291 - 27 Jan 2026
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1698
Abstract
This study investigates how sustainable leadership fosters innovative approaches to environmental management by promoting green innovative work behavior (GIWB) among employees in five-star hotels, with a focus on the mediating roles of green psychological empowerment (GPE) and green self-efficacy (GSE). Grounded in Ability–Motivation–Opportunity [...] Read more.
This study investigates how sustainable leadership fosters innovative approaches to environmental management by promoting green innovative work behavior (GIWB) among employees in five-star hotels, with a focus on the mediating roles of green psychological empowerment (GPE) and green self-efficacy (GSE). Grounded in Ability–Motivation–Opportunity (AMO) theory, the research examines how sustainability-oriented leadership practices enhance employees’ motivation, confidence, and sense of impact, enabling them to generate, promote, and implement novel environmentally friendly solutions in hotel operations. Data were collected from 396 full-time hotel employees using a structured questionnaire and analyzed through PLS-SEM with WarpPLS software. The results indicate that sustainable leadership positively influences GPE, GSE, and GIWB. Furthermore, both GPE and GSE partially mediate the effect of sustainable leadership on GIWB, demonstrating the psychological pathways through which leadership translates sustainability values into innovative employee-driven practices. These findings advance theoretical understanding of how leadership can drive innovation in sustainability management within the hospitality sector and offer practical, context-specific guidance for hotel managers aiming to foster creative, environmentally responsible solutions. Full article
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