While the hospitality industry recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, hotels, and the wider hospitality sector, are increasingly more concerned about sustainability now as customers are shifting their perceptions of travel. Sustainability is widely regarded as the key to a successful business in the 21st century. 



According to Booking.com’s 2019 Sustainable Travel Report, 70% of global travelers say they would be more likely to book an accommodation knowing it was eco-friendly, and 55% of global travelers report being more determined to make sustainable travel choices compared to last year (https://hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu). Sustainable development and sustainability in general have to be in the epicenter of the hospitality firm’s culture, marketing strategy and practices. 



Within UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, the tourism sector and the hospitality indusrty have been related to the SDG’s with targets in Goals 8, 12 and 14 on inclusive and sustainable economic growth, sustainable consumption and production (SCP) and the sustainable use of oceans and marine resources, respectively. In this context, sustainable hospitality businesses are those that significantly reduce their environmental impact through green marketing best-practices in maintenance/operations, services, logistics, products, and supplies [for example: sustainable food systems, hotel energy solutions, impacts of technology, water and food waste management, green hotel design, certification and ecolabelling systems etc.]. 



Sustainability has been an integral part of the marketing and corporate agenda of a hospitality firm. Regardless the type of accommodation, from hotels chains to camping, businesses have to be competitive and have to realize that sustainability initiatives will be at parity with cost. Moreover, sustainability in the hospitality needs a twofold approach. Hospita;ity firms have to incorporate sustainability within their marketing culture and operational practices and at the same time to promote sustainability to their customers as a broader social and behavioral approach. 



The aim of the Special Issue is to discuss the main current topics relative to marketing and sustainability in the context of the hospitality industry. The Special Issue will be the vehicle of expressing different approaches of research findings, revealing new research areas, conceptual developments, and addressing articles with practical application concerning sustainability themes within a hospitality marketing perspective. 



Purposively, the Special Issue encourages papers that focus on applied marketing strategies and practices related to sustainability in the hospitality industry based on (but not limited to) the following themes: 




  • Sustainable hospitality and tourist/customer experience

  • Marketing research challenges in a sustainable hospitality context

  • Designing sustainable hospitality tourist offers

  • Hospitality product/service development and sustainability issues

  • Responsible marketing and branding in the hospitality industry

  • Hospitality and sustainable food marketing

  • Food waste in hospitality

  • Sustainability management systems in hospitality

  • Accurate hospitality marketing communications

  • Sustainable practices and materials in hospitality industry

  • Sustainable food and beverage management

  • Accessibility in hospitality

  • Certification processes and ecolabels in hospitality industry.



Please do not hesitate to reach out to us should you have any inquiries or require any assistance in preparing your submission.



Dr. Prokopis Theodoridis



Dr. Vasiliki Boukouvala

Guest Editors