Sustainable development in the hospitality business : case study of a finnish hotel

Abstract

Sustainability has increased in awareness over time in all areas including the hospitality industry. By understanding the current trends, status and actions in the Finnish hospitality business by comparing them to the international progress, this thesis aims to understand the position of the case company in terms of sustainable development. The main objective of this study was to develop and propose an action plan for the case company to perform throughout the business scope after reviewing and applying sustainable concepts. Primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews and case company materials were also analysed. The analysis revealed that the case company is still at an early stage of sustainable development and there are areas which would still need to be improved despite existing fragmented action done with sustainable meanings. The findings suggest that the company would need a clear action plan with all stakeholders involved to have positive sustainable development. Also, it would require a balance among environmental, social, and economic actions to outrun the current revenue-driven business strategy.