How can the hospitality industry increase corporate value aligned with sustainable development goals? Case examples from Hilton, Meliá and Sun

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify possible benefits hospitality companies may derive from their corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments and to explore further value opportunities for these organisations through an alternative approach in their selection of sustainable initiatives.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses secondary data collected from publications on corporate websites, accompanied by third-party supporting internet-based evidence, for three contrasting companies as follows: Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (Hilton), Meliá Hotels International (Meliá) and Sun Limited (Sun). Sustainability endeavours for Goals 8, 12 and 17 are analysed and opportunities for inter-sectoral partnerships and customer-centric experiences are considered for these brands to establish value opportunities.FindingsThe paper concludes that by integrating sustainable efforts to brand personality, hospitality companies can devise genuine goals, organically incorporating these to the brands’ vision, reinforcing brand equity and creating value, while increasing customer loyalty.Originality/valueThree diverse organisations were selected for the study. Hilton and Meliá have a worldwide presence and are headquartered in the USA and Spain, respectively, while the third company, Sun, is a relatively smaller example, with properties located in the region of the Indian Ocean. The contrasting selection and comparison of hospitality companies display different approaches in their United Nations sustainable development goals (UN SDGs) efforts as part of their corporate social responsibility offering an ample perspective. The consideration of brand personality and stakeholder priorities offers alternative criteria for selecting CSR efforts in the hospitality industry.