The Routledge Companion to International Hospitality Management
  • publication: 10 December 2020

The Routledge Companion to International Hospitality Management edited by Marco Gardini, Michael C. Ottenbacher and Markus Schuckert has been very recently published. Among the contributions there is one authored by Stenden HMS professor Elena Cavagnaro.

Legrand, W., Cavagnaro, E. and Dubrocard, N. (2021) Sustainability without limits: Strategic and operational innovations in the hospitality industry, in Gardini, M.A., Ottenbacher, M.C. and Schuckert, M. (eds.) Routledge Companion to International Hospitality Management, Part III, Chapter 13, pp. 161-172

Abstract
For scientists and, to a certain extent, politicians as well as society at large, ‘climate change’ is the new metanarrative.  The challenge faced by all human society is the new storyline with the potential to unite. Traditional thinking is anchored in a very conservative approach to managing sustainability based on the 3Rs of reducing, recycling and reusing – de facto, a ‘sustainability with limits’ based on ‘restraint, constraints and moderation’. However, three decades of implementing a ‘sustainability with limits’ has shown limited results towards more sustainable operations. New technologies allow for a switch in the approach to a ‘sustainability without limits.’ Thus this chapter explores the possibilities of hotel owners and operators adopting radical innovations as a method not only to mitigate and adapt to impacts of climate change but also to harness an impactful strategy in relation to sustainable development. Beyond reducing carbon dioxide emissions or mitigating food waste production, the next trend among the most innovative hotels is to become powerhouses for what we label as ‘production of sustainability’ to the surrounding society.

Keywords: Sustainability; Radical Innovations; Hotel Development and Management, Climate Change