Professorship Sustainability in Hospitality and Tourism

Businesses and organisations of all kinds are increasingly embracing sustainability, either because of an intrinsic desire to create value beyond profit or pushed by legislation, clients' demand, and investors' pressure. The hospitality and tourism sectors are no exception. The professorship Sustainability in Hospitality and Tourism supports the hospitality sector to become a positive force for change toward a sustainable future for all.

The world faces pressing challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Moreover, a significant number of people lives in poverty without access to decent jobs, food, and clean water. The hospitality sector is energy- and resource intensive. It also offers global job opportunities and, thanks to its position in the supply chain, holds the potential to influence both suppliers and guests. Therefore, the hospitality sector is crucial in addressing today's world challenges and promoting a more environmentally sustainable and socially just future.

The professorship Sustainability in Hospitality and Tourism carries out applied research with the objective of supporting the hospitality sector, including tourism, to be a force of positive change toward a sustainable future. The professorship sees hospitality as a set of practices grounded in individuals' values, and sustainbility as a process that begins at the individual level and extends to organisations and society as a whole. 

The professorship's mission is to advance sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry. This involves designing, implementing, and assessing behavioural interventions to encourage hosts and guests to make sustainable choices.

Be a game changer toward sustainability

The three main research lines of the professorship are:

• Behavioural interventions for sustainability
  Approximately 65% of actions necessary to promote sustainability depend on behavioural change. Since 2014, the professorship has been dedicated to enhancing the pro-social and pro-environmental behaviour of hosts and guest.

• Principles and practices of Circular Economy
  To support the transition of our sector toward a more environmentally sustainable and socially equitable stance, since 2019 the professorship has been embracing and developing a line of research and interventions on Circular Economy in Hospitality and Tourism.

• Change through tourism
  Central question in this line is how hospitality and tourism can design experiences that enhance staffs' and guests' sustainability values. For example, in the shift away from gain values and infinite growth, we engage with the role of altruism and friendship in hospitality and tourism.

The principles of the professorship are:

• The professorship operates as part of a wider network that includes businesses, non-profit organisations, government institutions, and students. Students enrolling in one of our courses this year and taking an interest in sustainability are welcome to help with our research. 

• By being at the forefront of the conversation about Sustainability in Hospitality and Tourism, the professorship enhances the reputation of the Hotel Management School Leeuwarden, NHL Stenden and its project partners at a local, national, and global level. 

• The professorship supports, develops and builds human capabilities, of both students and academic colleagues around the concepts of Sustainability in Hospitality and Tourism.  

• The professorship supports the embedding of concepts related to Sustainability in Hospitality and Tourism, particularly around behavioural interventions and circular economy, within the curriculum at Hotel Management School. 

• The professorship supports the design, test, and implementation of sustainability interventions at NHL Stenden Hospitality Group and shares successful interventions widely. 

• All members of the professorship perform relevant and rigorous research and pedagogical activities associated with Sustainability in Hospitality and Tourism. They behave ethically and with respect for all involved partners.