FutureHotel - Hotels as Agents of Social Change

The whitepaper is the first part of a FutureHotel report. The report bridges the gap between academic and practical insights discussing a hotel’s potential to contribute to increased sustainability in and beyond the hotel industry. Its objective is creating an application-oriented social impact manual for hotels. The report was developed after foundational desktop research regarding sustainability rules and regulations in the EU was carried out. It showed white spots in the research of hotels as agents with the potential of driving social change for sustainable behavior. This first publication offers a comprehensive theoretical approach to understanding and addressing the social dimensions of the hospitality industry. It structures the research topic »social impact of a hotel«, highlights reasons to invest in social sustainability and presents specific focus areas for hotels. Furthermore, it introduces the user groups a hotel affects and leads towards the four qualitative dimensions of social sustainability in which a hotel can become active: safe and healthy environments, sense of belonging, inspiration, and offering perspectives. Thus, the whitepaper serves as scientific guidance for hotels and further stakeholders in the tourism industry, who are facing expectations to act in order to meet both regulatory requirements and societal demands.