BEST Education Network
Think Tank VI: Corporate
Social Responsibility
for Sustainable Tourism
- University of Girona,
Spain, 2006
The BEST EN Think Tank
on Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR)
concluded today with one
key message, that
Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) for
Sustainable Tourism
should be embraced by
the tourism and travel
industry now. The
consequences of not
doing so are serious.
CSR has implications for
all aspects of
sustainable tourism
including profitability,
company culture,
customers, suppliers and
ultimately…survival.
Corporations not acting
in a socially and
environmentally
appropriate manner will
feel the backlash that
other companies such as
manufacturing have
encountered in recent
years.
Keynote speaker on day
three, J.P. Bergkvist,
Director of
Environmental
Sustainability for
Hilton International and
Scandic on Environmental
Sustainability in
Practice spoke on their
initiatives in CSR,
which could well serve
as a guide for the rest
of the tourism industry.
Fortunately companies
such as Hilton
International have taken
the challenge of
adopting CSR in their
European and African
properties, with the
belief that people
inherently want to do
the ‘right thing’, but
need information and
knowledge to do so. J.P.
Bergkvist described The
Natural Step and the
Hilton Environmental
Program as the key
documents for pursuing
environmental
sustainability and CSR.
Bergkvist concluded by
highlighting successful
implementation of
programs and
environmental awards
which demonstrates the
progress towards
environmental
sustainability
emphasising the belief
that “the world is ready
for this”.
Closer to the location
for the Think Tank, in
Girona, Catalonia, Spain
is another example of
CSR in action in the
form of the La Fageda
Yoghurt Factory. More
than 35,000 visitors per
year support the
activities of La Fageda,
creating a win-win-win
outcome for the society,
the environment and
sustainable tourism.
Training mentally ill
and disabled people for
gainful employment in
all aspects of yoghurt
production moreover, an
innovative system for
propagating plants is
used to revegetate the
surrounding national
park.
The 2006 BEST EN
Outstanding Paper award
was presented to the Mr.
Robert D. Billington and
Ms. Veronica Cadoppi of
the Sustainable Tourism
Planning and Development
Laboratory – Blackstone
Valley Tourism Council,
Inc., USA. The Chair of
BEST EN Dr. Janne J.
Liburd (University of
Southern Denmark)
commended their
contribution to the
implementation of
sustainable tourism,
community empowerment
and CSR in the USA.
More evidence of the
uptake of CSR in the
tourism industry is
urgently required.
Keynote speaker Dr.
Graham Miller's
(University of Surrey)
main message was that
the industry can only
maintain a low profile
for so long, before the
changes heralded by the
adoption of CSR in the
corporate world will
also be required in the
Tourism Industry. The
tangible outcomes of the
three-day BEST EN Think
Tank deliberations to
underpin the adoption of
CSR for Sustainable
Tourism are a research
agenda on the topic, a
competence development
module, as well as a
special issue of the
journal Tourism Review
International.
The overwhelming and
abiding conclusion is
that all tourism
businesses, from
all-inclusive hotel
chains to SMEs and
family businesses in
tourism and hospitality
should learn the lessons
of other industries and
document their social
and environmental
responsibilities now,
before profits are
threatened, customers
and suppliers are lost
and the long term
survival of their
businesses is
compromised.
For further information
contact Dr Janne J.
Liburd, Chair BEST EN
liburd@sitkom.sdu.dk
BEST EDUCATION NETWORK
TAKES A LEAD IN RESEARCH
FOR CSR IN TOURISM
BEST Education Networks
Think Tank VI in Girona,
Catalonia, Spain today
began their discussions
on Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) in
Sustainable Tourism. The
goal as expressed by the
Chair of BEST EN Dr
Janne J Liburd
(University of Southern
Denmark) is to gain a
better understanding of
CSR in Tourism with a
view to developing a
research agenda which
will underpin the
sustainable development
of tourism. Through a
three day process of
engagement, dialogue and
collaboration, the more
than 40 experts from 11
countries will take up
the challenge of
researching this
important, yet often
overlooked aspect of the
tourism industry.
Keynote speaker on day
one, Dr. Graham Miller
(University of Surrey)
appropriately delivered
his presentation titled
´Keeping a Low Profile:
the Tourism Industry and
CSR: in the Cloister of
the University of Girona.
Appropriate because CSR
is embedded in a
plethora of
philosophical, ethical
and moral issues that
require a deep
understanding of
humanity and society.
Thus, the expert group
was presented with
examples rangeing from
the industrial and
social reforms of Robert
Owen to the modern day
efforts of British
Airways in developing
programs for adopting a
more socially and
environmentally
appropriate stance with
respect to their
corporate activities.
Dr. Miller identified
several lessons for the
Tourism Industry with
respect to policies and
planning, human resource
mangement and
environmental practices
which all demonstrate
the successful
implementation of CSR.
However, examples of CSR
in Tourism were few and
far between and Miller’s
main message was that
the industry can only
maintain a low profile
for so long, before the
changes heralded by the
adoption of CSR in the
corporate world will
also be required in the
Tourism Industry.
Thinking over the next
three days will be
focussed on these
changes and identifying
the specific
implications of CSR for
the Tourism Industry.
A diverse range of
issues have already been
identified on day one of
the Think Tank, across a
range of geographical
and sectoral dimensions.
Theoretical and
practical issues have
emerged through the
research sessions on
topics including CSR and
sustainable business
practices, economics,
conceptual issues and
case studies. Reflecting
the expertise of Think
Tank participants, CSR
issues emerged in
aviation, accommodation
and entertainment as
well as higher
education, destination
management and
sustainable tourism
development.
Parallel sessions on
competence development
and research in CSR and
Tourism have identified
further issues to be
explored over the next
two days. The outcomes
will inform the
development of a
research agenda on the
topic, as well as a
special issue of the
journal Tourism Review
International dedicated
to enhancing our
understanding of CSR and
Sustainable Tourism.
For further information
contact Dr Janne J.
Liburd, Chair BEST EN
liburd@sitkom.sdu.dk
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THINK TANK ADDRESSES
CORPORATE SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY IN
TOURISM
Encouraging a balance
between economics,
people, culture and the
environment, the concept
of socio-cultural and
environmental
responsibility of
enterprises has been
acknowledged by private
enterprises and public
authorities, such as the
European Commission, the
World Travel and Tourism
Council and the World
Business Council for
Sustainability. Private
and public sector
leaders increasingly see
the need to incorporate
the principles of
corporate social
responsibility into
their planning of
marketing strategies and
leadership. Also
recognizing the need to
rebuild an image of
responsibility and trust
to assure potential
visitors of ethical
behavior, the pursuit of
sustainable tourism is
good for business and
business is good for
sustainable tourism
development.
The BEST Education
Network (BEST EN)
announces Think Tank VI
to meet in Girona,
Catalonia, Spain from
June 13-16, 2006 at the
University of Girona.
This year’s conference
theme addresses
Corporate Social
Responsibility for
Sustainable Tourism and
includes research paper
presentations, keynote
addresses by
international experts, a
research agenda forum to
drive future knowledge
development in the
field, and a curriculum
design for sustainable
tourism and hospitality.
The theme reflects the
fact that the
sustainable development
of tourism destinations
depends critically upon
the sustainable
operations of its
constituent businesses
and firms and is
intended to overcome a
relative lack of
research on tourism
sustainability at the
enterprise level. Issues
to be addressed will
include: Ethical
Business Practices in
Tourism, Triple Bottom
Line in Corporate Social
Responsibility, Human
Resource Management for
sustainable tourism
operations, Volunteer
Tourism and Pro-Poor
Tourism, Stakeholder
involvement, culture and
accountability, Consumer
perceptions and
preferences in
purchasing decisions,
Knowledge Management for
Corporate Social
Responsibility, Service
learning in tourism
educational programs and
Best practice indicators
(cultural, environmental
and social) alongside a
number of case studies.
BEST EN Chair, Dr. Janne
J. Liburd, commented
“Travel and tourism
companies' performance
on environmental,
socio-cultural and
governance issues is
rewarding in more ways
than one, and it is
rapidly becoming more
critical to their
sustainability and
competitiveness in a
global market place.”
The Think Tank is
expected to attract
interested participants
from around the world to
explore together the
issues involved in
corporate social
responsibility for
sustainable tourism.
Scholars, practitioners,
civil society and agency
representatives are
invited to participate
in the exchange of
experiences and to
submit either full
papers or abstracts for
presentation at the
conference before March
31, 2006. The Call for
Papers and Registration
Information can be found
on the BEST Education
Network web site