Is the hotel industry really committed to the environment? Answering using the business models framework

Abstract

This paper conceptualizes Environmental Business Models in the hotel industry as the result of a balanced emphasis on several initiatives regarding value proposition, value creation and value capture. It tests how this framework affects 120 Spanish hotel chains by assessing their sustainability reports and websites. The results show that Environmental Business Models are still poorly developed and present uneven progress in their components. This may be a sign that managers are currently using a partial perspective for environmental management with a focus on value creation initiatives that mainly have a marketing or a cost impact.