334
A. Oxenswärdh
edge exchange. Skills of dialogue can be considered as important tools in creating
both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations for all parties in the work for sustainability.
Keywords Co-creation of values · Leadership · Responsibility · Sustainability ·
Tourist accommodation
1 Introduction
Tourism is a dynamic global industry which has grown and changed dramatically
over the past twenty years (WTO 2010). The growth of travel has led to the concern
shown for the environment and quality acquiring great importance (Gray et al. 2000;
Gustafsson et al. 2003; Antony et al. 2004). Sustainability demands has further been
connected to organizations with the term ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR)
since the 1990s and has more recently entailed a more holistic perspective, including
all actors in society. Research has shown both various and changing definitions of
sustainability/CSR (Carroll 1999). CSR has also been argued to entail a win-win situation where CSR initiatives are seen as a vehicle for efficiency and business success,
rather than being in conflict with this (Porter and Kramer 2011; Furusten et al. 2012).
Tourism is one of the largest resource consuming industries in the world. It is also
the fastest growing and important industry in terms of the number of employees and
its potential for the social, economic and environmental impacts (Holjevac 2003).
Over the last decade, the implementation of different standard management systems,
covering, among others, sustainability issues, have become apparent (Ayuso 2007).
Moreover, according to voluntary management systems could have the potential to
lead companies to a more sustainable development and would help hotels to be more
competitive. Within the growing hotel industry, a number of initiatives to implement sustainable strategies have been undertaken on an international scale. Since the
announcement of the Declaration of the Hague on Tourism, in 1989; 2003 Publication of the Djerba Declaration on Tourism and Climate Change 2007, Celebration of
the II International Conference on Tourism and Climate Change in Davos, producing
the Davos Declaration (Riquel 2010); a wide range of legislation e.g. protecting the
environment has been passed in the light of corporate performance in the field of
tourism. Many international and national environmental standards have been created,
which can be implemented on their own or jointly with other international standards
e.g. ISO 14001 and EMAS, EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (Ayuso 2007).
The tourism industry on the island of Gotland in Sweden, has been an important
economic factor for more than 150 years (Scholz and Wegener Friis 2013; Ronström 2008). As a constantly growing industry, tourism has increasing importance
for employment on the island.
The main challenge for tourism development in the future, in the whole world
is, however, sustainable development. In the 1990s, an intense debate on how to
define sustainable tourism emerged (Muller 1994; Butler 1999; Hunter 2002; Hind
and Mitchell 2004) however, a generally accepted definition of sustainable tourism
A. Oxenswärdh
edge exchange. Skills of dialogue can be considered as important tools in creating
both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations for all parties in the work for sustainability.
Keywords Co-creation of values · Leadership · Responsibility · Sustainability ·
Tourist accommodation
1 Introduction
Tourism is a dynamic global industry which has grown and changed dramatically
over the past twenty years (WTO 2010). The growth of travel has led to the concern
shown for the environment and quality acquiring great importance (Gray et al. 2000;
Gustafsson et al. 2003; Antony et al. 2004). Sustainability demands has further been
connected to organizations with the term ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR)
since the 1990s and has more recently entailed a more holistic perspective, including
all actors in society. Research has shown both various and changing definitions of
sustainability/CSR (Carroll 1999). CSR has also been argued to entail a win-win situation where CSR initiatives are seen as a vehicle for efficiency and business success,
rather than being in conflict with this (Porter and Kramer 2011; Furusten et al. 2012).
Tourism is one of the largest resource consuming industries in the world. It is also
the fastest growing and important industry in terms of the number of employees and
its potential for the social, economic and environmental impacts (Holjevac 2003).
Over the last decade, the implementation of different standard management systems,
covering, among others, sustainability issues, have become apparent (Ayuso 2007).
Moreover, according to voluntary management systems could have the potential to
lead companies to a more sustainable development and would help hotels to be more
competitive. Within the growing hotel industry, a number of initiatives to implement sustainable strategies have been undertaken on an international scale. Since the
announcement of the Declaration of the Hague on Tourism, in 1989; 2003 Publication of the Djerba Declaration on Tourism and Climate Change 2007, Celebration of
the II International Conference on Tourism and Climate Change in Davos, producing
the Davos Declaration (Riquel 2010); a wide range of legislation e.g. protecting the
environment has been passed in the light of corporate performance in the field of
tourism. Many international and national environmental standards have been created,
which can be implemented on their own or jointly with other international standards
e.g. ISO 14001 and EMAS, EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (Ayuso 2007).
The tourism industry on the island of Gotland in Sweden, has been an important
economic factor for more than 150 years (Scholz and Wegener Friis 2013; Ronström 2008). As a constantly growing industry, tourism has increasing importance
for employment on the island.
The main challenge for tourism development in the future, in the whole world
is, however, sustainable development. In the 1990s, an intense debate on how to
define sustainable tourism emerged (Muller 1994; Butler 1999; Hunter 2002; Hind
and Mitchell 2004) however, a generally accepted definition of sustainable tourism