The sustainability report of tourism companies: the case of Online Travel Agencies

Abstract

The complexities of the current economic climate have gradually influenced the modus operandi of companies in terms of the significant attention paid to their relationship with society, cultures, territories, the natural environment, etc. In this context, there has been an increase in external demand for companies to demonstrate the sustainability of their activities in environmental, social and governance (ESG) terms. Conversely, there has been a corresponding increase in internal demand for companies to integrate sustainability objectives with their traditional economic and financial objectives (Bachiorri, 2017). As is well known, the acceptance of the sustainability paradigm has meant renewing and expanding reporting tools in order to cover all the various and variable relationships between companies and anthropogenic and natural systems. In this sense, in the field of Sustainability Accounting studies, there are several theoretical and regulatory proposals in place for sustainability reporting, including social, environmental and sustainability reports based on international standards, from those of the GRI to those of the SASB. In this field of study, sustainability reporting by companies in the hospitality and tourism sector, which are particularly affected by recurring environmental instability and rapid climate change, takes on particular importance. In particular, this paper aims to investigate the issue of corporate ‘measurement’ of sustainable tourism with reference to Online Travel Agencies (OTA). As is well known, OTA have taken on an increasingly important role in virtual/digital intermediation between companies selling transport and hospitality services and users of such services, gaining a competitive advantage over the companies themselves. The literature on OTA has mainly focused on issues related to pricing policies, service quality, customer satisfaction and reputational aspects, while the issue of sustainability has been less explored. Indeed, the main OTA, Booking, Airbnb and Expedia, have shown attention to sustainability, especially environmental sustainability, albeit with different approaches. Booking has used its Travel Sustainable Programme to enable users to identify accommodation facilities engaged in practices with a lower environmental and social impact (Gonzalez et al., 2025). Airbnb has used an approach based on offering advice on reducing energy consumption, managing waste efficiently, using eco-friendly cleaning products and promoting sustainable mobility (Arzoumanidi et al., 2022). Expedia has introduced an eco-friendly criterion into its rating system, allowing users to express their opinion on sustainability (Gonzalez et al., 2025). Moving on from these assumptions, the paper focuses on the environmental, social and governance practices adopted by the above-mentioned major OTA and on the disclosure of these practices in their respective sustainability reports. The survey is conducted using a qualitative approach, based on a documentary study of the financial statements of Booking, Airbnb and Expedia from both a diachronic perspective, considering the financial statements for the three-year period 2022-2024, and a synchronic perspective, comparing the information areas of the financial statements of the three OTA as well as the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the related information.