Mentioning Sustainable Development Goals in Large Hotel Companies' Sustainability Reports: Signals of Substantive or Symbolic Commitment

Abstract

This work investigates whether leading hotel companies operating in Europe that refer more to sustainable development goals(SDGs) within their sustainability reports engage in more SDG-related initiatives. Relying on signaling theory, a longitudinal automated content analysis was conducted on reports published from 2015 to 2022—the 2030 Agenda introduction the middle point for the SDGs achievement—to assess SDG mentions over time. A qualitative content analysis of the last report published followed to evaluate engagement in SDG-related initiatives. Results confirm that companies consistently and extensively referencing SDGs are more involved in SDG-related initiatives, confirming the “signaling role” of SDG mentions. This work contributes to SDG reporting literature by providing evidence that integrating SDGs in sustainability reports aligns companies' performance with the 2030 Agenda. The paper provides insights for policy-makers and practitioners on how to align the strategies and outcomes of the tourism sector with the 2030 Agenda objectives.