Developing indicators for measuring the sustainability of hotels

The aim of this study is to develop a comprehensive set of indicators for monitoring and measuring sustainability in the hotel industry in Malaysia. It gives special attention to the environmental, social, resiliene and economic dimensions. This study applies the Delphi method by interviewing three key stakeholder groups—hotel managers, academicians, and hotel staff—in two rounds, in order to assess and validate indicators identified from the literature. Findings reveal demonstrate a strong attention to indicators associated with environmental sustainability, especially those which relates to waste management, consumption of energy and water and recycling which amounts to 51% of participants view. Further, 34% of participants aligns with social sustainability indicators such as community engagement and employee well-being which remains second most significant. Resilience and economic indicators on the contrary gained few support from participants with 9% and 6% respectively. This paper, therefore, extends the collective number of works by providing a set of validated indicators which aligns within the context of Malaysia. It also contributes novel indicators withing the framework of current dialogue. This model serves a useful mechanism for stakeholders – policymakers and hotel managers to examine and optimize sustainability pracices within the hotel industry. This paper highlights the relevance of region-centric sustainability strategies which underscores the international application of these indicators as a model to effectively monitor and measure the sustainability of hotels.