Communication interventions to promote sustainability adoption in tourism and hotels

Purpose This study aims to investigate how targeted communication interventions influence sustainability implementation within the tourism sector. It explores how these interventions activate existing motivational drivers, address key barriers – including novel concerns about guest behaviour – and strengthen the connection between academic research and practical sustainability outcomes across the tourism value chain. Design/methodology/approach This study used a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative observations and interviews with quantitative survey data. Communication interventions were deployed across a hotel group, including digital and in-person formats. Survey responses and field notes were analysed to assess intervention effectiveness, identify implementation drivers and barriers and inform future communication strategies. Findings The study found that communication interventions activated existing sustainability drivers and helped overcome barriers, leading to higher implementation levels. Notably, concern about guest behaviour emerged as a novel barrier. Multi-channel approaches were most effective, highlighting the role of tailored communication in bridging intention-action gaps in tourism sustainability practices. Research limitations/implications The small sample size and self-reported data limit generalisability and introduce risk of bias. However, the findings offer unique and practical implications for designing targeted sustainability communications in hospitality. Future research should explore scalability across brands and regions to assess broader carbon reduction impacts and strengthen academic–industry collaboration in tourism sustainability. Originality/value This study offers a novel contribution by demonstrating how tailored communication interventions can activate known motivational drivers and overcome key implementation barriers, including the underexplored concern of guest behaviour. It highlights the importance of internal communication strategies and provides actionable insights for fostering sustainability uptake across the tourism value chain.