WebinarOnline
Global hospitality's path to net positive: Bridging research and reality in sustainable regional development
Friday, 21 May 2027
What could net positive hospitality mean in practice? This webinar looks at useful measures, local benefits and clear accountability.
About this event
Commercial accommodation businesses depend on regional ecosystems, public infrastructure, skilled labour and the continuing support of host communities. This webinar examines the development of net-positive hospitality as an approach that moves beyond limiting harm towards restoring ecological systems and strengthening local economies. It considers carbon management, water stewardship, biodiversity, decent work and the retention of tourism income within destinations. Particular attention is given to the difference between measurable operational improvement and broad corporate claims that cannot be independently substantiated.
Panellists will evaluate methods for establishing baselines grounded in scientific evidence, examining supply chains and reporting environmental, social and governance outcomes. The discussion will consider how organisational boundaries affect reported results and how operators can account for indirect impacts that occur through energy, food, construction, transport and outsourced services. It will also examine the regional political economy of hospitality by asking who defines sustainability priorities, who receives the benefits of investment and which groups bear environmental or social costs.
Participants will learn how to assess institutional claims against transparent evidence, realistic timescales and clearly defined responsibilities. The session will introduce practical questions for identifying greenwashing, evaluating progress over the long term and designing partnerships among businesses, public authorities and community organisations. By connecting research with operational decision-making, the webinar will help delegates determine whether a proposed initiative creates additional ecological and social value or merely presents existing activity in more favourable language. It will also support more precise dialogue between scholars, practitioners, investors and regional public policymakers during implementation.