THE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF TOURISM AND HOTEL ESTABLISHMENTS AND THEIR ROLE IN SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN AL-AHSA, SAUDI ARABIA

Abstract

This study aims to assess the impact of implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices on sustainable tourism development in Al-Ahsa city, Saudi Arabia. A survey was electronically distributed to the managers of hotels and travel agencies in Al-Ahsa City. A total of eight CSR strategies, including information analysis, compensation, system, delegation, prevention, education, regulation, and marketing, were extracted from the literature, and their effects on overall, economic, ecological, and social sustainability were investigated in hotels and tourism establishments. The results showed that promoting CSR adoption (marketing) and providing sustainability-related educational materials to customers were the most influential CSR practices on sustainability (mean scores±SD were 13.75±1.73 and 12.82±1.98 out of 15, respectively). Sustainable development of hospitality and tourism corporates could be enhanced by implementing marketing and educational CSR practices, which ultimately support the rising trend of sustainable tourism in the Kingdom.

Keywords

• corporate social responsibility
• sustainability
• travel and tour operators
• tourism industry
• saudi arabia