Samenvatting

The research client Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp (hereafter: botanic), a five-star superior hotel, commissioned a research to determine ways of implementing sustainable practices in the Meeting & Events (M&E) department, whilst maintaining superior quality.The research, using the Design-Based Research (DBR) cycle, starts with the problem definition, wherein the problem's urgency is described. Climate change has been defined as undeniable, and the luxury hotel industry has been pronounced to be a driver in this sector for a significant environmental impact. Botanic’s M&E department needs to comply with sustainable standards since green reporting is a new, yearly critical measurement for quality assurance. For this reason, the following main research question (MRQ) has been formulated.

How can sustainable practices be effectively integrated into high-end luxury hospitality meeting and events departments whilst maintaining the superior quality?
Relevant literature showcased the inherent conflict between sustainability and luxury, meaning the resource-intensive activities proved to be a fundamental problem conflicting with sustainable, conscious consumption and resource efficiency. The main barriers to implementing sustainable initiatives lie in the need for more time, knowledge, support and a misconception about the customer perception of sustainability. Sustainability is a rapidly growing important factor for various customers and has been proven important for competitive advantages.

P1: Sustainability practices positively impact the competitive advantage of luxury hotels and event organisers.
Moreover, research into the impact of employees' environmentally conscious behaviour and sustainable human resource management has underscored their crucial roles in promoting sustainability within hospitality establishments. Additionally, the utilisation of specialised sustainable certifications and tools has shown substantial benefits in facilitating the initiation of green initiatives.
P2: Employee engagement mediates the relationship between sustainability initiatives and competitive advantage.
P3: Green certifications mediate the relationship between sustainability initiatives and competitive advantage.