Corporate social responsibility and performances of firms operating in the tourism and hospitality industry

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to assess whether a relationship exists between corporate social responsibility (CSR) engagement and tour operators' performances. Design/methodology/approach: A web survey was submitted to tour operators worldwide. A large sample of tour operators from different countries and continents participated in the survey. Principal component analysis was performed and a regression model was developed to analyze the relationship among variables. Findings: Empirical evidence indicates that tour operators with high CSR engagement experienced a significantly higher short-term growth of profits and sales volume. Results also show that applying CSR principles, facilitating CSR values and fostering local economic linkages have a positive and significant influence on tour operators' performances. Practical implications: Tour operators should cultivate a sustainable corporate culture requiring a commitment to sustainability of the company and its suppliers. The findings contradict with the tendency of “enclavisation” of package tourists within self-sufficient tourism complexes and suggest that locals are part of the tourism place-product. Originality/value: This research reviews the literature on the relationship between CSR and firms' performances in tourism and hospitality. The relevance of this study is its focus on tour operators, a context with a fundamental importance for the sustainability of the tourism industry worldwide. Tour operators are the players that mostly reflect the variety of sectors within the tourism industry, combining travel services such as accommodation, food, transports, entertainment and excursions. This is the first time that a study on the relationship between CSR and firms' performances has been developed on tour operators worldwide. The paper is based on the data collected through a survey on 201 companies from 42 countries from all continents.