Technology-Enabled Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry: An Integrated Approach to Smart Systems for Environmental and Economic Resilience

Abstract

The hospitality industry has emerged as a resource-intensive sector facing growing pressure to address environmental challenges while maintaining operational efficiency and competitive advantage. This tension is particularly pronounced in the context of climate change, rising input costs, and heightened sustainability expectations during the post-2020 era of global efforts towards sustainable development and rapid digital transformation. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of environmental stewardship and the resource-based view, this study examines how technological innovation, specifically sustainable operational technologies, serves as a strategic resource that influences both environmental performance and economic efficiency within hospitality firms. The core economic and operational variables considered include energy consumption, water usage, waste generation, operational costs, and long-term efficiency gains, which collectively serve as indicators of sustainability and financial performance. Employing a qualitative research methodology, this study systematically reviews 47 peer-reviewed articles from Scopus-indexed journals and integrates case-based evidence from hospitality establishments actively implementing sustainable technologies. It conceptualizes the adoption of sustainable technologies as an operational input that directly affects environmental outcomes by reducing resource consumption and pollution, while also indirectly enhancing economic performance by lowering costs and optimizing processes. The robustness of the findings is strengthened through cross-category comparisons across different technology types, such as Energy Management Systems (EMS), water conservation devices, waste monitoring tools, and digital automation, as well as across various hotel types. This comprehensive approach seeks to test the consistency and validity of observed effects across diverse contexts. Results indicate that a strategic, integrated adoption of sustainable technologies yields measurable reductions in resource use and operational costs over the medium to long term.

This research contributes to the academic literature by elucidating the economic viability of green technologies and providing evidence-based insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders. It emphasizes the need for integrated technological incentives, lifecycle-based investment decisions, and alignment with sustainability certification frameworks, all of which are critical for fostering a systemic transformation towards environmentally responsible practices in the hospitality sector.