Responsible hospitality: A qualitative investigation into the small hotels' social responsibility

Large hotels have implemented social responsibility initiatives, while medium and small hotels have received little attention for promoting responsible tourism. The qualitative study approach was considered for exploring and understanding the motivation and practices of social responsibility among small hotel owners and managers and the challenges they meet while adopting and integrating responsible practices in their regular operations. The research study was conducted, which included semi-structured interviews with both owners and managers of 25 hotels in a popular tourist destination, including family-run establishments and boutique hotels. The study findings suggest that small hotels should adopt responsible practices, including personal values, ethical beliefs, and a desire to preserve local culture and environment. The participants also stated that there were hurdles in executing all the practices, including resource constraints, lack of government support, and challenges of balancing economic viability and social and environmental responsibilities.