Examination of accommodation businesses according to sustainable tourism indicators: A Sample of travelife certification application

The primary purpose of this thesis is to carry out an analysis through the Travelife certification application example to measure and evaluate the sustainability performance of accommodation establishments. The importance of sustainable tourism is increasing, and in this context, accommodation establishments are expected to play an active role in this principle. This study used semi-structured interviews as a qualitative data collection method. The research sample was determined by the maximum diversity sampling method and consisted of 10 participants in total. Within the scope of this research, tourism industry professionals with knowledge and experience about sustainable tourism practices were examined. These professionals include people working in various hotels. This large group of participants consists of individuals with expertise and experience in sustainability practices in the hotel industry. According to the research results, hotel managers think that sustainable tourism activities are essential for hotels and that having a Travelife Certificate is advantageous. They recommend developing certification criteria and increasing sustainable tourism steps.