Sustainability reports in tourism as a communication tool

Sustainability is an approach that aims to meet current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, focusing on the conservation of natural resources, minimizing environmental impacts, and enhancing social welfare. Sustainable tourism applies these principles to the tourism sector, aiming to ensure the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of tourism activities. This approach seeks to minimize the negative impacts of tourism on the environment, protect local cultures and communities, and distribute economic benefits fairly. Sustainable tourism includes subfields such as ecotourism and community-based tourism, and it is important to encourage conscious consumer behavior in these areas. Public relations play a critical role in effectively communicating sustainability efforts. Sustainability-focused public relations aim to share an organization's sustainable practices, goals, and achievements with stakeholders and the broader public. This not only enhances the organization's reputation but also contributes to the dissemination of environmental and social responsibility awareness. Sustainability public relations strategies include elements such as transparent communication, interactive campaigns, and partnerships. These strategies enable businesses to organize social benefit projects that support their sustainability goals and create awareness around sustainability issues. Sustainability reports stand out as essential documents that record and communicate an organization's environmental, social, and governance performance to stakeholders. These reports detail companies' sustainability strategies, the goals they set, the progress they have made, and the challenges they face. As part of this study, the sustainability reports of three global hotel chains were examined using descriptive content analysis. The research holistically addressed the sustainability reports and their communication strategies.