Abstract
A review of the existing literature indicates that academic research into environmental
sustainability practices in the tourism accommodation industry is limited, with no literature defining the
industry’s context in detail. This paper addresses this gap by asking fundamental questions which establish a
baseline and provides an introduction to how environmental sustainability is conceptualised and approached
within the tourism accommodation industry. Using thematic analysis of thirty semi-structured interviews, the
findings of the paper indicate that stakeholders have a proficient understanding of environmental
sustainability and its applicability to their industry. It also demonstrates that participants are aware of their
responsibility in successfully implementing sustainability in the industry, but uptake levels are still very low,
and at best basic. The paper thus provides the necessary starting point for assessing the challenge of
sustainability adoption and developing solutions to integrate sustainability ideas at the much-needed higher
level of engagement.