Spanish hotel chains alignment with the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism

Abstract

The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (GCET) is the sectorial reference tool in sustainable and value-based management for tourism stakeholders. The objective of this research is to analyze the adoption of the code and the extent of its development so far. The content analysis of 115 Spanish hotel chain web pages allowed us to know the extent to which hotel chains are responding to the GCET's principles. The results show that adherence to the code improves the transparency of hotel chains and the differences found according to the geographic scope of the chains confirm that their actions depend on the socio-economic and cultural context of their setting. This study supports the promotion of this tool as a way to achieve sustainable economic development, since the Code acts as a guide for ethical and sustainable behaviour of organisations, clarifying stakeholders’ expectations.