ESG Framework for tourism businesses| Research

Research to inform the development of the ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses was conducted by UN Tourism and the University of Oxford SDG Impact Lab between 2023 and 2024, following the phases outlined below.

Phase 1 (January –September 2023) - Literature review and initial pilots (accommodation)

Phase 1 research consisted of:

Desk research: A comprehensive mapping and examination of widely used ESG frameworks, standards, regulations, certifications, and guidelines to identify recurrently appearing indicators and assess their relevance for the tourism sector.

Exploratory field research: Interviews, focus groups, and site visits with selected pilot tourism companies to gauge interest in the project and the development of a global ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses. A total of 27 pilot tourism companies, primarily from the accommodation industry and located in Europe and the Middle East, participated.

The findings from Phase 1 confirmed a strong enthusiasm and appetite for the ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses, informing key recommendations for the research’s next phases.

Phase 2 (January –September 2024) - Expansion to more tourism industries and geographies

Phase 2 of the research focused on broadening both desk and field research to include a wider range of tourism companies, industries, and geographies, thereby gathering more comprehensive insights for the development of the ESG Framework.

To achieve this, additional pilot tourism companies were engaged through a global survey, interviews, and focus groups, as explained below.

Recruitment of pilot tourism companies for Phase 2 of the research

An extensive outreach effort was made to raise awareness and recruit pilot tourism companies for Phase 2 of the research. This included:

Survey for Member States, distributed by all UN Tourism Regional Departments (Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East) to Member States to collect insights on national and regional sustainability policies and invite recommendations for potential tourism companies. 59 Member States responded to the survey.

Call for Tourism Companies, issued through UN Tourism social media and relevant networks, and inviting interested companies to sign up. A dedicated Call for Affiliate Members was also distributed by the Affiliate Members and Public-Private Partnerships Department via the AMConnected+ Platform, specifically tailored to UN Tourism Affiliate Members. 179 Tourism Companies and 12 Affiliate Members responded to the calls.

Direct recruiting of tourism companies through relevant networks and snowballing.

From this rich database, some companies were purposively selected for interviews and focus groups, aiming to include a diverse range of (a) tourism industries, (b) regions, and (c) company characteristics. To further increase sample size and representativeness, a survey was distributed to additional companies, as well as through relevant global networks.

This research adopted a collaborative, bottom-up approach, engaging nearly 600 tourism companies from diverse industries and regions, to inform the development of the first global ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses.

The findings highlighted the challenges many companies face in navigating the fragmented ESG reporting landscape and the strong appetite for the development of the ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses. The Framework will help identify core ESG issues relevant to tourism and introduce clear, standardised measurement and reporting guidelines, enhancing transparency, accountability, and comparability across the sector. In doing so, it will support tourism companies in reducing their environmental and social impacts, thus contributing to the sector’s long-term sustainability.

However, the success of the Framework will hinge on the continued engagement of key stakeholders, broad awareness and promotion initiatives, and fostering education and capacity-building efforts. Additionally, careful attention will need to be paid to addressing challenges such as resource limitations, especially for smaller enterprises, and ensuring the Framework adapts to different contexts and the evolving sustainability landscape.

Based on these findings, the project’s next phases will focus on establishing an Advisory Panel, comprising experts from tourism ministries, the private sector, academia, civil society, and the investment community. This Panel will provide strategic and technical guidance to shape the first draft of the ESG Framework. Throughout 2025, the project will then focus on testing, further consultations, and finalising the Framework to prepare for global implementation.

Through these collaborative efforts, the ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses has the potential to set a much-needed global standard for measuring and reporting sustainability impacts, fostering a more resilient and sustainable tourism sector.

ESG Project Overview and Research Findings (see presentation)

Oxford SDG Impact Lab Research Team

Research Leader

Laura Ballerini, DPhil in International Development
Oxford Department of International Development
Laura Ballerini is pursuing a PhD in International Development at the University of Oxford. Her research investigates the growing role of social enterprises in health projects in sub-Saharan Africa, with a specific focus on Kenya. While doing her PhD, Laura also led the research team of Oxford SDG Impact Lab Fellows working with UN Tourism on the development of the first global ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses. In this capacity, she coordinated data collection from over 500 businesses across all continents and tourism industries and conducted in-depth pilot case studies in 13 countries worldwide. Throughout her academic journey, Laura has gained diverse experience working with a range of organizations, taking on roles such as project manager, data analyst, business consultant, and reporter.

Researchers

Amy Booth, DPhil in Translational Health Sciences
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences
Amy is a qualified medical doctor, currently doing a DPhil at Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. Her research is focused on bringing industry and policy stakeholders together to reduce the climate change impact of the pharmaceutical supply chain. She has published peer-reviewed articles and been invited to present on her research at national and international platforms.

Anvita Ramachandran, MPhil in Development Studies
Oxford Department of International Development
Anvita is an MPhil candidate in Development Studies at the Oxford Department of International Development. In her master’s research, she studies why migrant households might experience decreases in subjective well-being despite being materially better-off than non-migrants. She is funded by the ESRC Grand Union DTP and the Saven European Scholarship.

Tyler Pugh, MSc in Evidence-Based Social Intervention & Policy Evaluation
Department of Social Policy and Intervention
Tyler is a current MPhil student in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation from the United States. His work has specifically centered around sexual violence survivors and policy optimization to ensure support in collegiate spaces. Previously, Tyler studied Industrial and Systems Engineering, working to understand how simulation modelling and data could impact systems that perpetuate racism, homophobia, and sexism in fields such as healthcare or engineering.

Zubin Deyal, MSc in Development Economics Oxford
Department of International Development
Zubin is interested in sustainability, especially in the tourism industry as it is the main economic driver of his small island developing home, Barbados. He has tried to facilitate sustainable development through his work as an economist at the IDB in Barbados, a data analyst at the Ministry of Tourism in Trinidad, and a consultant at the disruptive incubator, FUTUREBarbados.

Research Leader

Laura Ballerini, DPhil in International Development
Oxford Department of International Development
Laura Ballerini is pursuing a PhD in International Development at the University of Oxford. Her research investigates the growing role of social enterprises in health projects in sub-Saharan Africa, with a specific focus on Kenya. While doing her PhD, Laura also led the research team of Oxford SDG Impact Lab Fellows working with UN Tourism on the development of the first global ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses. In this capacity, she coordinated data collection from over 500 businesses across all continents and tourism industries and conducted in-depth pilot case studies in 13 countries worldwide. Throughout her academic journey, Laura has gained diverse experience working with a range of organizations, taking on roles such as project manager, data analyst, business consultant, and reporter.

Researchers

Amy Booth, DPhil in Translational Health Sciences
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences
Amy is a South African medical doctor currently pursuing doctoral research at the University of Oxford, focusing on the carbon footprint of the pharmaceutical supply chain. She co-leads Oxford’s Sustainable Health Care course and has consulted for the WHO on environmental factors in antimicrobial resistance, the UN on sustainability frameworks, and participates in an Erasmus+ project on sustainable prescribing. Amy serves on the Global Lethal Humidity Council, has published widely on climate and health, and has presented at the UK Parliament and on BBC’s Focus on Africa. She is a founding member of the UK Young Academy and an Emerging Research Leader in Climate and Health.

Buntu Fanteso, DPhil Freshwater Ecology
Department of Biology
Buntu is a Rhodes Scholar and a Ph.D student at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on the effects of climate change, land use, and pollution on freshwater ecosystems. He has gained valuable experience through internships with prominent global organisations, including World Bank, Liberty Specialty Market, and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Sara Sampieri, DPhil in Tourism
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
Sara is a Ph.D candidate in Tourism at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and a visiting fellow of the Oxford SDG Impact Lab. Her research focuses on the balance between heritage conservation and tourism development, exploring how destinations can promote sustainable tourism while generating economic profit. With a background in history, archaeology, and art, Sara brings deep expertise in intercultural relations, particularly between Europe and the Mediterranean region.

Isabelle Haynes, MSc in Migration Studies
Oxford Department of International Development
Isabelle completed an MPhil in International Relations at the University of Oxford, where her research analysed the media framing of military interventions and their impact on French public opinion. She also holds an MSc in Migration Studies, focusing on public-private partnerships in the politics of migrant integration in France. As a fellow at the Oxford SDG Impact Lab, Isabelle developed the sustainability strategy for Oxford City Football Club. Prior to her academic work, she gained diverse experience in archaeology, sustainability, business operations, and defence.