Corporate Social Responsibility in the Hospitality Industry: A Comparative Analysis of Spain and Russia

Abstract

The hospitality industry significantly affects the environment, local communities, economy and culture, both positively and negatively - destroying landscapes, traditional customs and culture. The hospitality industry sustainable development allows minimizing the negative impact, while corporate social responsibility (CSR), which is based on the understanding by enterprises their own contribution to sustainable development, is of particular importance. The article examines the understanding of corporate social responsibility both in the scientific literature and in business. In the scientific literature, the social responsibility of business is studied quite actively, however, a there is certain bias in the understanding of CSR towards environmentally safe and energy-saving technologies and approaches. To study the understanding of CSR by business, the authors analyze the strategic documents reflecting the main directions of social responsibility of large organizations operating in the field of tourism and hospitality and compile a general model of the basic principles and mechanisms of CSR. To confirm these principles and mechanisms, a comparative analysis of the activities and CSR policies of two large corporations, the Spanish Meliá Hotels International and the Russian Cosmos Group, was carried out. Since Cosmos Group is part of the larger corporation AFK System, the study also regards the social responsibility of the entire ecosystem. The article considers and describes the social initiatives of AFK System aimed at the sustainable development of the country. The practices of both companies studied in the article can serve as a positive example for other hotel enterprises of various levels, which will contribute to the hospitality industry sustainable development.