Reclaiming Hospitality: Beyond Profit, Back to Purpose
Written by Rebecca Ruf, CEO & Founder, Center for Responsible Hospitality
In 1765, French philosopher Jaucourt defined hospitality as “the virtue of a great soul that cares for the whole universe through the ties of humanity.” a definition that highlights hospitality as not just an act of service but a moral quality driven by integrity, compassion, and connection. In contrast, today’s definition of hospitality paints a slightly different picture – the business of providing food, drink, and accommodation for customers of restaurants, bars, or hotels.
What Changed?
“Hospitality is the virtue of a great soul that cares for the whole universe through the ties of humanity.”
How Commercialization Changed the Hospitality Industry
The shift from virtue to disconnected profit-driven business marks a significant transformation in the hospitality industry. In the 1700s, family-run inns and taverns provided personal service rooted in genuine human connection.
The 1800s saw the rise of leisure travel, catering primarily to the privileged few with upscale destination resorts. This eventually evolved into mass travel, where corporate global hotel brands emerged, focusing on standardized offerings to meet the needs of a growing international market.
While these developments made hospitality more accessible, they also brought new challenges. The emphasis on efficiency resulted in neglecting employee well-being. A focus on consistency led to practices that overlooked environmental impact. Brand standards often minimized connections with local communities. The forces that drove the industry’s growth also created significant ethical and environmental issues.
The Industry’s Attempt to Fix It: Buzzwords and Slow Action
Over time, the industry evolved to try to address some of these issues. In the 1980s, the “green” hotel movement began, with properties trying to minimize their environmental impact. That turned into community-based tourism and conscious travel in the 1990s, attempting to integrate the needs of local communities. By the 2000s, the focus shifted to sustainable travel, where environmental concerns outweighed community and employee well-being. Most recently, regenerative or circular travel has emerged, aiming for a net-positive impact without clear metrics. In the corporate world, corporate social responsibility (CSR) with a focus on philanthropy eventually gave way to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics—standardized ways to measure a company’s impact on society and the environment, something mentioned across brands but not widely adopted by hotel managers or owners.
The Reality Check
Despite all the buzzwords, the industry is not moving fast enough. Numerous surveys show people have a genuine desire to travel sustainably. Research by Accenture showed that 86% of travelers prefer eco-friendly hotels and Trip.com found that 92 percent of travelers acknowledge the importance of sustainable travel.
However, a recent Nature study found that global tourism emissions (at 8.8%) grew twice as fast as the global economy (2009-2019). This means that the industry’s impact has been far outpacing climate action efforts. Over-tourism resulted in protests in Amsterdam, Barcelona, and other destinations in 2024. And it’s no surprise that attrition rates in hospitality remain at some of the highest levels across all sectors.
“Global tourism emissions (at 8.8%) grew twice as fast as the global economy (2009-2019). This means that the industry’s impact has been far outpacing efforts to reduce climate action.”
Fragmentation: The Root of the Problem
The hospitality industry is highly fragmented, with complex ownership and management structures, making sustainable tourism efforts difficult to implement. Historically, hotel groups managed all aspects of their properties, from design and construction to ownership and operations. However, with industry consolidation and the rise of global corporate brands, vertical integration is the exception.
The issue is that no single stakeholder is accountable. Hotel developers are primarily concerned with cutting construction costs and flipping the property as soon as they get that certificate of occupancy. Owners focus on increasing real estate value as quickly as possible so they can raise their next fund. Asset managers will proactively reduce capital expenditure expenses to expose “opportunities” for new buyers. Operators often have little control over the physical properties they manage, and often focus their efforts on signing the next contract. Franchisors prioritize cookie-cutter growth without understanding or addressing community impact.
This fragmentation results in a system where no one is truly responsible. Hotel owners put the onus on the operators’ Standard Operating Procedures, managers place the burden on the brand standards, and customers are not aware that the token sustainability initiatives being marketed are not impactful. While major hotel brands set ambitious sustainability goals, enforcement often falls short due to this lack of accountability.
The result? A lose-lose for everyone.
Responsible Hospitality: Why Accountability is the Missing Link
We don’t need another buzzword—we need agency. Without clear accountability, sustainability can become nothing more than a branding exercise. Responsible hospitality demands that every stakeholder—owners, operators, investors—commit to actionable sustainability practices that go beyond marketing rhetoric. This is what we believe in:
Shared Accountability – Every stakeholder, from owners and investors to operators and suppliers, must take responsibility for ensuring that hospitality businesses prioritize ethical labor practices, sustainability, and community engagement. Responsibility must be embedded at every level.
Beyond Harm Reduction – True responsibility goes beyond reducing negative impacts. It’s about creating positive contributions, from regenerative environmental practices to fostering vibrant local economies.
Long-Term Thinking Over Short-Term Gains – Many decisions in hospitality are driven by short-term profit maximization, but responsible hospitality prioritizes long-term sustainability. Sustainable infrastructure, employee well-being, and local partnerships require an upfront investment but ensure a resilient, future-proof business model.
Authenticity & Transparency – In an industry prone to greenwashing, responsibility means proving commitments with real actions and data. Hotels, restaurants, and travel companies must demonstrate measurable, transparent initiatives that truly benefit their communities and environments.
Connection at the Core – Connecting with people, planet, and place, is the center of responsible hospitality. And communities are its lifeblood. When we center around communities, we create ecosystems that support local talent, empower small businesses, and safeguard the surrounding environment.
Empowerment to Act – Each stakeholder must have the power and the tools to make decisions that drive responsible hospitality forward. This includes hotel owners assessing trade-offs in razing existing structures and choosing sustainable development, operators implementing ethical labor policies and understanding community needs before signing contracts, and guests making mindful choices before, during, and after their travel.
Returning to the Core of Hospitality
Having been surrounded by a community of hoteliers my entire life, I know that most of them want to do well by doing good. Working in hospitality requires passion and dedication—long hours, serving others, working with a diverse set of people—and I believe that most hoteliers today are great souls, looking to connect humanity as Jaucourt described.
“Most hoteliers today are great souls, looking to connect humanity.”
The future of responsible hospitality depends on collective action. Jaucourt’s definition challenges us to rethink hospitality not just as a service but as a responsibility toward others. Whether you’re a hotel owner, manager, investor, or traveler, you have the power to drive sustainable travelforward. Make data-driven decisions, incorporate responsible actions into daily activities, and demand transparency and accountability from the entire hospitality ecosystem.
At the Center for Responsible Hospitality, we’re working to drive this shift by fostering collaboration, leveraging data to drive decisions, and providing the tools needed to take meaningful action. Join us to do more—together, we can reclaim the purpose of hospitality