Integrating CSR with hospitality management programmes in higher education

Today’s business world is realising the benefits of incorporating social responsibility into their strategic plans. The majority of today’s Fortune 250 organisations are aggressively pursuing corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives (KPMG, 2005). This shift towards environmental business models leads to the question of preparedness in new hospitality management graduates that are working in every facet of the tourism industry, which is one of the largest industries in the world. The long-term sustainability of tourism is contingent on the ability of tourism professionals and business leaders to ensure the growth of tourism with minimum impact on the environment. In this green era, hospitality management programmes would serve the industry well by staying ahead of the curve and incorporating into its curricula the importance of measuring our impact on the planet and people in addition to profits.