Beyond compliance: emerging ethical and strategic challenges in managing neurodiverse talent in the tourism and hospitality industry

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the ethical dilemmas and challenges in managing neurodiverse talent in tourism and hospitality, and to understand how inclusion practices can move beyond compliance. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a qualitative research design in which a semi-structured questionnaire was created for Key Informant Interview and In-Depth Interview with 19 respondents, including top executives from luxury hotels, family members of neurodiverse individuals, travel agencies, tour operators and academic experts. This study used snowball sampling until data saturation, with each interview lasting about 50 min. Findings Inclusive human resources (HR) practices, quota-based hiring, training, organizational justice theory, work practice theory, social identity inclusion and leadership with innovative outcomes for sustainability are critical factors. The results show that the tourism and hospitality industry adopts neurodiversity not only to fulfill ethical obligations and business compliance requirements but also to gain advantages, including increased innovation, diverse problem-solving capabilities and superior service personalization. Discrepancies were found, but results show similarities among luxury hotels, resorts, tour operators, travel agencies and experts. Practical implications This study adds theoretical knowledge to neurodiverse talent management by integrating theories of inclusion. Hospitality executives aspire to create job opportunities for neurodiverse talent through inclusive policies, and training empowers supervisors to understand diverse communication styles effectively. Originality/value Limited studies have examined the ethical and strategic challenges of neurodiverse talent beyond compliance and put forward a model with comprehensive strategies for the inclusion of neurodiverse talent.