Hospitality & Tourism

Advances in Hospitality and Tourism

Sustainable Tourism Entrepreneurship
Innovation, Startups, and the SDGs

Editors: Vikas Sharma, PhD
Hazem Ahmed Khairy Haseeb Mohamed, PhD

Sustainable Tourism Entrepreneurship

In Production
Pub Date: Forthcoming June 2027
Hardback Price: $190 US | £150 UK
Hard ISBN: 9781779648815
E-Book ISBN: 978-1-77964-882-2
Pages: Est 412 pp w index
Binding Type: Hardback / ebook
Series: Advances in Hospitality and Tourism
Notes: 12 color and 18 b/w illustrations

This new volume, Sustainable Tourism Entrepreneurship: Innovation, Startups, and the SDGs, examines how startup-led innovation is reshaping tourism and hospitality in response to climate change, resource depletion, social inequality, and rapidly shifting consumer expectations. As the global hospitality industry stands at a critical crossroads, sustainable entrepreneurship has emerged not simply as an option, but as a necessary pathway toward long-term resilience, ethical growth, and inclusive development.

This timely volume places entrepreneurship at the center of sustainable transformation, showing how tourism startups are challenging traditional business models and embedding responsible practices into hospitality operations. Rather than treating sustainability as an add-on, the book highlights how green ventures leverage technology, circular economy principles, social innovation, and community-centered approaches to address key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including climate action, responsible consumption, decent work, gender equality, and strategic partnerships.

Through theoretical insights, case studies, and policy-oriented discussions, the chapters explore green startups, eco-innovation, food waste-to-energy solutions, ethical AI, culinary tourism, women entrepreneurship, smart tourism destinations, and community-based enterprises. Global and regional perspectives—particularly from emerging economies—provide practical understanding of how startups navigate financing challenges, regulatory frameworks, and the balance between profitability and purpose.

Key features:
• Explores startup-led innovation aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
• Examines green entrepreneurship, circular economy models, and ethical AI in hospitality
• Describes sustainable tourism solutions in food systems, branding, and employment
• Provides global case studies and practical strategies for responsible hospitality growth

Designed for researchers, educators, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and hospitality leaders, this book serves as both an academic resource and a practical guide for building a more sustainable and innovation-driven tourism future.

CONTENTS:
Preface

1. Sow, Grow, Thrive: Fostering Green Entrepreneurial Mindsets in Tourism Education
Bassam Samir Al-Romeedy

2. Cultural Startup Ecosystems in Vietnam’s Tourism and Hospitality Sector
Hanh Thi Pham

3. Closing the Loop: Food Waste to Biogas in Tourism and Hospitality Sectors
Bhola Chourasia and Janiel J. Mendoza

4. Empowering Women Entrepreneurs and Sustainable Tourism Development: Fostering the SDGs Through the Roles of Entrepreneurial Mindset and Environmental Awareness
Yehia Elzek and Hazem Ahmed Khairy

5. Unlocking Green Innovation in Hospitality: The Interplay of Absorptive Capacity, Entrepreneurial Orientation, and Human Capital Readiness
Sawsan Haider Abdullah Khreis and Asier Baquero

6. Circular Economy–Driven Tourism Startups in Con Dao, Vietnam: Towards Sustainable Branding and SDG Impact
Tran Tuyen

7. Transition from Service to Sustainable Prosperity: Contribution of Hospitality in Promoting Decent Employment (Aligning with UN SDG 8)
Nitin Gupta, Mohammad Shamshad, Rohil Bhatnagar, Vikas Sharma, and Garima Jain Goel

8. Green Innovation and Climate-Responsive Startups
Nelson Onchiri

9. Artificial Intelligence in Food Waste Management: Trends, Tools, and Techniques
Hare Krishna Chaudhary, Swati Sharma, and Malini Singh

10. The Emerging Era Unfolded: Artificial Intelligence and Its Diverse Influence on the Hospitality Industry Across Asian Nations with Startup and SDG Goals
Jyotsna P., Navneet Ranjan, Arpita Mishra, Janvi Rai, Anwesha Sahoo, and Atanu Bhattacharya

11. Green Marketing Mix Strategies and Their Impact on Green Hotel Brand Image: Evidence from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Duong Vu Manh Duy and Nguyen Quyet Thang

12. Mapping Tourism Business Impact to SDG Indicators: A Case Study of Sustainable Tourism Startups in Indonesia
Ayesha Munir and Mian Muhammad Ajmal Khan

13. Culinary Tourism, Local Gastronomy, and the Fight Against Food Waste: An Empirical Exploration
Ayan Basak, Shelley Duggal, Swati Sharma, and Akshita Tiwari

14. Understanding Culinary Challenges of Foreign Tourists with Indian Cuisine: A Pathway Toward Sustainable Hospitality Entrepreneurship in India
Ishan Bakshi, Aashish Samuel, and Tahir Sufi

15. Startup-Led Sustainability in Tourism and Hospitality: An SDG-Driven Perspective
Vikas Sharma and Rohil Bhatnagar

Index


About the Authors / Editors:
Editors: Vikas Sharma, PhD
Assistant Professor, Subharti College of Hotel Management, Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut, India

Vikas Sharma, PhD, is Assistant Professor at the Subharti College of Hotel Management, Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut, India. He is an academician and researcher specializing in culinary tourism, sustainable gastronomy, and the preservation of regional food heritage. His doctoral research focused on the documentation and promotion of Braj regional cuisine as a catalyst for tourism development. Dr. Sharma has published extensively in UGC-CARE and Scopus-indexed journals and contributed numerous book chapters across interdisciplinary areas of hospitality and tourism. His research portfolio includes waste-to-energy innovations, artificial intelligence in hospitality, blockchain applications, and sustainability strategies aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A recipient of multiple awards and patents, he is committed to integrating responsible consumption, cultural preservation, and innovation-driven growth. His academic work bridges traditional knowledge systems with modern sustainable hospitality practices, contributing to the global dialogue on sustainability and the UN 2030 Agenda. He earned his PhD in Hotel Management.

Hazem Ahmed Khairy Haseeb Mohamed, PhD
Professor, Hotel Management Department, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, University of Sadat City, Egypt

Hazem Ahmed Khairy, PhD, is a Professor of Hotel Management at the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, University of Sadat City, Egypt. He is also a former Visiting Scholar at Auburn University, Alabama, USA. With more than ten years of teaching and research experience, Dr. Khairy has published extensively in leading Scopus- and Web of Science-indexed journals, with over 70 published or accepted research articles. His scholarly expertise includes organizational behavior, human resource management, sustainable and green HRM, leadership, and employee behavior within tourism and hospitality contexts. He actively contributes to the academic community through editorial responsibilities, international research collaborations, and postgraduate supervision. Known for his theory-driven and methodologically rigorous approach, Dr. Khairy continues to advance research and professional practice in hospitality and tourism studies. He earned his PhD in Hotel Management.




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