The Impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance Practices on Brand Outcomes in the Tourism and Hospitality Sector: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This systematic literature review summarizes existing research on the relationship between Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices and brand outcomes in tourism, hospitality, and related marketing sectors. Specifically, 19 articles have been reviewed, covering the time frame of 2020–2026 and source data from 13 different nations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and North America. The results indicate that there is a substantial relationship between ESG practices and brand trust (in 11 studies), brand equity and value (in 8 studies), brand loyalty (in 6 studies), brand image (in 6 studies), brand love (in 2 studies), and brand advocacy/word of mouth communication (in 2 studies). Among the three ESG components, environmental practices (17 studies) are the most investigated predictor, followed by social (15 studies) and governance (14 studies). On the subject of mediating constructs, brand trust is the most researched (3 studies), followed by brand image (2 studies). Brand credibility, perceived ethicality, and innovation performance are each represented as mediators in a single study. According to this review, many Asian countries, including China, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, account for around 63% of the total articles examined. Fewer than 26% of the total articles examined are from Europe (the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Italy), while 11% are from the Americas (Brazil and the United States). The higher overall prevalence of quantitative surveys (approximately 47%) compared to the very low prevalence of qualitative, longitudinal, or mixed methodologies was identified as a major issue. Only 21% of the articles reviewed used panel or secondary data as research designs to examine the issues under study. In contrast, the four additional methods (qualitative research, mixed-methods, experimental methods, and literature reviews) collectively account for 32% of the articles reviewed. We propose the following agenda for future research: ESG communications in the age of technology, sustainable reporting practices, and internal ESG culture, among others, which remain contemporary issues warranting further exploration.