Tourism Sector: The Supply Chain Social Footprint of an Italian Accommodation Facility

In Italy, as in the rest of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic had an important impact on tourism. In particular, in the Abruzzo region, there was a decrease of circa 60% in tourist arrivals from 2019 to 2021. A driving force for the recovery of the tourism sector may be investment in sustainability activities, especially those connected to social aspects, which appear to be less considered. Social sustainability can be investigated through the Social Life Cycle Assessment methodology, thus allowing the assessment of the social risks that are connected to the life cycle of a delivered service. This study aims at providing a social footprint of the supply chain of one overnight stay at an accommodation facility using the Social Hotspot Database. The main results show that electricity consumption has the greatest impact within the life cycle, and it is the Health and Safety category that is the most influenced, followed by Labour Rights and Decent Work, Governance and Human Rights. Finally, at a subcategory level, Occupational Toxics and Hazards is the most influenced one, followed by Occupational Injuries and Deaths, High Conflict, Corruption and Legal System. These findings allow us to understand the overall main social risks related to the sector in Italy, since the assessment of the foreground system was conducted at a country and a sector level.

Automated summary

In Italy, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted tourism, resulting in a significant decrease in tourist arrivals in the Abruzzo region. To promote the recovery of the tourism sector, investment in sustainable activities, particularly those related to social aspects, can play a crucial role. This study focuses on assessing the social footprint of the supply chain for one overnight stay at an accommodation facility, revealing the significant impact of electricity consumption on the life cycle, particularly in the categories of Health and Safety, Labour Rights and Decent Work, Governance, and Human Rights.