Sustainability orientation and sustainability performance in response to hostile environments in cultural tourism destinations

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand how sustainability orientation influences economic, environmental and social sustainability performance and the moderating role of environmental hostility on these relationships. This study aims to deepen the consequences of the strategic commitment to sustainability of tourism firms located in the World Heritage Cities of Cusco, Lima and Arequipa in Peru. Design/methodology/approach The empirical analysis was conducted on a sample of 238 tourism firms. The authors implemented structural equation modelling technique to contrast the hypothesis. Findings The results shows that sustainability orientation has a positive effect on social and environmental performance mainly, but also on both financial and non-financial economic performance. The authors also detect a significant negative moderating effect of environmental hostility, which is accentuated in the case of social and economic-financial performance. Practical implications This study provides interesting practical implications in the tourism sector. Firms should develop a strategic commitment to sustainability, even in hostile environments, to improve their competitive position while reducing the negative impact of their activity on the natural and social environment. Institutions should encourage firms to commit to sustainability to achieve more sustainable and competitive urban tourism destinations. Originality/value This study advances the controversial debate on whether sustainability orientation of tourism firms leads to better economic performance. Moreover, from triple bottom line approach, it provides a holistic view of how sustainability orientation affects sustainability performance in all its dimensions. Finally, this paper delves into the complexities and challenges of sustainable urban tourism.