The luxury tourism industry in general, and the hospitality one in particular, are evolving, driven by growing consumer demand for experiential luxury and the increasing strategic importance of sustainability for touristic experience providers. While luxury and sustainability were traditionally seen as conflicting, recent research suggests that their relationship is more complex. However, research on experiential luxury lacks a structured framework for integrating sustainability, with existing studies offering fragmented insights across different sectors and theoretical perspectives.
Luxury and Sustainability in Hospitality: achieving compatibility for a better future
Doctoral Thesis
6 June 2025
In her doctoral thesis defended at IQS, Dr. Katharine A. Schuck addresses a key paradox in contemporary luxury in hospitality: while luxury traditionally emphasizes indulgence and exclusivity, there is a growing expectation that it also delivers on sustainability
In her doctoral thesis at IQS titled “Achieving Compatibility of Luxury and Sustainability: A Framework to Aligned and Enhanced Experiences”, Dr. Katharina Alexandra Schuck addresses a key paradox in contemporary luxury: while luxury traditionally emphasizes indulgence and exclusivity, there is a growing expectation that it also delivers on sustainability. Her research was supervised by Dr. Belén Derqui Zaragoza from IQS School of Management and research group CONHATIVE – Consumer Behavior Perspectives, and Dr. Audrey Mehn from the International School of Management in Germany as a shared PhD collaboration.
With a particular focus on hospitality, the thesis shifts the debate from whether luxury and sustainability can coexist to how compatibility can be deliberately designed. Dr. Schuck’s research is structured around three empirical studies, including distinct perspectives.
Customer value perspective
The first study establishes the foundation of this thesis by addressing the research question of how customer value in luxury vs. mid-range hotel experiences is built. Based on 153,574 Tripadvisor reviews from 12 European countries, the study identifies key value drivers and dominant emotions. By mapping these insights within Sheth et al.’s (1991) Value-Based Framework, the study extends the theory to hospitality, offering a structured approach to distinguishing value creation in experience-based services.
Consumer perspective
The second study further develops the consumer perspective, shifting its focus to what drives sustainable luxury hotel consumption. Based on survey data from 516 consumers with luxury hotel experience, the study investigates factors shaping sustainable luxury consumption intentions and introduces an integrated framework combining Value-Belief-Norm Theory, the Theory of Consumption Values, and the Need for Uniqueness Theory. By addressing the duality in consumer attitudes – some embracing sustainability as value-enhancing, while others fearing it undermines luxury – this study provides a behavioral perspective on how consumers perceive and respond to sustainable luxury experiences.
Provider perspective
The third study addresses the provider perspective by exploring how compatibility between luxury and sustainable business practices can actually be achieved in the hotel context. Using content analysis of 333 hotel websites, 16 expert interviews, and 63,899 Tripadvisor reviews, the study examines how luxury hotels communicate and implement sustainable practices and identifies the obstacles and success factors influencing the effective integration of sustainable practices. By highlighting operational, strategic, and communicative aspects, this study offers insights into the complexities providers face when integrating sustainability into luxury experiences.
Together, the three studies inform a strategic framework that shows how luxury and sustainability can be made compatible — not through compromise, but through alignment and enhancement synergies. This framework delivers both theoretical contributions and practical guidance for organizations aiming to design and deliver sustainable luxury experiences.
Looking ahead, Dr. Schuck’s research opens new directions for innovation, branding and consumer behavior across luxury sectors, including how technologies such as AI or immersive design might shape the future of sustainable prestige.
Related papers
Katharina A. Schuck et al, Sustainability and Luxury in Hospitality: Achieving Compatibility for a better future, 2025, International Journal of Hospitality &Tourism Administration; https://doi.org/10.1080/15256480.2025.2476405
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