The Role of Digital Leadership and Artificial Intelligence in Sustainable Tourism Strategies: Evidence from Turkey

This study investigates how digital leadership and artificial intelligence (AI) contribute to the development of sustainable tourism strategies, focusing on the context of the Turkish hospitality industry. The central research question examines how digital leadership practices guide the strategic use of AI technologies toward sustainability-oriented outcomes. Grounded in digital leadership theory and the triple bottom line sustainability framework, the study adopts a qualitative multiple case study design. Data…

By the Truvace deskOctober 17, 20262 min read1 sourcePeer-reviewedTRV-2026-1647· cite & verify

The Role of Digital Leadership and Artificial Intelligence in Sustainable Tourism Strategies: Evidence from Turkey — "Moderator - Stephen Sackur Panel Nancy Nasher, President & Owner, NorthPark Center Karen Katz, President & CEO, Neiman Marcus, Arthur de Haast, Chairman Hotels & Hospitality Group, JLL Gerald Lawless, Head of Tourism and Hospitality, Dubai Holdings Andy T" by World Travel & Tourism Council is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.

In brief

Researchers examined how digital leadership shapes the way hotels use artificial intelligence for sustainability goals. They studied four leading Turkish hotel groups, Rixos Hotels, Titanic Hotels, Maxx Royal Hotels and The Marmara Hotels, using their sustainability reports, strategic plans and public digital transformation materials.

The work suggests that AI delivers sustainability value in hospitality when leaders pair it with ethics, innovation and staff skills, which matters for managers and policymakers in emerging tourism economies. Because the evidence comes from company-published documents at four large groups, it shows reported practices rather than independently measured environmental results.

Main points

The study used a qualitative multiple case study design with thematic analysis of documents.
Four Turkish hotel groups were examined: Rixos, Titanic, Maxx Royal and The Marmara.
AI applications were linked to operational efficiency, personalized service and environmental management.
Environmental areas named include energy efficiency, resource optimization and carbon footprint reduction.
Ethical responsibility, innovation orientation and employee digital capability were tied to competitiveness and long-term sustainability.

The gain

Across four Turkish hotel groups, documented AI applications were associated with better operational efficiency, personalized service and environmental management, including energy and resource savings and lower carbon footprint.

The rundown

The research is framed by digital leadership theory and the triple bottom line sustainability framework. Its central question is how digital leadership practices guide the strategic use of AI toward sustainability-oriented outcomes in Turkish hospitality.

Data came from document analysis rather than interviews or measurements: sustainability reports, strategic plans and publicly available digital transformation materials. Thematic analysis was used to identify recurring patterns and strategic practices across the four groups.

The authors propose an applied strategic framework that treats digital leadership as a governance mechanism directing AI technologies toward sustainability objectives, and say the insights can help managers and policymakers integrate digital transformation with sustainable tourism strategies.