Sustainability and Innovation in Hospitality Management. Good practices in the Northeastern Hungary

Sustainability has also become an increasingly important issue as international trend for the hospitality industry in recent times, with a positive message for both restaurant oper-ators and consumers. Restaurants can become more sustainable in three main areas: 1) water and energy efficiency, 2) waste management and 3) employees – social topics. This study examines with questionnaire the role of sustainability and innovation in the hospi-tality. In connection with a current tourism project, we present some good practices for hospitality management in Hungary. Based on the survey, the most common sustainable practices are sourcing from local producers and using of seasonal menus. The most pop-ular food waste decreasing strategies are munch, nose-to-tail and other food utilization options in total 65.0%. 72.0% of consumers prefer the green restaurants. Our data show that sustainable operation is not just an environmental issue, but also increasingly a stra-tegic business advantage. The findings supported by the everyday practices of two Dining Guide's member restaurants, Iszkor and Sulyom in the Northeastern Hungary region. Both restaurants focusing on locally sourced food and drink ingredients. Some dairy products, domestic fruit and vegetables come from sustainable farming. For restaurants, adopting sustainable solutions can provide a long-term competitive advantage.