By the 1990s a research base had developed articulating the principles of sustainability, but there remained a need for work which analysed the implementation process and the implementability of sustainability in particular policy areas. The Rio UNCED conference (1992) had articulated concerns that all levels of governance should operationalise the principles of sustainability into deliverable actions. Whilst critics (e. g. Galtung et al., 1995) have challenged the legitimacy of these global pronouncements, there was nevertheless an expectation that Local Agenda 21 (LA21) might facilitate transformational change within local governance, with local authorities and other key actors engaging in communityorientated policy making to establish priorities for sustainability. It is within the context of these considerations that this research formulated three main research aims: to establish the role of LA21 processes in operationalising the principles of sustainability at the local level in the UK; exploring the interaction between politicians, local government officers and community representatives. 2) to consider the capacity of the policy area of tourism to operationalise the principles of sustainability at the local level and thus provide evidence of the wider implementability of sustainability principles within local government. 3) to scrutinise the potential of the example area of cycle tourism to provide a model for sustainable tourism at the local level. Adopting a case study research strategy, three example local authority types were identified within the LJK sub-region of Humberside. The research project highlighted a spectrum of corporate responses to sustainability, ranging from non-participation in the LA21 process, to a 'Centralist' approach driven by a strong political commitment, and thirdly a community orientated approach with priorities for sustainability evolving within policy communities at the 'Periphery. Policy 'animateurs' were identified who were committed to the integration of sustainability principles within initiatives for tourism and cycling.

La tesi analizza l’industria dell’ospitalità in ottica Trasformative Service Research (TSR). Nella prima parte si concentra sul caso dell’Albergo Diffuso studiando come esso influenzi positivamente il benessere individuale e collettivo di tutti gli attori coinvolti. Allo stesso tempo si tiene in conto di eventuali effetti negativi derivanti dalle attività dell’hotel. Il risultato è l’Enhancing Transformative Factors’ Framework dove si evidenziano i fattori che aiutano l’Albergo Diffuso ad avere un effetto trasformativo sugli attori coinvolti. Nella seconda parte della tesi si prende in considerazione il caso del Green Hotel e si studia come il soggiorno presso tale struttura eco-sostenibile influenzi le abitudini sostenibili degli ospiti. Il risultato è una Transformative Travel Experience che evidenzia come il soggiornare presso l’hotel influenzi a seconda della durata del soggiorno, le abitudini sostenibili dei clienti che muteranno i loro comportamenti tornati alla loro routine. Nell'ultima parte della tesi si considera il caso delle charities o enti di beneficenza operanti nel settore ospitalità. L’obiettivo è studiare come questi enti attivino un processo trasformativo in ottica Service Ecosystem sulle persone da loro supportate. Il risultato è il Transformative Service Ecosystem che descrive come tali persone vengono riabilitate socialmente con il conseguente miglioramento del loro benessere psico-fisico. / The thesis analyses the hospitality industry from a Transformative Service Research (TSR) perspective. In the first part, it focuses on the case of the Albergo Diffuso studying how it positively affects the individual and collective well-being of all actors involved. At the same time, negative effects deriving from the hotel’s activities are taken into account. The result is the Transformative Factors’ Framework, which describes the factors that have a transformative effect on the actors involved. In the second part, the case of the Green Hotel is taken into account and we study how the stay at the eco-hotel influences the sustainable habits of the guests. The result is a Transformative Travel Experience that highlights how staying at the hotel influences the sustainable habits of customers who change their behaviour depending on the length of their stay, once back to their routine. In the last part, we consider the case of Charities operating in hospitality. The goal is to study how these organisations activate a transformative process on the people they support from a Service Ecosystem perspective. The result is the Transformative Service Ecosystem, which describes how such people are socially rehabilitated with the consequent improvement of their psychophysical well-being.