Doctoral project

The title of the dissertation is “Implementation of the ESG (Environment, Society and Governance) strategy in the hotel industry of Uzbekistan.”

In the context of global reforms toward sustainability, responsibility, and transparency, the tourism and hospitality sector in Uzbekistan faces the challenge of aligning with international ESG standards. Hotels, as major actors in tourism development, must now confront the simultaneity of environmental pressures, social responsibility, and governance practices. With this comes the imperative of critically assessing current business models and transforming them to meet the demands of sustainable development and international competitiveness.

Civil society organizations, international partners, and private investors increasingly expect the hotel industry to demonstrate measurable efforts in reducing environmental impact, ensuring fair labor practices, and applying transparent governance mechanisms. At the same time, state authorities and local tourism committees need to react to these changes at the grassroots level, ensuring that hotels contribute not only to economic growth but also to social equity and ecological balance. Mobilizing sustainability indicators into a coherent strategy also takes place at the level of national hotel associations and more peripheral independent hotels.

The ongoing research looks at hotels in key tourism destinations of Uzbekistan — Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva — in a comparative perspective. It examines how hotels apply (or fail to apply) ESG principles across environmental practices such as energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, and green infrastructure investments; social dimensions including staff welfare, gender equality, and community engagement; and governance measures like anti-corruption policies, ESG disclosure, and stakeholder accountability. Special attention is paid to how ESG adoption translates into financial performance, guest satisfaction, and long-term competitiveness.

I am particularly interested in how the process of global ESG integration since the late 2010s and Uzbekistan’s own post-independence modernization of the tourism sector translates itself into the hotel space, as well as the actors behind this transformation and their agency. Through written, visual, and oral sources — hotel data, financial reports, sustainability certifications, staff interviews, and guest surveys — I examine to what extent hotels in Uzbekistan have embraced ESG practices, and how they position themselves vis-à-vis national policy frameworks and international sustainability standards.

The research aims to highlight both the continuity of traditional operational practices and the emergence of ESG-driven strategies, offering a comprehensive analysis of how Uzbekistan’s hotel industry can shift toward a sustainable future while contributing to the country’s broader tourism development agenda.

Publications

1. Xusenova M, Ibragimov X. (2024) “THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON INTERNATIONAL TOURIST ARRIVALS TO UZBEKISTAN, GRAVITY APPLIED APPROACH” Tadqiq va tatbiq ilmiy-uslubiy jurnal, Tom 02. | Son. 05 | 2024.
   
   
2. Xusenova M. (2025) “Implementation of the ESG strategy in the hotel industry of Uzbekistan” Yashil Iqtisodiyot va Taraqqiyot, 2025-yil, fevral. № 2-son. ISSN-2992-8982 https://yashil-iqtisodiyot-taraqqiyot.uz
   
   
3. Xusenova M (2025) “INTEGRATING ESG PRINCIPLES IN UZBEKISTAN’S HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES” Jild 3 № 3 (2025): UO‘K: 316.4.063.3 https://doi.org/10.60078/2992-877X-2025-vol3-iss3-pp259-266
   
   
4. Xusenova M, Rufieva R (2025) “Mehmonxona sanoatida esg transformatsiyasini tatbiq qilish masalalari” 2025-5/2 Xorazm Ma’mun akademiyasi axborotnomasi. ISSN 2091-573X
   
   

Conference participations, scientific talks