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@article{187747,
        author = {Mrs. Sabahath Zahra},
        title = {Sustainability and Environmental Compliance in Hotels: Legal Obligations and Future Trends},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {6},
        pages = {6303-6314},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=187747},
        abstract = {Hotels work in a resource-intensive setting where trash production, water use, and electricity use directly affect the environment. Traditional volunteer green initiatives are no longer adequate because to growing climate concerns, stricter restrictions, and increased expectations from visitors and investors. The main issue is that many hotels continue to view sustainability as an optional branding strategy rather than an operational and regulatory requirement. They are vulnerable to legal risks, increased operating expenses, and reputational issues as a result of this gap. Adopting organized environmental management techniques backed by precise guidelines, open reporting, and data-driven decision making is the answer. International frameworks like ISO 14001, LEED, and Green Key assist hotels in tracking performance, formalizing environmental duties, and satisfying market and regulatory requirements. This assessment maps the regulatory responsibilities of hotels, identifies successful sustainability measures, and evaluates future trends using secondary data from peer-reviewed research, industry papers, standards documents, and verifiable news sources. The literature produced between 2015 and 2025 was the main focus of a systematic review method. The findings demonstrate that the most significant operational priorities continue to be waste reduction, water management, and energy efficiency. In terms of compliance, cost reduction, and guest pleasure, hotels that employ digital monitoring systems, third-party certification, and environmental management systems perform better. The discussion highlights the increasing importance of transparency, data accuracy and verifiable sustainability claims. It also highlights the transition from discrete green projects to comprehensive, circular environmental plans.The abstract comes to the conclusion that hotel sustainability is now required. In the upcoming years, competitiveness and credibility will be defined by strengthening compliance, enhancing measuring systems, and implementing accountable practices.},
        keywords = {hotel sustainability, environmental compliance, ISO 14001, green certification, energy efficiency, circular hospitality, regulatory trends.},
        month = {November},
        }