Global Review of Tourism and Social Sciences
Vol. 3 No. 1 (2026): Global Review of Tourism and Social Sciences

Disclosure Without a Dividend? ESG and Green-Certification Disclosure, Financial Performance, and Pandemic Resilience in U.S.-Listed Hospitality and Tourism Firms

Ousseni Ouedraogo (University of Vienna Applied Sciences for Management and Communication)
Farahana Yeasmin (Asia Pacific University)



Article Info

Publish Date
23 Oct 2026

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure, green-certification disclosure, and financial performance among U.S.-listed hospitality and tourism firms, including whether pre-pandemic disclosure predicted resilience during COVID-19. The unbalanced panel comprises 41 firms and 481 firm-years (2014–2025), spanning lodging, gaming resorts, cruises, timeshares, online travel, leisure, and lodging real estate investment trusts. Financial variables were obtained from SEC EDGAR XBRL filings; a nine-item ESG Disclosure Index (EDI) and green-certification disclosure indicator were coded from 10-K text. Two-way fixed-effects models, an intensity difference-in-differences specification, an event study, and cross-sectional shock regressions were estimated. Mean EDI rose from 0.09 to a peak of 0.35. Within firms, EDI showed no statistically significant association with return on assets (β = 0.016, p = .59). Green-certification disclosure was associated with approximately 1.4 percentage points lower return on assets (p = .04), but the estimate was sensitive to alternative specifications. The models did not detect significantly smaller pandemic-era losses or faster recovery among firms with higher pre-pandemic disclosure. These results concern disclosed information rather than verified sustainability outcomes and do not establish that substantive ESG practices lack financial value.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

grtss

Publisher

Subject

Decision Sciences, Operations Research & Management Economics, Econometrics & Finance Social Sciences

Description

The Global Review of Tourism and Social Sciences (3064-1780) is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal committed to advancing research that contributes to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and promotes inclusive development across global and local ...