Do public tourism organizations embrace and report social responsibility?

Based on the following research question: “Do Public Tourism Organizations Embrace and Report Social Responsibility?”, this investigation intends to carry out an exploratory and descriptive analysis on whether Public Tourism Organizations (hereinafter referred to as PTE), such as Turismo de Portugal, I.P. and Regional Tourism Organizations, including Azores and Madeira, embrace social responsibility practices and report these practices. These organizations as responsible for national and regional guidelines for tourism, namely the sustainable tourism development, should themselves implement social responsibility and sustainability practices. Social responsibility has traditionally been associated to the private sector, in particular companies, and is defined as “corporate responsibility for their impacts on society” (EU Commission, 2011, p.6) and what they should do to fulfill this responsibility. Nevertheless, the concept of corporate responsibility has been developing and progressing (Agudelo, Jóhannsdóttir, & Davídsdóttir, 2019), and should be expanded to include other organizations such as public enterprises and all public administration organizations at central, regional and local levels (Di Bitetto, Chymis, & D'Anselmi, 2015; Garde Sanchez, LópezPérez, & López-Hernández, 2018). Regarding the tourism sector the issue of social responsibility and sustainability has been largely addressed by academics and practitioners (see Kim, Kim, & Kim, 2015; Manente, Minghetti, & Mingotto, 2014), but especially for the business sector and not for PTE. Therefore, there seems to be a gap in the literature about applicability and reporting of social responsibility in public administration, especially by the organizations that should promote (responsible and sustainable) tourism.