The hospitality industry in Uzbekistan has been rapidly expanding, with a significant increase in hotels and room capacity, particularly in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara. As part of the country’s sustainable development efforts, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles are being integrated into regulatory frameworks and business practices. This article examines the current state of ESG adoption in Uzbekistan’s hotel industry, the impact of national policies, and the benefits of implementing ESG strategies. A literature review highlights global best practices and the financial advantages of ESG compliance. The study also presents an analysis of ESG implementation challenges and provides recommendations for enhancing sustainability in Uzbekistan’s hospitality sector.

The development of information technology and growing competition in the hotel services market necessitate the active use of innovation in the activities of modern hotels. Innovation is now considered one of the important competitive advantages in the hospitality industry. Innovation in the hospitality industry can be defined as an innovation implemented in practice in the form of a new or improved product, process or method, created as a result of the introduction of new ideas and knowledge to better meet the needs of customers of the hotel enterprise. Hospitality technology innovation refers to new and improved methods and tools used in the hospitality industry to improve efficiency, convenience, and customer satisfaction

This study conducts a longitudinal case analysis of H World Group (2014–2024) to investigate the evolutionary mechanism of Chinese tourism enterprises' transition from asset-heavy to asset-light OFDI. The findings reveal that under macro-level pressures, firms leverage digital capabilities to construct a chain mechanism of "model → localization → legitimacy → performance". The asset-light model effectively overcomes the liability of foreignness through non-equity control and local embeddedness. This paper revises the explanatory limitations of the OLI paradigm, expands the social dimension and dynamic perspective of tourism investment research, and suggests that Belt and Road countries such as Uzbekistan can achieve sustainable development and inclusive growth by attracting capability-output-oriented investment.