Abstract:

Food waste in the hospitality sector represents a growing sustainability challenge, particularly in all-inclusive hotel settings where unlimited access to food and buffet-based service systems may encourage overconsumption. While previous studies have examined either operational or behavioural determinants of food waste, limited attention has been given to their integration. This paper proposes a conceptual framework that explains consumer food waste behaviour by combining structural factors, such as participation in all-inclusive tourism and buffet exposure, with key psychological drivers, including value-for-money orientation, variety-seeking behaviour, awareness, and perceived social norms. The model also incorporates behavioural interventions, specifically portion control strategies, as mechanisms for reducing waste without compromising customer satisfaction. To complement the conceptual framework, a pilot study based on a survey of 63 respondents was conducted to explore selected psychological components of the model. The results provide exploratory insights, indicating moderate levels of self-reported food waste behaviour and weak, non-significant relationships between psychological variables and behavioural outcomes. The findings highlight the complexity of food waste behaviour and support the need for a comprehensive empirical validation of the proposed model using larger samples and experimental designs.