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The purpose of this study is to know about the recent environmental changes that have impacted society worldwide have led to increased interest in and attention to the topic of sustainability. A good example of this new trend is provided by the Expo 2020, which is focussing on sustainability as one of the key sub-themes of the event.

This study explores guests’ and employees’ perspectives on the deployment of sustainable practices in hotels. Particular attention is placed on the identification of challenges and drivers of sustainable practices in luxury hotel properties in Dubai.

The discoveries made during the study hold meaningful implications for industry professionals and provide insightful recommendations for the upcoming Expo 2020, which can be leveraged as a tool to increase awareness and drive education on effective sustainable practices.

With 35 different nationalities contributing to the data collection, the present study provides a diverse sample, enabling the researcher to shed light on the previously identified literature contradictions.

This concluding paper aims to review the contribution made by this theme issue to the body of knowledge on Dubai as a host city for Expo 2020 and the impact of such mega events overall on the host destinations.

A content analysis of the contributing articles selected for this theme issue was undertaken.

The summary paper highlights the key takeaways relating to Expo 2020 Dubai that will help inform policy making and decision-making for stakeholders in Dubai’s economy.

Retaining and nurturing the vibrancy of Dubai’s cosmopolitan and diverse socio-economic landscape in the run-up to and after the Expo are as much an opportunity as they are a challenge. The outcomes and recommendations emanating from the papers provide stakeholders with the tools to consider and mitigate risks.

This theme issue makes a significant scholarly contribution towards understanding the dynamics of Dubai as a destination on the verge of hosting a mega event and captures the zeitgeist of the pre-event planning and post-event strategies in “connecting minds, creating the future”, which is the theme of Expo 2020.

The purpose of this paper is to profile the Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) theme issue “Expo 2020: What will be the impact on Dubai?” with reference to the experiences of the theme editor and writing team.

This paper uses structured questions to enable the theme editor to reflect on the rationale for the theme issue question, the starting point, the selection of the writing team and material and the editorial process.

This paper provides a framework to facilitate discussion between academics and practitioners engaged with Dubai’s Expo 2020, identifies ways of improving competitiveness as an events destination and contributes to thinking about sustainable development before and after the event. The outcomes of a broad-ranging collaboration yield fresh insights, a deeper understanding of the issues and an array of possible responses to the theme issue question.

The theme issue outcomes provide lines of enquiry for others to explore and they reinforce the value of WHATT’s approach to collaborative working and writing.

The collaborative work reported in this theme issue offers a unified but contrarian response to the theme’s strategic question. Taken together, the collection of articles provides a detailed picture of the on-going preparation for Expo 2020 and plans to ensure continued growth in the post-Expo phase.