Effects of green practices on guest satisfaction and loyalty

Abstract

Due to the growing awareness of consumers about the seriousness of environmental problems and the importance of environmental protection, more and more hotel companies have been developing green practices to respond to this environmental concern of customers. This paper proposes and tests the relationship between these "green" initiatives and the satisfaction of tourists and their intentions to return and their willingness to spread a positive word-of-mouth (WOM) of the hotel. In order to compare the hypotheses proposed, the methodology of the survey is used through a structured questionnaire based on the information provided by guests staying in 3 and 4-star hotels. The results show that there is a positive relationship between "green" practices and customer satisfaction, and in turn provides evidence of the effect of environmental measures, both direct and mediated through satisfaction, on the intention to return and the WOM developed by guests. Moreover, the motive of the trip plays a moderating role in the relationship between hotel “green practices” and guest satisfaction. Our work highlights the importance of the hotel companies' implementation of sustainable practices to meet the needs of their clients and the attainment of favourable attitudes towards their intention to return.