Green marketing practices in coastline resorts of Santa Catarina State

Abstract

This paper discusses green marketing practices in the field of tourism and hospitality and aims to discuss the presence, effectiveness and results arising from these practices in three resorts on the coast of the State of Santa Catarina. For the development of the exploratory-descriptive qualitative research, the multiple case study method was adopted, with five in-depth interviews supported by documentation as data collection instruments. For the analysis of the cases, the technique of theoretical propositions and cross-analysis (Yin, 2015) supported the discussion of the results. The ob-served scenario allowed identifying the occurrence of competitive advantage through green marketing practices and green value propositions present in the positioning of the investigated organizations, indicating alignment between its application and consumer behavior in tourism. Despite this, it was verified that the green brand and the use of labels and certifications in communication mate-rials are not considered strategic assets capable of influencing consumption decisions. Thus, this article proposes to stimulate researchers and instigate managers about the presence of green marketing in the market decisions among means of accommodation.