Preferring green and rejecting "unethical" hotels. Issue 3 (7th September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Marios Sotiriadis and Dr Alexandros Apostolakis, Professor; Tilikidou, Irene; Delistavrou, Antonia
• Is Part Of: EuroMed journal of business. Volume 10:Issue 3(2015)
• Page Start: 285
• Page End: 296
• Publication Date: 2015-09-07
• Subjects: Business -- Mediterranean Region -- Periodicals; Industrial management -- Mediterranean Region -- Periodicals; Europe -- Commerce -- Mediterranean Region -- Periodicals; Mediterranean Region -- Commerce -- Europe -- Periodicals; 330.091822
• DOI: 10.1108/EMJB-09-2014-0026
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1450-2194

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x content-type="archive" xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Purpose</title> <p> – The purpose of this paper is to examine simultaneously all types of ethical tourism and investigate some of the factors able to affect it; and to explore the number and the size of green hotels' customers segments. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Design/methodology/approach</title> <p> – A survey in the urban area Thessaloniki, Greece. Probability, large enough household sample. "Intentions to visit a green hotel", "Boycotting" and "Discursive Activities" towards unethical hotels were investigated. External (EC)/Internal controls (IC) and past experience served as potential antecedents of behavioural intentions. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Findings</title> <p> – Intentions to visit a green hotel were found to correlate strongly both with other people's impact (EC) and with respondents' perceptions about their own means (IC); intentions are moderately influenced by previous experience. Clustering indicated that the "Willing" segment (26.6 per cent) gathered consumers, who obtained higher scores than their counterparts in the other two segments, namely "Hesitant" (40.4 per cent) and "Reluctant" (33 per cent). </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Research limitations/implications</title> <p> – Incomplete demographical analysis, limited geographical area, social desirability. Future research might consider the employment of Theory of Planned Behaviour. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Practical implications</title> <p> – Communication strategy of green hotels should utilize important people's suggestions. Targets should be persuaded that green hotels are neither more expensive nor more difficult to find. Travel searching engines should include the green key attribute. Need to create and promote the image of an ethical hotel being a concept beyond a green hotel. </p> </sec> <sec> <title content-type="abstract-heading">Originality/value</title> <p> – All types of ethical tourism simultaneously examined. EC/IC provided significant evidence of impact on intentions. Cluster analysis of the ethical tourism market.</p> </sec> </abstract>