Green marketing programs as strategic initiatives in hospitality

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate a guest’s subjective appraisal of a hotel’s green marketing program, or green equity, along with value, brand and relationship equities on guest loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – Study 1 presents three models to explicate the role of a luxury hotel’s green initiatives in influencing guest loyalty. By means of structural equation modeling, one model emerges with the best fit. Study 2 examines how tourists assign economic value to a hotel’s green programs. Findings – Green equity plays a significant role in customers’ overall assessment of a hotel’s marketing programs; however, the effect is weaker when compared with the other indicators, including a hotel’s value proposition, brand image and loyalty programs. Furthermore, the results reveal that tourists are willing to pay a price premium for a hotel’s green marketing programs. Research limitations/implications – The paper links green marketing to the customer equity model and clarifies the impact of green marketing programs on loyalty and profitability. However, the study was conducted among luxury hotel guests and tourists in Macau, a leading gambling destination; thus, these customers might not have been concerned with green marketing initiatives. Practical implications – The results show that green initiatives are beneficial as long as managers include these initiatives in their overall strategic marketing programs that also promote firm value propositions, brand images and reputation. Originality/value – The paper clarifies the role of green marketing programs in hospitality and shows how hotels can benefit from enhanced guest loyalty and decreased operational expenses by implementing green initiatives.