Sustainable development practices in the hospitality industry: An empirical study of their impact on customer satisfaction and intentions

Abstract

The adoption of sustainable development (SD) practices in the hospitality industry is meant to limit the negative impacts of this industry's activities on natural and social environments, and to increase its benefit to host populations. Our study aims to address the following research questions: What are the antecedents of customer satisfaction in the hospitality industry including those related to the SD practices adopted by hotels? In particular, does customer satisfaction toward these practices vary by the hotel's size (small and medium-sized vs. large) and ownership type (independent vs. chain-affiliated)? Through a survey of 473 customers in eleven hotels located in the province of Quebec, Canada, it was found that customer satisfaction is positively influenced by the hotel's adoption of SD practices, and the level of customer satisfaction varies according to the hotel's size and type of ownership.