Willingness to Pay by Tourist Companies for Improving Sustainability and Competitiveness in a Mature Destination

Abstract

Sustainability is becoming, in itself, an element of differentiation and competitiveness in tourism markets. However, the transition to sustainable tourism is a difficult task that requires time, money, and the willingness of stakeholders. The aim of this research is to estimate which factors explain tourism companies’ willingness to pay (WTP) the most widely accepted tax instruments, which can be used to finance subsequent policy development related to the sustainability of the destination. The factors that influence WTP of the most accepted instruments are also identified through a logistic regression model. The study was carried out in Andalusia, a popular tourist region in Spain. To this end, a survey was carried out of 916 tourism companies. The results obtained show that the factors that influence tourism companies’ willingness to pay are: commercial activity, business size, and annual turnover. In addition, taxes related to environmental protection generate greater WTP among tourism companies.