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Article

Sustainable Labels in Tourism Practice: The Effects of Sustainable Hotel Badges on Guests’ Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions

by
Maksim Godovykh
*,
Alan Fyall
and
Carissa Baker
Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32819, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2024, 16(6), 2484; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062484
Submission received: 31 January 2024 / Revised: 3 March 2024 / Accepted: 14 March 2024 / Published: 17 March 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Translating the Concept of Sustainability into Tourism Practice – Destination Perspectives)
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Abstract

:
Sustainable practices are becoming increasingly important to tourists and hotel guests. As a result, destinations, hotels, and booking platforms are implementing eco-friendly practices and displaying sustainable badges to communicate their efforts to guests. While the use of sustainable badges increases the visibility of eco-friendly hotels, it is unclear whether they actually influence guests’ choices. This study aimed to explore the effects of the presence of sustainable badges and the awareness of sustainable practices on tourists’ attitudes and behavioral intentions using an experimental design. People who previously used a hotel-booking platform were randomly assigned to four hotel-booking scenarios with the manipulated presence of sustainable badges and awareness about sustainable practices on the website. The data analysis techniques included an analysis of variance, moderation, and a mediation analysis. The study’s results provided empirical evidence that the presence of a sustainable badge could have a positive impact on guests’ attitudes toward a hotel and intentions to book a hotel. These results contributed to the body of knowledge on the impact of sustainable practices, addressed an attitude–behavior gap between tourists’ attitudes and behavioral intentions, and provided valuable insights for destination management organizations, hotel managers, booking platforms, and policymakers interested in promoting sustainable tourism practices.

1. Introduction

Sustainable practices are becoming increasingly important to tourists and hotel guests. As a result, destinations, hotels, and booking platforms are implementing sustainable practices and displaying sustainable badges to communicate their efforts to guests. One of the largest online travel agencies in the world, Booking.com, which has been the subject of many studies in the past [1,2], recently launched an initiative aimed at promoting sustainable travel using sustainable hotel badges [3]. These badges serve as a tool to help customers identify eco-friendly and sustainable hotels during the booking process, making it easier for them to determine environmentally conscious choices while traveling. The main areas of sustainable hotel practices on Booking.com include waste management, energy conservation, water conservation, local community support, and the protection of nature [3].
While sustainable hotel badges on online travel agency platforms have the potential to promote environmentally conscious travel, there is a gap in the research regarding their actual impact on guests’ decision making. On the one hand, the use of sustainable badges may increase the visibility of eco-friendly hotels and help customers determine more informed decisions. However, there is often an attitude–behavioral gap, where guests’ attitudes toward sustainable hotels may not translate into behavioral intentions and actual behavior [4]. Therefore, it is unclear if sustainable labels and the resulting attitudes actually influence guests’ booking intentions. To fill this research gap, it is important to conduct experimental studies that investigate the relationship between the presence of sustainable hotel badges and guests’ booking intentions by controlling for the effects of other factors. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of the presence of hotel sustainable badges on guests’ attitudes and behavioral intentions using an experimental design. The theory of planned behavior, which suggests that attitudes influence people’s intentions and behavior, was used as the theoretical framework of the study [5,6].
The results of this study provided contributions to the existing body of research on the impact of information cues, such as sustainable hotel badges, on guests’ behaviors. Specifically, it sought to provide insights into how sustainable badges on hotel websites and listings could affect guests’ perceptions and decision-making processes. It also helped to approach the attitude–behavior gap when guests’ attitudes toward sustainable hotels often do not lead to behavioral intentions. Understanding the impact of sustainable badges on guests’ booking intentions is crucial for both hotels and OTA platforms like Booking.com, as it can help them tailor their sustainability initiatives to better meet customer needs and preferences. The study’s results also highlighted the potential of sustainable badges as a marketing tool for hotels.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Sustainable Signs

Sustainable signs are a relatively new tool that can be used to promote sustainability in various settings and provide details about the environmental benefits of products and services. Different types of sustainable signs may include tags, badges, claims, declarations, etc. [7]. In the retail industry, sustainable attributes have been used to promote sustainable consumption and incentivize customers to determine environmentally friendly choices. For example, Sexton and Sexton [8] revealed the effects of conspicuous conservation on vehicle purchase decisions. A study by Olson [9] found that people may trade off price and quality for environmentally friendly packaging. In contrast, the use of greenwashing in electronics stores was found to have negative direct effects on green trust, as well as indirect effects through green consumer confusion and perceived green risk [10]. Hence, the use of sustainable attributes may have double-edged effects.
Studies on the effects of sustainable signs have been conducted in different settings. In the food service industry, sustainable badges are used to promote sustainable food choices and encourage customers to reduce food waste. The study by Brunner et al. [11] reported a significant increase in the sales of green-labeled dishes. Elofsson et al. [12] observed that the climate-friendly label had significant effects on the sales of milk. Another study by Spaargaren et al. [13] found that comprehensive climate labels significantly influenced people’s attitudes toward lower carbon lunches. In general, the literature review revealed that information about the environmental impact of products significantly influenced consumer decision-making processes [14]. Eco-labels are positive differentiation factors for guests and can be considered “excitement attributes”, which provide delight if fulfilled, but may be less harmful to guest satisfaction if not delivered [15]. Overall, sustainable badges have been found to be effective in promoting pro-environmental behaviors and encouraging sustainable practices in various contexts, including hotels.

2.2. Sustainable Hotel Badges

A sustainable hotel badge can be defined as a designation given to hotels that meet certain sustainability criteria, such as reducing waste, conserving water and energy, supporting local communities, protecting nature, etc. [3]. These badges can demonstrate hotels’ sustainable efforts and influence guests’ perceptions. Positive guest attitudes toward sustainable hotels have been confirmed by several hospitality studies [4,16]. Consumers are willing to pay more for hotels with sustainable signs, and the presence of different sustainable badges positively influences consumers’ booking decisions. Becken and Hay [17] examined the effectiveness of eco-labels in promoting sustainable tourism practices. The findings indicated that eco-labels could motivate businesses to adopt sustainable practices, but their effectiveness depended on the criteria used and the level of consumer awareness. Consumers are more likely to book hotels with green labels, and the presence of a green label positively influences their booking intentions.
Overall, the literature suggests that sustainable hotel badges, such as green labels or eco-labels, can positively affect guests’ behavior, hotel performance, satisfaction, and loyalty [18,19]. However, guests’ attitudes toward sustainable hotels often do not lead to behavioral intentions and real behavior [4,20,21]. On the one hand, many tourists still demand non-sustainable options, such as fresh towels, individual soaps, and air-conditioning, which are not environmentally friendly [21]. In addition, guests’ perceptions and behavioral intentions depend on various cognitive, affective, contextual, and personal factors [22]. Thus, it is important to explore the influence of sustainable hotel badges on guests’ outcomes by controlling for the effects of other factors.

2.3. The Effects of the Presence of Sustainable Hotel Badges on Guests’ Attitudes and Booking Intentions

Both internalized perceptions (e.g., personal values, beliefs, etc.) and externalized perceptions (e.g., social norms, government regulations, etc.) can impact behavioral intentions regarding sustainable hotels [23]. Environmental awareness, green image, environmental concern, eco-friendly reputation, previous experience, the presence of sustainable labels, and ethical ideology are among the main factors that influence intentions to visit environmentally friendly hotels [24,25,26]. Studies have shown that the presence of sustainable practices and certifications can positively influence guests’ perceptions and intentions to stay at eco-friendly hotels [27]. Guests’ willingness to sacrifice for the environment has been found to influence their attitudes toward a hotel and their intentions to visit, and this relationship is moderated by the hotel’s positioning and advertising appeals [28]. Additionally, sustainable hotel branding leads to guests’ intention to revisit, willingness to recommend, and willingness to pay more [29,30]. Due to these factors, hotel managers often use different labels and certifications to increase their revenues [31].
Chen and Tung [32] introduced an extended theory of planned behavior model that includes environmental concern as an important antecedent of guests’ attitudes, which, in turn, influences their intention to visit sustainable hotels. However, some studies have reported mixed results regarding the effectiveness of sustainable hotel badges. Furthermore, the presence of sustainable labels may lead to negative attitudes, as people may believe that the company is trying to hide something [33] or have a general skepticism of green practices [34]. Nevertheless, empirical evidence on the actual impact of these badges on guests’ booking intentions is still lacking. This study hypothesized that the presence of sustainable hotel badges on Booking.com would positively influence guests’ attitudes and intentions to book sustainable hotels. Specifically, it was expected that guests who were exposed to sustainable badges during the booking process would perceive sustainable hotels more positively and have a higher intention to choose them compared to guests who were not exposed to these badges.
H1: 
The presence of a sustainable hotel badge positively influences guests’ attitudes towards a hotel.
H2: 
The presence of a sustainable hotel badge positively influences guests’ intention to book a hotel.

2.4. The Effects of Awareness of Sustainable Practices

Awareness of sustainable practices can be referred to as guests’ knowledge about the sustainable practices implemented by the hotel. Several studies have examined the relationship between guests’ awareness of sustainable practices and their attitudes and behaviors. Vicente-Molina et al. [35] described environmental awareness as an important antecedent of pro-environmental behavior. Hotel guests with higher levels of awareness of hotel sustainable practices also demonstrated higher levels of satisfaction [36]. Many sustainable hotel practices that guests are aware of are perceived positively by the majority of guests. However, some guests suggest that hotels use and promote sustainable practices, including recycling, towel and linen reuse, water conservation, etc., only as marketing tools [37]. As a result, studies have reported mixed or no significant effects of guests’ awareness of sustainable practices implemented by hotels on their loyalty and behavioral intentions, and propose that other factors, such as economic and social factors, may play a more critical role in guests’ booking decisions [36]. In order to understand these effects, this study hypothesized that guests’ awareness of sustainable practices would influence their attitudes and booking intentions.
H3: 
Awareness of sustainable practices influences guests’ attitudes toward the hotel.
H4 
: Awareness of sustainable practices influences guests’ booking intentions.
At the same time, guests’ awareness of sustainable practices can also moderate the relationship between the presence of sustainable hotel badges and guests’ attitudes and booking intentions. Awareness was found to interact with different factors influencing people’s attitudes in different consumption settings [38,39,40]. Therefore, it is reasonable to suggest that guests who have some knowledge about the hotel’s sustainable practices have better attitudes and are more likely to book a room at a hotel with a sustainable hotel badge than guests who are not aware of the hotel’s sustainability practices. In order to better understand the effects of guests’ awareness of Booking.com’s sustainable practices and sustainable hotel certification program on the relationships between the presence of a sustainable hotel badge and guests’ attitudes towards a hotel and booking intentions, this study hypothesized that:
H5: 
Awareness of sustainable practices moderates the relationship between the presence of a sustainable hotel badge and guests’ attitudes towards a hotel.
H6: 
Awareness of sustainable practices moderates the relationship between the presence of a sustainable hotel badge and guests’ booking intentions.

2.5. Mediation Effects of Attitudes in the Relationships between the Presence of a Sustainable Badge and Booking Intentions

Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), attitudes predict people’s intention to engage in a behavior, which, in turn, predicts the behavior itself [4,5]. The theory of planned behavior has been used as a theoretical framework for exploring the factors influencing sustainable and pro-environmental behavior [41,42,43]. Over 300 papers have used the theory of planned behavior in tourism and hospitality as a basis for their research to study attitudes, consumer behavior, motivation, sustainability, and other topics [44]. However, the TPB has been widely criticized for not taking into account affective, unconscious, associative, spontaneous, and other factors, and for focusing on rational decision making [45]. Therefore, it is important to be mindful when applying the theory of planned behavior and to control for the effects of other factors on guests’ attitudes and behaviors.
Chen and Tung [32] extended the TPB model to analyze guests’ intentions to visit sustainable hotels and confirmed the effects of attitudes toward sustainable hotels on guests’ visit intentions. Given that guests’ attitudes have been found to influence their behavioral intentions [46,47,48], and the previously discussed effects of sustainable labels on consumer perceptions in different settings [27,29], it is reasonable to hypothesize that attitudes towards the hotel may mediate the relationship between the presence of sustainable badges and booking intentions.
H7: 
Guests’ attitudes toward a hotel mediate the relationship between the presence of sustainable badges and booking intentions.
The conceptual model of the study is presented in Figure 1.

3. Methodology

3.1. Data Collection

To investigate how the presence of sustainable hotel badges affects guests’ attitudes and booking intentions, an online experimental design was employed. The study recruited 700 participants from the United States who had previously used Booking.com within the past year via Amazon Mechanical Turk. The institutional review board (IRB) determined the study to be exempt from regulation as human subject research. After removing responses with missing values and failed attention and manipulation checks, 537 samples remained for analysis. While online sampling may be perceived as a limitation, it was justified as all participants had prior experience using Booking.com online, and the online context is a natural setting for them.

3.2. Research Design

Four experimental scenarios were designed to manipulate the presence of sustainable badges and awareness about sustainable practices on the website. The scenarios were created to appear as a real Booking.com website. Two levels of the presence of a sustainable badge were manipulated as badge/no badge. The group with awareness of sustainable practices read information that Booking.com introduced their Travel Sustainable badge to help travelers find sustainable accommodations and that Booking.com showcased their partners’ sustainability practices in five key areas: waste, energy, water, local community support, and protecting nature, while another group did not receive this information. All respondents were randomly assigned to one of four scenarios. The manipulation check and realism check questions were asked to ensure that respondents perceived the manipulated scenarios as intended.

3.3. Research Instruments

Survey questions about attitudes towards the hotel and booking intentions were developed based on previous studies. Attitudes toward a hotel were measured using questions such as “I think that this hotel is appealing to me”, “This hotel matches my expectations”, and “My overall evaluation of this hotel is favorable”, modified from the previously applied measurement scales [49,50]. Booking intentions were evaluated with scale items like “I would book this hotel on Booking.com if I traveled to this location”, “If needed, I would likely book this hotel on Booking.com”, and “I would be willing to book this hotel using Booking.com.” based on previously used scales [49,51]. Respondents’ familiarity with travel websites was measured using scale questions adapted from a previous study by Liu and Mattila [52], including “How familiar are you with Booking.com?”, “How experienced are you with Booking.com?”, and “How knowledgeable are you about Booking.com?”.

3.4. Data Analysis

The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 28. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the sample profile, and a t-test was used to perform a manipulation check to ensure that the presence of the sustainable badge had the desired effect. The impact of the presence of the sustainable badge and awareness of sustainable practices on attitudes towards the hotel and booking intentions were analyzed using an analysis of variance. In order to test the moderating effects in hypotheses H5 and H6 and the mediating effects in hypothesis H6, PROCESS v4.2 macro was utilized.

4. Results

4.1. Descriptive Statistics

The objective of the study was to explore how the presence of a sustainable badge on a hotel listing influenced the attitudes and booking intentions of guests. The socio-demographic profile of respondents is provided in Table 1.
A manipulation check was performed to verify whether the manipulated sustainable badge scenarios effectively induced perceptions that the hotel was designated as a “Travel Sustainable Property”. The experimental group who was shown the sustainable badge scenarios had significantly higher average agreement ratings that the hotel was labeled as a “Travel Sustainable Property” compared to the control group who did not observe a sustainable badge scenario.

4.2. The Effects of the Presence of a Sustainable Badge

An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to examine the main effects of the presence of a sustainable badge and awareness of sustainable practices. As shown in Table 2, the ANOVA results revealed significant effects of the presence of a sustainable badge on guests’ attitudes (F = 8.183, p < 0.05) and booking intentions (F = 6.275, p < 0.05). The results indicated that the presence of a sustainable badge led to better attitudes and higher visit intentions compared to a hotel listing without the badge. Therefore, hypotheses H1 and H2 were supported. However, the ANOVA results did not show significant effects for the awareness of sustainable practices on guests’ attitudes and booking intentions (Table 3), thus, hypotheses H3 and H4 were not supported.

4.3. Moderating Effects of the Awareness of the Sustainable Practices

The PROCESS macro model 1 was conducted to analyze the proposed moderating effects in H5 and H6. The model included the presence of a sustainable badge as an independent variable, guests’ attitudes and booking intentions as dependent variables, and awareness of sustainable practices as a moderator. The results did not reveal significant moderating effects of awareness on the relationships between the presence of a sustainable badge on guests’ attitudes toward a hotel (F = 2.392; p = 0.123), meaning that hypothesis H5 was not supported. However, the moderating effects of awareness on the relationships between the presence of a sustainable badge and booking intentions were significant (F = 4.471, p = 0.035). The visual representation of the interaction between the presence of the sustainable badge and awareness of sustainable practices is presented in Figure 2. Awareness of sustainable practices significantly influenced the effects of the presence of a sustainable badge on booking intentions. Hence, hypothesis H6 was supported.

4.4. Mediating Effects of Attitudes

The study used the PROCESS macro model 4 to analyze the mediation effects of guests’ attitudes on the relationship between the presence of a sustainable badge and booking intentions. The results showed that after controlling for attitudes, the presence of sustainable badges no longer had a significant effect on booking intentions (B = 0.053; p = 0.293). However, both the effect of the presence of a sustainable badge on attitudes (B = 0.424; p < 0.05) and the effect of attitudes on booking intentions (B = 0.865; p < 0.05) were significant. Therefore, guests’ attitudes completely mediated the relationship between the presence of a sustainable badge and booking intentions, supporting hypothesis H7.
Table 4 summarizes the study results. The hypotheses on the effects of the presence of a sustainable badge on guests’ attitudes and booking intentions were supported. The hypotheses on the effects of the awareness of sustainable practices on guests’ attitudes and booking intentions were not supported. However, awareness of sustainable practices significantly influenced the effects of the presence of a sustainable badge on booking intentions. Furthermore, the study found significant mediating effects of guests’ attitudes in the relationship between the presence of sustainable badges on booking intentions.

5. Discussion and Conclusions

5.1. Discussion

This study aimed to investigate the effects of sustainable badges on hotel listings on guests’ attitudes and behavioral intentions using an online experimental design. Hotels and booking platforms, such as Booking.com, are increasingly implementing sustainable practices and displaying sustainable badges to communicate their efforts to guests, but the real effects of sustainable labels on guests’ attitudes and booking intentions are not well understood. The study’s results provided empirical evidence that the presence of a sustainable badge could have a positive impact on guests’ attitudes toward a hotel. This finding was consistent with previous research works that found that consumers generally had positive attitudes toward environmentally sustainable practices [11,12,13,14]. This is a beneficial relationship to understand, considering the connections between green practices, guest satisfaction, and brand loyalty [15,53,54]. The presence of a sustainable badge served as a signal of a hotel’s commitment to sustainability and could enhance guests’ perceptions of the hotel’s environmental responsibility.
The study’s findings on the effects of the presence of a sustainable badge on guests’ intentions to book a hotel suggested that sustainability could be a key factor in guests’ decision-making process when choosing a hotel. In comparison with a few previous studies that suggested that guests’ attitudes toward sustainable hotels often do not lead to behavioral intentions [20,21], these results demonstrated that the presence of a sustainable badge on a hotel listing had significant effects on booking intentions. These relationships could be explained by the fact that the presence of a sustainable badge could differentiate a hotel from its competitors and attract environmentally conscious guests willing to pay a premium for sustainable practices. The findings could also be explained by previous research conducted in other settings indicating that customers were willing to pay a premium and even conspicuously consumed sustainable products or services [8]. The discovery that guests’ awareness of sustainable practices significantly influenced the effects of the presence of a sustainable badge on booking intentions is an important contribution to the literature on sustainable practices in the hospitality industry. The study’s results advised that guests who are more aware of sustainable practices may be more likely to consider sustainability when determining booking decisions, and that the presence of a sustainable badge may have a stronger impact on their booking intentions.
The significant mediating effects of guests’ attitudes in the relationships between the presence of a sustainable badge on the hotel listing and booking intentions were consistent with previous research that highlighted the importance of attitudes in shaping consumers’ intentions and behaviors towards sustainable practices in the hospitality industry. Previous studies suggested that guests’ attitudes toward sustainable practices play an important role in shaping their intentions to book a hotel [46,47,48]. The extended theory of planned behavior model describes the relationships between environmental concerns, guests’ attitudes, and intentions to visit sustainable hotels [32]. The study findings supported this model by demonstrating that the presence of a sustainable badge on the hotel listing could influence guests’ attitudes towards the hotel, which, in turn, could influence their intentions to book the hotel.

5.2. Theoretical and Practical Implications

This study contributed to knowledge on the impact of information cues on consumer behavior. Specifically, it intended to provide insights into how sustainable badges on hotel websites and listings could affect guests’ perceptions and decision-making processes. It also helped to approach the attitude–behavior gap when guests’ attitudes toward sustainable hotels do not lead to behavioral intentions. The study could help to advance the understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying sustainable consumption behavior by providing additional insights into the factors that influence guests’ willingness to engage in sustainable consumption behavior, such as their awareness of sustainable practices. The findings of the study could also be used to inform and improve theoretical models of sustainable tourism behavior that incorporate cognitive and affective components.
This study provided practical implications for hotel managers, booking platforms, and policymakers interested in promoting sustainable practices. The study’s findings suggested that implementing sustainable practices and obtaining sustainable badges can benefit hotels by increasing positive attitudes toward their hotel and increasing booking intentions. These findings highlighted the potential benefits of sustainable practices and sustainable badges for hotels in attracting environmentally conscious guests and differentiating themselves from competitors, further supporting that earning sustainability certifications assists with financial performance and competitive factors [55].
Furthermore, this study emphasized the importance of increasing guests’ awareness of sustainable practices in the hospitality industry. Hotels can educate guests about their sustainable practices through various communication channels, such as their website, social media accounts, and in-room materials. As a consequence, hotels can enhance the impact of their sustainable badges and attract environmentally conscious guests who prioritize sustainability in their booking decisions.
The results of the study also highlighted the potential of sustainable badges as a marketing tool for hotels. By using sustainable badges as a signal of their commitment to sustainability, hotels can attract environmentally conscious guests who are willing to pay a premium for sustainable practices. This provides an opportunity for hotels to develop marketing strategies that emphasize their sustainable practices and use sustainable badges to attract environmentally conscious guests. Finally, the study’s findings could have implications for policymakers and regulators interested in promoting sustainable tourism practices. The results may inform the development of policies and regulations that encourage hotels to adopt sustainable practices and offer sustainable badges to guests.

5.3. Limitations and Future Research

The limitations of the study warrant future research on the effects of sustainable badges and practices. The internal validity of the study was supported by randomly assigning participants to different group scenarios, manipulating independent variables, and controlling for other factors. However, using a convenience online sample could be considered a limitation, since a non-probability sample cannot fully represent the total population. The study provided a certain level of external validity by conducting realism checks, applying inclusion criteria, and using a between-group experimental design. However, selection bias and some situational factors could affect the external validity of the study; therefore, it may be useful to replicate the experiment with different samples in different settings. The study was conducted with US respondents, and its results may not be generalizable to other countries and cultures. Future studies should apply a similar methodology in distinct countries to reveal the effects of cultural differences on the relationship between the presence of sustainable badges on guests’ attitudes and behavioral intentions. The online experimental design may not have fully captured the complexities of guests’ attitudes toward sustainable practices and may not reflect the real-world experiences of guests in a hotel setting. To account for this, similar research can be reproduced during real-field experiments.
Another limitation of this study was that it did not measure guests’ actual behavior but rather their behavioral intentions. The theory of planned behavior, which served as the theoretical foundation of the study, is limited in its ability to predict human behavior in hospitality settings because of the complexity of guests’ decision making, the dynamic nature of guests’ experience, cultural differences, and many other factors. Furthermore, guests’ behavioral intentions may not always translate into actual behavior, as there may be factors that influence guests’ behavior that are not captured by intentions alone. Finally, the study did not consider the psychological mechanisms through which the presence of a sustainable badge influenced the guests’ attitudes and booking intentions. Both qualitative and quantitative future studies can be conducted to understand the real meanings people assign to following sustainable hotel practices and their perceptions of sustainable hotel badges and other sustainable cues.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, M.G., A.F. and C.B.; Methodology, M.G.; Formal analysis, M.G.; Writing—original draft, M.G., A.F. and C.B.; Writing—review & editing, M.G., A.F. and C.B. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Institutional Review Board of University of Central Florida (IRB ID: STUDY00005413 on 11 April 2023).

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Sustainability 16 02484 g001
Figure 1. Conceptual model.
Figure 1. Conceptual model.
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Sustainability 16 02484 g002
Figure 2. Interaction effects.
Figure 2. Interaction effects.
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Table 1. Socio-demographic characteristics.
Table 1. Socio-demographic characteristics.
FrequenciesPercent
Gender
 Male36467.8
 Female17232.0
 Other
Age
 18–29 years old10219.0
 30–44 years old38551.6
 45–59 years old4016.0
 60 or older104.7
Education
 High School8310.5
 Vocational School2810.5
 College/University28555.9
 Master’s or PhD14022.9
 Other10.2
Income
 Under 30,0003721.2
 30,000–49,99917328.7
 50,000–79,99922930.9
 More than 80,0009819.2
Table 2. The effects of the presence of a sustainable badge.
Table 2. The effects of the presence of a sustainable badge.
No BadgeBadgeFp
Attitudes5.3435.6128.1830.004 *
Booking intentions5.3365.5816.2750.013 *
Note: * p < 0.05.
Table 3. The effects of awareness of sustainable practices.
Table 3. The effects of awareness of sustainable practices.
No InformationInformationFp
Attitudes 5.5005.4850.0170.896
Booking intentions5.4705.4720.0000.991
Table 4. Summary of hypothesis testing.
Table 4. Summary of hypothesis testing.
HypothesesTesting Result
H1 Sustainable badge → AttitudesSupported
H2 Sustainable badge → Booking intentionsSupported
H3 Awareness → AttitudesRejected
H4 Awareness → Booking intentionsRejected
H5 Sustainable badge × Awareness → AttitudesRejected
H6 Sustainable badge × Awareness → Booking intentionsSupported
H7 Sustainable badge → Awareness → Booking intentionsSupported
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MDPI and ACS Style

Godovykh, M.; Fyall, A.; Baker, C. Sustainable Labels in Tourism Practice: The Effects of Sustainable Hotel Badges on Guests’ Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions. Sustainability 2024, 16, 2484. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062484

AMA Style

Godovykh M, Fyall A, Baker C. Sustainable Labels in Tourism Practice: The Effects of Sustainable Hotel Badges on Guests’ Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions. Sustainability. 2024; 16(6):2484. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062484

Chicago/Turabian Style

Godovykh, Maksim, Alan Fyall, and Carissa Baker. 2024. "Sustainable Labels in Tourism Practice: The Effects of Sustainable Hotel Badges on Guests’ Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions" Sustainability 16, no. 6: 2484. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16062484

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