Factors influencing willingness of customers of environmentally friendly hotels to pay a price premium
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
ISSN: 0959-6119
Article publication date: 18 October 2019
Issue publication date: 13 January 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of customers’ environmental concerns, customers’ perceptions of a hotel’s environmental practices and of the hotels’ environmentally friendly images, on customers’ willingness to pay a price premium to stay at environmentally friendly hotels.
Design/methodology/approach
The theoretical framework comprises both social identity theory and value-belief-norm theory. The data were collected through a survey of 454 customers staying at eco-friendly hotels in Spain. The research model is tested by using a structural equation modelling approach.
Findings
The findings illustrate that customers’ environmental concerns have a greater explanatory value on their willingness to pay a price premium than do their perceptions of the hotels’ environmental practices. Furthermore, these causal relationships are similar in magnitude when considering the mediating effects of the hotels’ eco-friendly image and the environmental practices.
Research limitations/implications
The empirical findings provide managers with a better understanding of how customers’ environmental concerns and their own sense of identification with environmentally friendly hotels influence customers’ behavioural intentions towards willingness to pay a premium.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the literature by highlighting those cognitive processes that influence the customers’ willingness to pay a price premium to stay at environmentally friendly hotels. Hence, the study provides valuable information to hotel managers.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper has been funded by the VI Research Programme’s Grant of the University of Seville (VI PPIT-US).
Citation
González-Rodríguez, M.R., Díaz-Fernández, M.C. and Font, X. (2020), "Factors influencing willingness of customers of environmentally friendly hotels to pay a price premium", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 32 No. 1, pp. 60-80. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-02-2019-0147
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited