The mediating role of perceived benefits on intentions to book a sustainable hotel: a multi-group comparison of the Swiss, German and USA travel markets

Abstract

The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) was applied to analyse the role of perceived benefits (PB) on intentions to book a sustainable hotel. Data for the research came from 2564 respondents to an online survey conducted in Switzerland, Germany, and USA. A multi-group structural equation modelling (SEM) determined how PB (environmental, social, and economic) played a mediating role on booking intentions (BI) in the three markets and identified significant differences among them. Analysis showed that sustainable hotel benefits are bundled into one category as “added value,” without differentiating among the three sustainability dimensions. In the Swiss and German markets, the findings also showed that benefit perceptions played a partial mediating role between TPB constructs, where both attitude (ATT) and subjective norms (SN) were found to affect booking intentions directly and indirectly. This research highlights the important role sustainability benefit communications can play for hotels in different markets.

Keywords:

• Sustainable hotel
• perceived benefits
• theory of planned behaviour
• booking intentions

Acknowledgments

This paper is the result of a cooperative research project between the Institute of Tourism at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich.

Additional information

Funding

The research is partly funded by the respective institutions and by the Swiss National Science Foundation SNF (www.snf.ch).

Notes on contributors

Sindhuri Ponnapureddy

Sindhuri Ponnapureddy is a doctoral student pursuing a PhD at the University of Zurich. Her research interests include sustainable tourism, marketing and consumer behaviour.

Julianna Priskin

Julianna Priskin is a lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland. Her research focuses on the implementation of sustainable tourism principles by the tourism sector.

Friederike Vinzenz

Friederike Vinzenz is a senior researcher at the Department of Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich. Her work focuses on media effects, persuasion, values, and emotions.

Werner Wirth

Werner Wirth is a professor for empirical research and head of the Department of Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich. His research focuses on cognitive, emotional, and persuasive aspects of media use, media reception, and media effects.

Timo Ohnmacht

Timo Ohnmacht is a lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland. His research focuses on the interrelations between tourism, recreation, and transport.