Can Environmentally Sustainable Development and Green Innovation of Hotels Trigger the Formation of a Positive Brand and Price Premium?

Abstract

This study develops a theoretical framework to describe brand images and customer behaviors in relation to the eco-friendly activities of hotels. These eco-friendly activities were divided into environmentally sustainable development and green innovation. In this study, a survey was conducted on customers who had used a hotel in the past year, and a total of 329 valid samples were obtained. The empirical analysis was conducted using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 22.0. The empirical analysis results showed that hotels’ eco-friendly activities formed a positive brand image, which in turn had a positive effect on brand love and respect. It was also found that environmental concern, as perceived by customers, did not play a significant moderating role. Therefore, out of a total of eight hypotheses presented in this study, six hypotheses were supported, and two hypotheses were rejected. The findings of this study confirm that hotels’ eco-friendly activities have a positive influence on their performance and provide meaningful insights, based on which strategies for the long-term development and growth of hotels can be established.