Can publicly visible pro-environmental initiatives improve the organic environmental image of destinations?

Bilynets, Iana (author), Knežević Cvelbar, Ljubica (author), Dolnicar, Sara (author)

Destination image formation theory postulates that the way tourists perceive a destination - the destination's image - affects tourists' destination choice. Organic destination image - which develops naturally, without an active effort by anyone to shape destination image - is more powerful than destination image induced through marketing because tourists are sceptical about the information conveyed to them through marketing communication channels. Theory predicts that destinations cannot control organic image. We challenge this assumption by hypothesizing that visible environmental initiatives at the destination are positively associated with the organic destination image of being environmentally sustainable. Results indicate that destinations may indeed be able to proactively and deliberately manage their organic image. Tourists who notice pro-environmental initiatives at the destination and pay attention to them perceive the destination as more environmentally friendly and sustainable when they depart. With organic image being a key driver of destination choice, implementation of pro-environmental initiatives becomes a rational marketing investment. This is particularly important given the increasing environmental concern of consumers. The invaluable side effect of redirecting "green marketing dollars" towards "green action dollars" is the improved environmental performance of the destination, which contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

• Language: English
• Keywords: tourism, sustainable development, environmental protection, organic image, environmental sustainability, destination image, positioning, environmental image, pro-environmental initiatives
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: EF - School of Economics and Business
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: Str. 32–46
• Numbering: Vol. 31, no. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-127246
• UDC: 338.48
• ISSN on article: 0966-9582
• DOI: 10.1080/09669582.2021.1926469
• COBISS.SI-ID: 63960067
• Publication date in RUL: 28.05.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of sustainable tourism
• Shortened title: J. sustain. tour.
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 0966-9582
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1573986

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: turizem, trajnostni razvoj, varstvo okolja