Influence of Eco-Friendly Practices on Guest Satisfaction: The Role of Hotel Image and Guest Trust in LEED-Certified Hotels.
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Abstract
The growing emphasis on environmental sustainability has encouraged the hospitality industry to adopt eco-friendly practices that reduce environmental impacts while enhancing guest experiences. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified hotels are a vital part of sustainable hospitality, where the practice of energy and water conservation is a part of the hotel's operations. This study investigates the impact of eco-friendly practices on guest satisfaction, and investigates the mediating role of hotel image and guest trust in this relationship in LEED-certified hotels. The quantitative, cross-sectional research design was used, and data was gathered using a structured questionnaire from 217 guests of selected LEED certified hotels in North India. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the proposed relationships. The results show that the use of eco-friendly practices has a significant positive impact on the image of the hotel, trust of the guests and satisfaction of the guests. The results show that the hotel image and guest trust also positively affect guest satisfaction, suggesting that they are significant explanatory factors in connecting environmental responsibility and positive evaluations of the hotel. The results point out that sustainable methods go beyond the environmental advantage and have the ability to boost guests' perceptions, confidence, and satisfaction. The study offers practical suggestions to hotel managers in LEED certified properties to highlight the importance of environmental actions that are visible and credible to reinforce the image of the hotel, establish trust and improve guest satisfaction...
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